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The Impact of Circus Arts Instruction in Physical Education on the Physical Literacy of Children in Grades 4 and 5
Abstract
Objective: To examine the impact of circus arts instruction in physical education (PE) on the physical literacy of children in Grades 4 and 5. Methods: A clustered, quasi-experimental design was used comparing children in schools with circus arts instruction in physical education (n = 101) with children in socioeconomic status-matched schools using standard PE instruction (n = 110). Physical literacy assessments performed at the beginning and end of one semester using the Physical Literacy Assessment for Youth tools. Results: Significant improvements in motor competence for both groups; endpoint differences favored the circus arts instruction in physical education schools for 15 of 18 movement skills for Grade 5 and 7 of 18 skills for Grade 4 (p < .05), with corresponding increases in children's confidence and comprehension of movement terminology, as well as active participation. The gap in motor competence between girls and boys in the circus arts instruction in physical education schools was smaller than in standard PE schools. Conclusions: Circus arts instruction enriched PE can effectively aid in the development of physical literacy in children with greater gender equity.
... Half of the included studies were conducted in Canada (n = 6) [46][47][48][49][50][51], with the remaining six conducted in six different countries: Australia [52], Hong Kong [53], Italy [45], Portugal [54], Spain [55], and the USA [56]. Two thirds (n = 8) were published since 2020. ...
... With respect to the type of school-based intervention, most (n = 6) were implemented during physical education (PE) [45,47,49,50,54,56], with a further three being afterschool programs [46,48,51], one structured recess program [55], and two multi-component interventions involving a combination of PE, active lessons, and/or active games during recess [52,53]. A variety of research designs were employed, including randomised controlled trials (n = 4) [45,46,52,53], quasi-experimental controlled trials (n = 3) [47,49,55], within-subjects design (pre-post) (n = 3) [48,50,56], a mixed methods evaluation study [51], and a participatory case study with retrospective evaluation [54]. ...
... With respect to the type of school-based intervention, most (n = 6) were implemented during physical education (PE) [45,47,49,50,54,56], with a further three being afterschool programs [46,48,51], one structured recess program [55], and two multi-component interventions involving a combination of PE, active lessons, and/or active games during recess [52,53]. A variety of research designs were employed, including randomised controlled trials (n = 4) [45,46,52,53], quasi-experimental controlled trials (n = 3) [47,49,55], within-subjects design (pre-post) (n = 3) [48,50,56], a mixed methods evaluation study [51], and a participatory case study with retrospective evaluation [54]. ...
Background
Schools are a key setting for promoting children’s physical literacy development. This review aimed to identify school-based interventions that adopted a holistic conceptualisation of physical literacy and examine the effects on children’s physical literacy and any other outcomes, including physical activity (PA).
Methods
Searches were conducted in seven databases (APA PsycINFO, EMBASE, ERIC, CINAHL, Global Health, MEDLINE Complete, SPORTDiscus with Full Text), and Google and Google Scholar, to identify articles published since 1/1/2017. Studies were included if they (i) adopted a holistic conception of physical literacy as represented by the Australian Physical Literacy Framework (APLF), (ii) were grounded in movement, (iii) assessed three or more domains of learning (either quantitatively or qualitatively), and (iv) included children aged 5–14 years. Quantitative research designs needed to provide pre-and post-intervention measures, whereas qualitative designs (e.g. post-intervention interviews) did not. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were conducted independently by teams of two authors. For intervention effects, quantitative and qualitative data were synthesised separately. For quantitative data, level of evidence for intervention effects was assessed by physical literacy domain and/or elements/items by examining the proportion of tests with a significant change in the expected direction. Qualitative data were synthesised using the framework synthesis method and mapped to a framework that included APLF domains/elements, PA, and additional outcomes.
Results
Twelve interventions with 1,427 participants from seven countries were identified: six physical education-based, three afterschool, one structured recess, and two multicomponent. All studies assessed the physical domain quantitatively, with strong positive evidence of intervention effects for the controlled designs (10 of 15 tests). For the affective and cognitive domains, evidence was mixed, and there was no evidence for interventions improving the social components of children’s physical literacy (although this was understudied). Most studies assessed PA and one measured cognitive performance; however, there was no evidence for positive intervention effects (i.e. ≥35% of tests reporting an improvement) for either outcome. Five studies assessed intervention effects qualitatively, with positive results reported for all physical literacy domains, PA, and cognitive performance.
Conclusions
Holistic interventions in schools can improve the physical domain of children’s physical literacy. For wider benefits, future interventions should aim to develop all facets of physical literacy, especially domains of learning less frequently targeted and examined.
Trial Registration
PROSPERO CRD42022351317.
... Interventions in schools focused on improving physical competence have yielded improvements after the intervention [30][31][32][33] as well as when compared to usual practice sites [31][32][33]. Interventions in the community setting have also found improvements in physical competence compared to baseline [34][35][36][37] and greater physical competence than children in the control group [35,37]. ...
... Interventions in schools focused on improving physical competence have yielded improvements after the intervention [30][31][32][33] as well as when compared to usual practice sites [31][32][33]. Interventions in the community setting have also found improvements in physical competence compared to baseline [34][35][36][37] and greater physical competence than children in the control group [35,37]. However, to our knowledge, no studies have examined the potential of a multi-setting physical literacy intervention to improve physical competence. ...
... The improvements in physical competence are not surprising since physical literacy interventions have the strongest effect on physical competency outcomes [48]. When compared to the outcomes of other interventions utilizing the PLAY tools, we found similar improvements in physical competence for children in the intervention and, to a lesser extent, improvements for the usual practice group [31,32,35]. The percent change for overall physical competence in the current study was much higher for both the intervention and usual practice groups (44% and 14%, respectively), compared to other studies that found a smaller increase of 3% for the control group [32] and 8% for the intervention group [32,37]. ...
