Measuring physical literacy in Ukraine: developmentof a set of indicators by Delphi method

Abstract

Introduction: This study aims to outline indicators of physical literacy for Ukrainian student youth, taking into account current international experience and concepts and meeting national specificities of the organization of physical education in higher educational institutions of Ukraine. Methods: 82 individuals were invited to participate in study (face-to-face meeting). The 2-round Delphi method as approach for facilitating group interaction aimed to structure communication process was used to generalize the knowledge and receiving the consensus of expert opinion. Results: The top five of the most important indicators of physical literacy were physical health, physical activity level, participation in fitness activities, ability to conduct morning hygienic gymnastics, physical training break, physical training, gymnastics before classes, individual training session, ability to perform preventive exercises in case of illness. The indicators identified by the experts can be grouped into three separate domains: functional, motivational, cognitive and behavioral. Conclusion: The selected indicators are contextually sensitive for the Ukrainian population. We prioritize approaches that have already been used in daily practice in Ukraine. The set of selected indicators demonstrates that they reflect the structural hierarchy of the “physical literacy” construction. The selected indicators, in particular, correspond to the goals of students’ education, they take into account the list of necessary knowledge, skills and abilities in accordance with the requirements of the Ukrainian program, consider motivation of students, awareness of active lifestyle and sufficient level of physical strain importance for health.