Increasing children’s physical activity engagement has short- and long-term health benefits. Developing physical competence is a key component of children’s engagement in physical activity. The purpose of our study was to assess if a 12-week home, school, and community-based physical literacy intervention improved the physical competence of children in kindergarten and grade one. Four schools were either assigned to receive the intervention (n = 2 schools) or continue with their usual practice (control sites) (n = 2 schools). Physical competence was evaluated pre- and post-intervention in 103 intervention (41 female) and 83 usual practice (36 female) children using PLAY Fun. PLAY Parent and PLAY Coach tools measured parent and teacher perspectives of children’s physical competence, respectively. The intervention effect was assessed with repeated measures MANOVA to evaluate change in physical competence, with alpha set at p < 0.05. Children in both groups improved their locomotor, object control, and overall physical competence (p < 0.05) over the 12-week intervention. There was a significant intervention effect for locomotor and overall physical competence (p < 0.05). Interestingly, parents did not perceive these changes in physical competence (p > 0.05). However, teachers perceived improved physical competence for children in the intervention. Our physical literacy intervention improved the physical competence of children in kindergarten and grade one.
... Most sources of evidence (46/57) were published in the past decade, with 33% (n = 19) published in the past five years ( Figure 2). The majority of evidence on this topic is peer-reviewed (44/57), including a book [32] and book chapter [16], academic theses [20,29,30,[33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40], and journal articles [4,6,8,9,14,17,18,21,22,. No systematic or scoping reviews fulfilled the eligibility criteria. ...
... No systematic or scoping reviews fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Grey literature (13/57) included project reports [63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70], conference proceedings The majority of evidence on this topic is peer-reviewed (44/57), including a book [32] and book chapter [16], academic theses [20,29,30,[33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40], and journal articles [4,6,8,9,14,17,18,21,22,. No systematic or scoping reviews fulfilled the eligibility criteria. ...
... Study designs were described in 44 of the included sources of evidence and included: randomised comparison trials (2 unique interventions) [41,42,[53][54][55][56][57]60,61], case studies [30,34,35,37,51,59,62], qualitative studies [14,21,22,29,38,40,45,46,68,73,74], mixed-methods [4,47,[63][64][65]67], pre-post-designs [6,66], a cross-sectional design [17], a between-subjects repeated measures design [50], and a prospective, clustered quasi-experimental design (one unique intervention) [8,36]. Sample sizes ranged between one and 300 participants, and further details can be found in Appendix D. ...
Circus activities are emerging as an engaging and unique health intervention. This scoping review summarises the evidence on this topic for children and young people aged up to 24 years to map (a) participant characteristics, (b) intervention characteristics, (c) health and wellbeing outcomes, and (d) to identify evidence gaps. Using scoping review methodology, a systematic search of five databases and Google Scholar was conducted up to August 2022 for peer-reviewed and grey literature. Fifty-seven of 897 sources of evidence were included (42 unique interventions). Most interventions were undertaken with school-aged participants; however, four studies included participants with age ranges over 15 years. Interventions targeted both general populations and those with defined biopsychosocial challenges (e.g., cerebral palsy, mental illness, or homelessness). Most interventions utilised three or more circus disciplines and were undertaken in naturalistic leisure settings. Dosage could be calculated for 15 of the 42 interventions (range one-96 h). Improvements in physical and/or social-emotional outcomes were reported for all studies. There is emerging evidence of positive health outcomes resulting from circus activities used in general populations and those with defined biopsychosocial challenges. Future research should focus on detailed reporting of intervention elements and increasing the evidence base in preschool-aged children and within populations with the greatest need.
... acrobatics-aerial and floor, balancing, juggling, and clowning) and the pedagogical practices typically used, allows for engagement and exploration regardless of one's gender, ability, race, age, or interests. Kriellaars et al. (2019) have demonstrated the positive impact of circus arts instruction in PE, where physical literacy enriched pedagogical practices used by circus instructors has resulted in substantial increases in physical literacy, as well as being able to extinguish the gender gap in movement competence in elementary students compared to matched comparison schools. Further, studies conducted in New Zealand, France, Brazil, Spain, Hong Kong and several other countries around the world indicate circus arts instruction as an emerging option for a more inclusive PE experience (Chung 2010;Burkel 1969;Funk 2018;Ontañón, Duprat, and Bortoleto 2012). ...
... The lower participation rates often observed during traditional PE (Metcalfe 2018) compared to the increased level of student participation and engagement reported by teachers during a circus class is a critical finding, but not new. Previous studies have indicated the positive impacts of circus arts instruction on the inclusion of all students (Burkel 1969;El-Sherif 2014;Kriellaars et al. 2019;Bolton 2004), while still allowing for curricular outcomes to be met (Bolton 2004;Price 2012;Kriellaars et al. 2019). Not only did circus arts instruction in PE lead to a more inclusive PE experience, but it also resulted in a more collaborative school environment, where PE teachers were working with their colleagues (e.g. ...
... The lower participation rates often observed during traditional PE (Metcalfe 2018) compared to the increased level of student participation and engagement reported by teachers during a circus class is a critical finding, but not new. Previous studies have indicated the positive impacts of circus arts instruction on the inclusion of all students (Burkel 1969;El-Sherif 2014;Kriellaars et al. 2019;Bolton 2004), while still allowing for curricular outcomes to be met (Bolton 2004;Price 2012;Kriellaars et al. 2019). Not only did circus arts instruction in PE lead to a more inclusive PE experience, but it also resulted in a more collaborative school environment, where PE teachers were working with their colleagues (e.g. ...
Purpose
This study aimed to explore the implementation and impact of circus arts instruction in physical education (PE) classes through a multiple case study design.
Data Collection/Analysis
This multi-site case study explored the implementation and impact of circus arts instruction in PE. Participant observation took place over the course of 16 hours of PE class time in a two-week period. Themes were created by collapsing common observations, following Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis process.
Findings
Circus implementation in elementary schools revealed a wide array of benefits to both teaching practices and student experience based on four themes. The themes included: (1) Circus in action: a shift in pedagogy; (2) Teacher training in circus; (3) Facilities and circus equipment; and (4) Pedagogical strategies.
Conclusions
With the integration of physical literacy enriched pedagogical practices, circus arts instruction created a gymnasium space inclusive to all students by addressing a number of barriers often observed in PE related to sex/gender equity, and inclusion of different levels of ability (physical and cognitive). Our findings suggest that circus arts is one of the best known examples of a physical literacy enriched experience, with inclusion at its foundation.
... Castelli et al. [12] highlight that within the educational setting, curricula can contribute to PL in different ways, differentiating between structured activities, unstructured or informal physical activities (recess), or content-rich physical activity instruction (combining academic concepts with movement). In this regard, a number of studies are beginning to address PL both within the PE classroom [13,14] and during out-of-school periods [15,16]. ...
... However, there are no studies that have evaluated how it affects PL. Additionally, some studies observed that PL can be improved within physical education classes [13,14] or in the extracurricular field [15,16]. Thus, an intervention during rest periods could lead to an improvement in PL. ...
... Currently, there is a great deal of interest in the concept of physical literacy due to its comprehensive nature on the development of physical activity. In this regard, several studies have reported data on the improvement of physical literacy following a physical activity program both within physical education classes [13,14] and in the out-of-school environment [15,16]. However, no studies have been found in which physical literacy has been explored after a program of AB. ...
Several studies have shown that active breaks (AB) lead to improvements in physical fitness, daily steps taken and participants' health. However, there are no studies that have evaluated how they affect physical literacy (PL).
Aims:
Therefore, this study examined the effects of a 4-week recreational AB program based on games whose main objective was to improve motivation and motor skills' improvement in PL in schoolchildren.
Method:
A quasi-experimental pilot study was conducted with PL assessments before and after a 4-week recreational AB program.
Results:
Fifty-seven schoolchildren (10.28 ± 0.43 years) participated in the study, 29 in the control group and 28 in the experimental group. An improvement in PL was found between the experimental and control groups after the intervention (p = 0.017). Moreover, the experimental group also improved (p < 0.001) PL after the intervention. More specifically, within the domain of PL, improvements were found after the intervention in the experimental group in the domains of physical competence (p < 0.001), motivation and confidence (p < 0.001) and knowledge (p < 0.001) but not in the domain of daily activity (p = 0.051).
Conclusion:
The application of an AB program based on playful games, during four weeks, produced an increase in scores in the general PL level, as well as in the domains of physical competence, motivation, and knowledge and understanding in schoolchildren.
... This study involved exploratory circus assignments as the teaching content because they contain a wide variety of progressions regarding many movements, which means that children can challenge themselves based on their ability (Kriellaars et al. 2019). Circus activities are rare in PE in Sweden. ...
... He states that circo arts include opportunities for discovery learning. At the circus, playfulness is central (Purovaara and Damkjaer 2012), and circus art instruction bolsters participation that is social and enjoyable (Kriellaars et al. 2019). Further, according to Kriellaars et al. (2019), circus arts are non-competitive, which might engage children that are not interested in competing and offer them a way to develop motor competence while having fun. ...
... At the circus, playfulness is central (Purovaara and Damkjaer 2012), and circus art instruction bolsters participation that is social and enjoyable (Kriellaars et al. 2019). Further, according to Kriellaars et al. (2019), circus arts are non-competitive, which might engage children that are not interested in competing and offer them a way to develop motor competence while having fun. Although circus arts may not be based in competition, they carry the potential to have competitive elements implicitly within (e.g. who can do the most spectacular trick or who can juggle for the longest time?). ...
Introduction: Research has indicated that Physical Education (PE) is often characterized by teacher-centred teaching (e.g. Byra 2006; Tinning 2010), where the pupils follow instruction and perform pre-established movements (Karlefors and Larsson 2018). Pupils are expected to listen, do as they are told, and follow rules (Fitzpatrick and Russell 2015; Quennerstedt 2013). PE teaching has been described as an act of control (Quennerstedt 2013), and teachers face the dilemma of letting go of control and still having enough control to make sure that the lesson smoothly moves forward (Alfrey and O’Connor 2020). However, when the pupils are given more power and the teacher applies student-centred teaching, the pupils get to come up with ideas and make decisions (e.g. Byra 2006; Garrett and Wrench 2018; Mattsson and Larsson 2021). This is significant because it can develop PE and contribute to meaning making among pupils and their experiences of movement. This article aims to analyse the use of exploratory circus assignments in PE teaching and to discuss this in relation to current school norms. Biesta’s (The Beautiful Risk of Education [Paradigm Publishers 2014]) concept of risk, which means not knowing the outcome, is used. The article problematizes pupils’ own ideas and suggestions in relation to prevailing norms in school. What happens when pupils participate in teaching based on exploratory circus assignments? Exploration, playfulness, and expression were focused, and the lessons were characterized by the absence of primary focus on competitiveness as a counterweight to traditional PE content.
Methods: A research teacher (a university teacher with experience teaching school PE and circus) conducted 10 lessons together with 20 pupils (aged 10) and their PE teacher using exploratory circus assignments. Data was collected through participant observation, video observation, and field diary. The data analysis generated three themes, Following instruction, Limited exploration, and Shared power, that were reviewed in relation to the theoretical framework.
Results: The results show that the research teacher and the PE teacher resisted embracing risk in PE due to the prevailing norms and what Biesta (2014) describes as the practice of schooling. They focused on keeping the pupils in order rather than being flexible and open to unknown outcomes. The exploratory circus assignments involved risk to different extents, and the research teacher's tendency to embrace risk increased over time. Her letting go of control enabled her to embrace risk. It did not mean a total relinquishment of control, but rather not having exclusive control over the decision-making and meaning-making processes. When she shared the power with the pupils, new and other movements could be explored. The results show that pupils’ actions can be more educative than what teachers initially consider.
Conclusion: Teachers need to relinquish control to conduct teaching which embraces risk. Doing so enables them to share power with the pupils, which allows pupils to explore and discover different ways of moving and using the material. Exploratory circus assignments can enable risk embracement in PE and function as a way for teachers to reflect upon pedagogical considerations and practice the sharing of power with their pupils.
... These activities enhance personal effort and achievement due to the variety and progression of activities (Coulston et al. 2023). Kriellaars et al. (2019) observed that students who practice CA in PE classes have higher motor competence, confidence, and levels of participation. In addition, teaching CA addresses barriers related to gender equality and cognitive and functional diversity in PE (Bortoleto et al. 2022;Coulston et al. 2023;Kriellaars et al. 2019) and adapts to the significant diversity present in classes (Coulston et al. 2023). ...
... Kriellaars et al. (2019) observed that students who practice CA in PE classes have higher motor competence, confidence, and levels of participation. In addition, teaching CA addresses barriers related to gender equality and cognitive and functional diversity in PE (Bortoleto et al. 2022;Coulston et al. 2023;Kriellaars et al. 2019) and adapts to the significant diversity present in classes (Coulston et al. 2023). It also develops fundamental transversal content such as social skills, respect, problem-solving, creativity, trust, tolerance, and cooperation (Ontañón- Barragán and Bortoleto 2014;Price 2012). ...
Background: Interest in circus activities (CA) has increased in recent years
within the educational field, particularly among Physical Education (PE)
teachers. These CAs are characterized by being inclusive and
motivating, and they encourage the development of motor and social
skills among students. In addition, scientific evidence is emerging that
demonstrates the benefits of hybridizing different pedagogical models,
such as cooperative learning (CL) and self-made material (SMM), in the
teaching of PE. The objectives of this research were twofold: (a) to
examine the affective, attitudinal, and social impact of implementing a
CA unit in which the CL and SMM pedagogical models were hybridized
in PE, and (b) to analyze the physical and motivational impact of this
intervention from the perspective of the three agents involved:
students, teachers, and parents.
Material and method: A total of 143 educational agents from a private
school in the Basque Country (Spain) participated in this qualitative
study, undergoing semi-structured interviews: 88 students from 1st to
6th grade of Primary School (M = 9.49 ± 1.66 years), 16 students from 1st
grade of Secondary School (M = 12.38 ± 0.50 years), 11 Primary School
teachers (M = 33.27 ± 5.12 years), and 28 parents (M = 45.79 ± 5.56
years). The unit lasted ten weeks, culminated in the creation of a circus
act involving all the Primary School students in PE. Data analysis by
categories was based on data reduction, descriptive analysis, and
interpretation.
Results: The authors constructed four dimensions shared by the
educational agents: Self-made materials, Psychological effects, Physical
effects, and Obstacles and facilitators. Additionally, there were two
dimensions exclusive to teachers and parents: Knowledge of the
program and Socialization. The CA unit was very satisfactory for the
agents involved, and the results derived from the interviews with the
participants were aligned with Self-Determination Theory, as well as
with the positive effects corroborated by previous research on the
implementation of the pedagogical models of CL and SMM. The
intervention was shown to be effective in increasing satisfaction, CA
learning, active participation, motivation, social interaction, and
sustainability awareness among the participating students, as well as in
enhancing collective community awareness.
Conclusion: The results corroborate the hybridization of CL and SMM
models to enhance the teaching of CA and promote the holistic
development of students within PE.
... (integrating academic concepts with movement). Consequently, numerous studies have begun to explore PL both within physical education (PE) classes (Coyne et al., 2019;Kriellaars et al., 2019;Sepriadi et al., 2024) and during out-ofschool periods (Bremer et al., 2020;Mandigo et al., 2019). ...
... Castelli and Centeio (Castelli et al., 2014) highlight that, within educational settings, the curriculum can contribute to PL in several ways: distinguishing between structured, unstructured, or informal physical activities (recess), or through content-rich physical activity instruction (integrating academic concepts with movement). Consequently, numerous studies have begun to explore PL both within physical education (PE) classes (Coyne et al., 2019;Kriellaars et al., 2019) and during out-of-school periods (Bremer et al., 2020;Mandigo et al., 2019). Physical literacy has demonstrated a positive correlation with lifelong participation in movement activities, as well as increased self-esteem, reduced injuries, and social foundations . ...
This study conducts a systematic literature review and meta-analysis on physical literacy, with a focus on gender comparisons among school-aged children and adolescents. Physical literacy (PL) is a multidimensional concept involving social and environmental interaction, knowledge and understanding, motivation and confidence, as well as physical competence. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of interventions on these domains and to examine the existing gender gap. The methods employed include a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and meta-analysis, with data sourced from the Scopus and PubMed databases. The analysis was performed using fixed and random effects models, with publication bias evaluated through Funnel plot, Rank Correlation Test, and Egger's Test. The results indicate that PL interventions have significant effects on several domains with gender-based differences. The social and environmental interaction domain showed no overall significant effect, whereas the knowledge and understanding, and motivation and confidence domains exhibited small but significant effects, with females tending to demonstrate better outcomes. The physical competence domain showed a moderate and significant influence, with males showing greater improvement. The overall physical literacy domain exhibited a significant positive effect, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach in PL interventions. These findings provide evidence-based recommendations for more inclusive physical education practices and school policies, and help address the gender gap in the development of physical literacy. Keywords: Physical literacy, gender, children and adolescents, domains, potential development
... In a quasi-experimental design, Kriellaars et al. 3 found that CAI-PE classes led to improvements in motor competence and confidence among fourth and fifth-grade students relative to standard PE classes. These improvements were more dramatic in girls than in boys, effectively reducing the sex/gender-based disparity in motor competence that is often apparent by this age. ...
... These improvements were more dramatic in girls than in boys, effectively reducing the sex/gender-based disparity in motor competence that is often apparent by this age. 3,4 These enhancements in motor competence and confidence have been shown to be a strong predictor of resilience-a psychological feature related to a person's ability to cope with stressors and obstacles in life. 5,6 This resilience might stem from exposure to autonomous positive challenges creating an appropriate entry point for each student's ability level and allowing individualized and autonomous skill modification. ...
Emerging evidence suggests that circus arts instruction (CAI) offers various physical, psychological and social benefits for young people. Physical education (PE) is a salient context for investigating CAI’s impact due to its broad reach, as well as the alignment of CAI outcomes with features of quality physical education (QPE) as described by UNESCO. Limited information exists on the affective impact of CAI in PE relative to other PE. This cross-sectional study compares the self-descriptive features and emotions of students in CAI-QPE with those of students in a comparable high-quality PE context. The odds of experiencing pride or enjoyment (OR=7.3, p<0.05) and the median intensity of pride and enjoyment (effect size=0.17 and 0.25, p<0.05) were greater in CAI-QPE. More students in CAI-QPE reported a positive overall emotional experience (effect size=0.20, p<0.05) and higher emotional intensity (effect size=0.23, p<0.05). The median intensity of shame and anger were lower in CAI-QPE, and boredom showed statistical significance (effect size=0.17, p<0.05). Physical literacy self-description, movement valuation and self-esteem were also measured, showing differences that approached significance. Post hoc power analysis revealed appropriate power to detect these differences, making self-descriptive features an unlikely but possible explanation for the differing affective outcomes. An alternative explanation is that some pedagogical or content-related aspects of CAI played a role in improving affective outcomes. This explanation seems likely given evidence that many of the pedagogical approaches in CAI (free play, peer-to-peer learning, mastery environments, risk permissive play), which allow students to develop a unique movement identity, have shown positive affective outcomes. De nouvelles données suggèrent que l’enseignement des arts du cirque présente de nombreux avantages pour les jeunes, tant sur les plans physique et psychologique que sur le plan social. L’étude des impacts de l’enseignement des arts du cirque dans le cadre de l’éducation physique (EP) s’avère particulièrement pertinente en raison de sa grande portée, mais aussi parce que les résultats qui en découlent font écho aux caractéristiques d’une éducation physique de qualité (EPQ) détaillées par l’UNESCO. Les informations sur les répercussions affectives de l’enseignement des arts du cirque dans l’EP par rapport à d’autres formes d’EP sont rares. Cette étude transversale met en parallèle les caractéristiques et les émotions décrites par les élèves eux·elles-mêmes dans le cadre d’une EPQ intégrant l’enseignement des arts du cirque avec celles d’élèves suivant une EPQ d’un genre comparable. La probabilité de ressentir de la fierté ou du plaisir (OR = 7,3; p < 0,05) et l’intensité médiane de la fierté et du plaisir (ampleur de l’effet = 0,17 et 0,25; p < 0,05) se sont révélées supérieures pour une EPQ intégrant l’enseignement des arts du cirque. Un plus grand nombre d’élèves suivant une EPQ avec un enseignement des arts du cirque ont confié avoir vécu une expérience émotionnelle générale positive (ampleur de l’effet = 0,20; p < 0,05) ainsi qu’une plus forte intensité émotionnelle (ampleur de l’effet = 0,23; p < 0,05). L’intensité médiane en matière de honte et de colère est apparue plus faible dans l’EPQ avec un enseignement des arts du cirque. L’ennui a démontré une réelle signification statistique (ampleur de l’effet = 0,17; p < 0,05). L’autodescription de la littératie physique, l’appréciation des mouvements et la confiance en soi ont également fait l’objet de mesures, mettant en lumière des différences proches d’une signification. Une analyse de puissance post hoc a révélé un niveau de puissance approprié pour la détection de ces différences, faisant des caractéristiques autodescriptives une explication peu probable, mais pas impossible, des différentes répercussions affectives. On pourrait aussi penser que certains aspects pédagogiques ou liés au contenu de l’enseignement des arts du cirque ont joué un rôle dans l’amélioration des résultats sur le plan affectif. Cette interprétation semble plausible étant donné que beaucoup d’approches pédagogiques de l’enseignement des arts du cirque (jeu libre, apprentissage par les pairs, maîtrise des environnements, jeu permissif à risque), qui permettent aux élèves de développer une identité propre par rapport au mouvement, ont démontré des répercussions affectives positives.
... Therefore, recently, several research groups have been developing [24] or carrying out programs and/or interventions for the improvement of PL among children and adolescents both during the school day [32][33][34] and out-of-school periods [35,36] as well as among other populations such as university students [37] or adults [38]. ...
... The development of LP programs and resources has enabled the establishment of new partnerships between sectors in the country. Regarding the interventions that have been carried out regarding PL among children and adolescents, most of them focus on some of the domains that constitute PL and not the development of PL as a whole, in addition to being carried out within the school environment either during break periods [34], physical education classes [32,33], or in out-of-school settings either with the children themselves [35,36] or as assessed by their parents [63], and only a few of these interventions assess health-related variables [24]. As highlighted [60,64], it is difficult to make a conclusive statement regarding the effectiveness of an intervention program due to the paucity of intervention studies on PL promotion. ...
Regular physical activity (PA) is an essential component of maintaining good health, thereby improving the physical and psychological well-being of the population. PA performed during childhood and adolescence can have repercussions in adulthood, contributing to the prevention of chronic activities and improving quality of life. Given its high relationship with PA, physical literacy could play a crucial role in valuing and participating in a physically active lifestyle, thus addressing low rates of PA participation from an early age. This bibliometric analysis provides a globalized view of physical literacy (PL) and its relationship with health, pathologies, prevention, or intervention among children and adolescents. Publications registered on Web of Science were analyzed using bibliometrics based on data from 141 documents published between 2014 and 2022, while the VOSviewer software v. 1.6.18. was used for the processing and visualization of the data and metadata. The results show an exponential growth in scientific research over the last 8 years, with an accumulation of documents in four journals and a distribution of publications spanning thirty-seven countries and regions. The network of researchers consists of 500 researchers, with the largest number of publications corresponding to 18 co-authors with at least 5 publications. The principal purpose of this research was to identify the most prolific co-authors, most-cited journals and co-authors, and the most relevant keywords.
... A total of 11 interventions employed PA assessments after the intervention. While six interventions used accelerometers [49,[85][86][87][88] or pedometers [83] as objective measurements, five interventions drew on subjective self-reports via questionnaires [34,84,[89][90][91][92]. Apart from one study (SMD − 0.24 [87]), the mean values of all endeavors were located in the positive area by favoring participants in the intervention groups. ...
... However, the more detailed analysis of the quantitative evaluation approaches revealed that the holistic character of PL did not sufficiently reach the evaluation level of interventions. Only three intervention projects included separate outcomes of all PL domains [34,83,92] or reported an aggregate score spanning all domains [83,91]. At this point, it remains unclear whether this finding can be attributed to an insufficient consideration of all domains or to uncertainties over how to weight and sum PL components to an overall score (for a call to ease administration and score PL calculation, see [93]). ...
Background
The holistic concept of physical literacy assumes that individuals require adequate cognitive (knowledge and understanding), affective (motivation and confidence), and physical (physical competence) qualities to engage in lifelong physical activity behavior. In recent years, the research field has undergone rapid development and has also yielded an increasing number of interventions that aim to translate the theoretical-philosophical ideas into practical endeavors.
Objective
The goal of the present pre-registered systematic review was to (a) provide a general overview of evaluation studies on physical literacy interventions and (b) to quantitatively examine the effectiveness of physical literacy interventions.
Methods
Drawing on the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched a total of 18 databases for physical literacy interventions. Inclusion criteria were English language, publication by November 2021, and interventions using physical literacy as a theoretical underpinning or evaluation outcome. Articles that met these criteria were analyzed with respect to their basic delivery characteristics, study quality, evaluation approach, and main findings. We additionally ran meta-analyses with all non-randomized and randomized controlled trials to examine and compare the effect of these interventions on five outcome categories: (i) physical competence, (ii) motivation and confidence, (iii) knowledge and understanding, (iv) physical activity behavior, and (v) total physical literacy. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the effects on the different categories.
Results
The screening process with two independent raters yielded 48 eligible interventions reported in 51 eligible articles. Quantitative evaluations most frequently addressed physical competence (72.2%), followed by motivation and confidence (47.2%), physical activity behavior (41.7%), and knowledge and understanding (33.3%). The controlled intervention studies (n = 24) exerted significant effects on all five physical literacy categories. Despite meaningful heterogeneity across the subgroups, the strongest effects were found for physical competence (SMD 0.90; 95% CI 0.55–1.25), followed by physical literacy aggregate scores (SMD 0.61; 95% CI 0.20–1.01), knowledge and understanding (SMD 0.54; 95% CI 0.30–0.79), physical activity behavior (SMD 0.39; 95% CI 0.23–0.55), and motivation and confidence (SMD 0.30; 95% CI 0.17–0.44).
Conclusions
The present study empirically demonstrated the effectiveness of physical literacy interventions on several outcomes relevant for promoting physical activity and health. To better inform current practices, future studies are advised to identify those program characteristics that significantly influence the effectiveness of physical literacy interventions.
Clinical Trial Registration
PROSPERO CRD42020188926.
... A great interest in the concept of PL is emerging due to its comprehensive character on the development of physical activity. Several studies have started to evaluate and design intervention programmes based on it [30,31,44,45]. However, most of them are focused on some of the domains that comprised PL and not overall. ...
... However, most of them are focused on some of the domains that comprised PL and not overall. Moreover, most programmes have been carried out within physical education classes [44,45] or in out-ofschool settings [30,31]. This project would be the first to implement a programme to develop PL during the break period of the school day and, to the best of our knowledge, the first in Portugal to assess PL in children. ...
Simple Summary
Active breaks have led to improvements in physical fitness, daily steps taken or even improvements in the health of participants who have taken them. However, no study has assessed how they affect physical literacy (PL). This study will try to explore the effect of a programme based on active breaks (PLBreaks) on PL and body composition of schoolchildren. For this purpose, the PLBreaks programme will be carried out for 3 months and 3 days a week. The PLBreaks programme will consist of two blocks of 10 min of different physical activities (PA). The first block will be focused on the acquisition of knowledge and healthy life habits that will contribute to the development of the domains of knowledge and understanding and daily activities. The second block will be focused on the physical competence and motivation through games. Furthermore, a control group who will follow their usual daily activities is included. This would allow the investigation of whether the PLBreaks programme leads to an improvement in PL and body composition in schoolchildren. If the effectiveness of the programme is demonstrated, the programme could be included in public education programmes, representing a scientific advance in terms of improving health-related PA and adherence, as well as the prevention of diseases associated with inactivity.
Abstract
(1) Background: Several studies have shown that active breaks have led to different improvements in their participants. However, no studies have assessed how they affect physical literacy (PL). (2) Aims: Therefore, this study will examine the effect of the PLBreaks programme on school children’s PL and body composition. (3) Methods: A parallel-group randomised controlled trial will be conducted with assessments of PL (Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy Development) and body composition (height, bodyweight, fat mass and fat-free mass) before and after an active breaks programme. PLBreak programme will run for 3 months and will be carried out 3 days a week for 20 min each day. The PLBreaks programme will consist of two blocks of 10 min of different physical activities (PA). The first block will be focused on the acquisition of knowledge and healthy life habits that will contribute to the development of the domains of knowledge and understanding and daily activity. The second block will be focused on physical competence and motivation throughout games. (4) Conclusions: The present study will investigate the efficacy of PLBreaks in schoolchildren in improving their PL and body composition. If the efficacy of the program is demonstrated, including the programme in public education programmes can be possible. This could be a scientific breakthrough in terms of health-related PA improvement and adherence, as well as the prevention of diseases associated with inactivity.
... The complex nature of PL challenges the development of a unified assessment system, so creative, non-traditional methods of measuring/assessing PL are encouraged. There are several traditional, nontraditional, and creative methods and approaches for measuring and assessing PL: self-reporting tools [26], peer and teacher observations [27], project-based assessments [28,29], interviews and focus groups [30], playbased assessments [31], and different types of interventions [32,33]. A review by Jean de Dieu and Zhou [34] revealed that most studies assess one domain or a combination of two, whereas few studies assess the holistic nature of three domains (affective, cognitive, and physical) of PL. ...
This study emphasizes the importance of a teacher’s adaptability in conveying knowledge and the varied interpretations of exercises among educators. While there is an evident difference in how physical education (PE) is approached, the common thread is the motivation and involvement of students. Promoting physical activity and forming associated habits at school has a major impact on a person’s entire life. Students should learn these skills through PE classes led by physically literate teachers. The aim of this study was to determine PE teachers’ physical literacy (PL), their understanding of the concept of PL, and the application of its components in PE classes. In the first phase of the research questionnaire survey of 81 PE teachers, the aim was to determine their physical literacy. In the second phase, observations were conducted to assess which components of PL teachers use during PE classes. In the third phase, a group interview was conducted to determine the opinions of PE teachers on the components of PL and its application. Teachers with a normal BMI and teaching higher grade students (p < 0.05) had significantly higher PL scores than those with a BMI that was too high (p < 0.05). Additionally, correlation analysis (r = −0.247, p < 0.05) showed that as BMI decreased, the PL score increased. Only two aspects of PL are developed during PE classes—competence and motivation. Very little or no elements of knowledge and understanding of physical activities and associated health benefits, and ways to reduce sedentary time and promote daily habits were observed. PE teachers’ interviews revealed that they recognized PL as a holistic concept for the development of a person’s physical abilities and knowledge. PE specialists also suggested teaching methods that could be applied outside of classes and acknowledged shared problems that reduce students’ motivation to move and how to address them. This study highlights the complexity of the concept of PL and reveals many areas for future research: searching for a universal assessment of PL and focusing on the concept of promoting new, creative, less linear ways of assessing and teaching PL.
... For all children to continue being physically active, they must participate in a top-notch physical education program [7]. The program should be designed to improve physical skills, health-related fitness, self-responsibility, and satisfaction from exercise [8]. If carefully designed and implemented, physical education programs can only produce these benefits [9]. ...
... In other words, differences appeared in the physical and psychological dimensions, and existing differences in the cognitive dimension increased. These results contradict the ideas of Kriellaars et al. (2019) on preexisting physical literacy schoolbased interventions. They showed that teaching circus arts according to physical literacy needs led to greater gender equity, particularly in the physical dimension. ...
Purpose: To provide safe and high-quality physical education, this study analyzed a physical literacy school-based intervention on active transport to school. Method: A total of 185 pupils (age mean = 11.76 ± 0.52; 46% girls) participated in the intervention. Pupils from test (n = 110) and control (n = 75) groups completed a survey based on their perceptions of the four dimensions of physical literacy (physical, cognitive, psychological, and social). Results: The test group displayed a significantly higher level of overall physical literacy compared with the control group (14.9 vs. 13.4) and also in the specific physical (16.4 vs. 15.3), cognitive (16.0 vs. 12.8), and psychological (15.3 vs. 13.8) dimensions. Boys recorded a significantly higher score than girls (16.7 vs. 14.5), particularly in the test group where girls showed less improvement than boys compared with the control group (+2.78 vs. +1.76). Discussion/Conclusion: Physical literacy is a dynamic process, which may be useful to reinforce the importance of incorporating this concept into physical education lesson planning while focusing on gender differences.
... While physical literacy can develop and improve physical competencies through challenge taking, it boosts confidence and develops intention for and action to be a physically active individual [11]. Studies have also found that motivation is one of the core precursors for physical activity [12,13] and movement competencies can mediate the motivation to engage in physical activity and therefore, foster physical activity level [14]. ...
This mini review explores the potential of physical literacy to promote physical activity and highlights its role in promoting health resilience specially in restricted settings like pandemic. Building on the recent studies, the review also discusses the availability and potential of digital resources for physical literacy and introduces “ePhysical literacy" as a way of development of necessary skills for physical activity engagement options when traditional avenues are inaccessible.
Keywords: Physical Literacy; Physical Activity; Pandemic; Health Resilience; ePhysical Literacy
... These findings are especially important considering studies show that emotions experienced in PE can predict future behaviors (Simonton and Garn 2020;) and activity levels (Cardinal et al. 2013;Ladwig et al. 2018;Ramer et al. 2021). These emotional responses are also consistent with recent physical literacy intervention studies showing enhanced confidence and motivation (Kriellaars et al. 2019;Carl et al. 2022). It is important to note that the Fig. 1. ...
Affective experiences have been shown to influence attitudes and future behaviors related to physical activity, but no studies have related these experiences to physical literacy or examined affective experiences in quality physical education (QPE). The aim of this study was to describe emotions experienced in a QPE context and relate those emotions to students’ physical literacy and self-esteem. A cross-sectional study of 145 4th and 5th grade students was surveyed after a single PE class on their emotional experiences (positive emotions: pride, enjoyment, and relief; negative, emotions: shame, anger, and boredom; aggregate emotional experience as the sum of positive and negative emotions) physical literacy (self-description and movement valuation) and self-esteem. In this QPE context, 73% of students reported only positive emotions, 26% mixed positive and negative emotions and 1% expressed only negative emotions. Pride and enjoyment were strongly co-occurring (89%). Among students expressing mixed emotions, 90% still yielded positive aggregate emotional experiences. Positive emotions have significant (p < 0.001), moderate to strong positive correlations with physical literacy (rho = 0.65 pride, 0.50 enjoyment) and self-esteem (rho = 0.48 pride, 0.38 enjoyment), and negative emotions have significant (p < 0.001), moderate negative correlations with physical literacy (rho = −0.47 shame, −0.30 anger, −0.32 boredom) and self-esteem (rho = −0.33 shame, −0.29 anger, −0.21 boredom). This study reveals strong positive emotional responses by students in a purported QPE context. The presence of mixed emotions with net positive aggregate experiences highlights the importance of consideration of both negative and positive emotions in movement contexts. Affective states have been proposed as key elements of physical literacy, and this study supports this through valence matched associations between both positive/negative affect with physical literacy and self-esteem.
... However, despite the PL-centric programs and interventions [32], the development of a standardized method for measuring PL remains a challenge [33]. This highlights the urgent need for effective assessment tools to monitor progress and evaluate intervention outcomes [34]. ...
Background
The increasing prevalence of physical inactivity, declining fitness, and rising childhood obesity highlight the importance of physical literacy (PL), as a foundational component for fostering lifelong health and active lifestyle. This recognition necessitates the development of effective tools for PL assessment that are applicable across diverse cultural landscapes.
Aim
This study aimed to translate the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy-2 (CAPL-2) into Urdu and adapt it for the Pakistani cultural context, to assess PL among children aged 8–12 years in Pakistan.
Method
The Urdu version of CAPL-2 was administered among 1,360 children aged 8–12 from 87 higher secondary schools across three divisions in South Punjab province, Pakistan. Statistical analysis includes test-retest reliability and construct validity, employing confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the tool’s performance both overall and within specific subdomains.
Results
The Urdu version of CAPL-2 demonstrated strong content validity, with a Content Validity Ratio of 0.89. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure proposed by the original developers, evidenced by excellent model fit indices (GFI = 0.984, CFI = 0.979, TLI = 0.969, RMSEA = 0.041). High internal consistency was observed across all domains (α = 0.988 to 0.995), with significant correlations among most, excluding the Knowledge and Understanding domains. Notably, gender and age significantly influenced performance, with boys generally scoring higher than girls, with few exceptions.
Conclusion
This study marks a significant step in the cross-cultural adaptation of PL assessment tools, successfully validating the CAPL-2 Urdu version for the Pakistani context for the first time. The findings affirm the tool’s suitability for assessing PL among Pakistani children, evidencing its validity and reliability across the Pakistani population.
... Of the identified interventions, 12 were implemented during PE lessons, they are presented in Table 1 (22, 23 Only one intervention addressed all three domains (22), while five interventions targeted two. Specifically, four covered the affective and physical domains (23,36,37,41,42), and one the cognitive and physical domains (34). The other three interventions focused solely on the physical domain during PE (29,32). ...
Introduction
The role of physical activity in children’s healthy development is undisputed, with school-based interventions being seen as a priority. The promotion of physical literacy (PL) seems to be promising due to its holistic approach, combining physical, cognitive, and affective domains. To develop recommendations for possible measures, we compiled existing literature on existing school-based PL interventions.
Methods
Five databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, ERIC, and PsycInfo) were searched between July 6 and July 10, 2023, by combining the terms “physical literacy,” “school,” “program,” “workshop,” “intervention,” and “curriculum” as well as a manual search. Records were screened in a two-stage process by two independent authors using a priori criteria. Eligible studies concerned PL interventions in the school context. The included records were sorted according to school type/population, structure, content, PL domains addressed, and evaluation.
Results
In total, 706 articles were found through the database search and an additional 28 articles through the manual search. After removing duplicates, 502 publications remained, which were screened by title and abstract, leaving 82 full texts. These were cut down to 37 articles describing 31 different programs (19 in primary schools, eight in secondary schools, one in both primary and secondary schools, and three unspecified). Most interventions were conducted during physical education classes (n = 12). All three PL domains were addressed by five interventions, while 11 interventions solely concerned the physical domain. In addition, 21 interventions evaluated their effects on PL. Most evaluations showed small to moderate but inconsistent effects on several PL-related constructs (e.g., self-efficacy, motivation, movement skills). Interventions incorporating all three domains reported positive effects on physical competence and enjoyment.
Discussion
Although there is a growing body of data related to school-based PL promotion, their effects and practical application remains relatively underdeveloped: study designs, study quality, PL assessments, and results are heterogeneous. Corresponding research adhering to the holistic approach of PL will be crucial in clarifying the potential lifelong role of PL in promoting physical activity, increasing health and well-being and to actually enable development of recommendations for action.
... Research demonstrated that intervention enhanced all dimensions of PL, including physical competence. 71 A study conducted in Hong Kong 46 also supported the correlation between PL and physical competence among students. From an indirect perspective, activity of PL-ASR intervention increased opportunities for children to interact with the environment. ...
Background/Objective
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of school-based intervention integrating physical literacy (PL) into active school recesses (ASR) on physical fitness (i.e., body composition, 20-m shuttle run, 50-m run, rope skipping, sit and reach, handgrip) and academic achievement (i.e., academic result of Chinese and Mathematics) in Chinese children.
Methods
A total of 357 children (mean age: 7.8 ± 0.7 years; boys: 50.4%) were recruited from two schools and these two schools were randomly assigned as the intervention group (IG) and the control group (CG), respectively. The IG consisted of 155 children (mean age: 7.9 ± 0.7 years, boys: 51.0%), and 202 children (mean age: 7.8 ± 0.7 years; boys: 50%) were allocated to the CG. Children in the IG received a 10-week intervention integrating PL that was conducted during ASR. In the CG, children's regular school activity was remained during the intervention period. Generalized estimating equation was performed to compare the levels of physical fitness and academic achievement between the IG and the CG after intervention.
Results
Regarding physical fitness, there was a significant group × time interaction on 20-m shuttle run (β = −3.89, 95% CI [-5.08; −2.71], p < 0.001) and handgrip (β = −0.70, 95% CI [-1.20; −0.20], p = 0.006). After intervention, children in the IG had a greater increase than the CG (p < 0.001) in terms of 20-m shuttle run and handgrip. In addition, the post-test analysis indicated that performance of children in the IG was significantly greater than those in the CG (20-m shuttle run: p < 0.001, handgrip: p = 0.002). There was a significant group × time interaction on academic result of Chinese (β = −1.21, 95% CI [-1.91; −0.56], p = 0.001) and academic result of Mathematics (β = 16.71, 95% CI [15.14; 18.143], p < 0.001). Statistically significant positive difference in post-test was observed in academic result of Mathematics between the IG and the CG (p = 0.012).
Conclusion
The results of this intervention study indicate that intervention integrating PL into ASR could bring a promising effect on physical fitness and academic achievement in children. It is recommended that future studies are necessary to assess the effects of ASR-based PL intervention on physical and cognitive outcomes using a wide range of sample.
... PL importance, interest and attention concerning Physical Education (P.E) and PA fields have been raised [54][55][56][57], allowing us to define its framework as an understanding of PA development from a comprehensive point of view and promoting of physically educated individuals. Several studies have evaluated this concept throughout different programs [41,58] which set a physical literacy-based approach and tried to target its domains, carried out by schoolchildren mainly outside mandatory school hours [41,53,58] or either within the P.E subject setting [59][60][61][62]. However, no studies evaluating PL in children and developing specific after-school programs for its improvement in Spain have been found [55]. ...
Research has shown that physical activity programs led to improvements in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, no study evaluating the impact of a physical literacy (PL) program has been conducted. This study aims to examine PL and the effects of an after-school PL program on Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and ADHD symptomatology including quality and sustained attention. A parallel-group randomised controlled trial will be conducted assessing PL, HRQoL and ADHD symptomatology, both at the beginning and the end of the PL after-school program implementation. The program will last 4 weeks, including two sessions per week lasting 55 min. Sessions will be divided into several parts: greeting (5 min), block I (20 min), block II (20 min) and relaxation and feedback (10 min). Block I will focus on the acquisition of content that contributes to the development of the domains of knowledge and understanding and daily activity; and block II, in addition to favouring physical competence, will seek to improve motivation. If this program proves its effectiveness, it could be an alternative to be included in educational systems, representing a scientific breakthrough regarding physical activity adherence and inactivity-related disease prevention, HRQoL and management of ADHD-associated symptomatology.
... In many ways, there is a natural synergy between the monistic and wholistic philosophical underpinnings of physical literacy with the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual interconnectedness of Indigenous wholistic health and wellness (Doucette et al., 2004;Lavallée, 2007;Toulouse, 2021). While physical literacy has been critiqued for its overemphasis on movement competencies (Robinson et al., 2018), emerging physical literacy scholarship reinstates the embodied nature of movement across multiple contexts as a move to displace an over-emphasis on the mechanical techniques of movement Dudley et al., 2017;Durden-Myers et al., 2018Kriellaars et al., 2019). Through a focus on embodied movement practices, Nature's Way-Our Way seeks to draw out contextualized, emplaced, and situated stories that show how movement does relationships (Land & Danis, 2016;Riley & Proctor, 2022); relationships with self, physical activity, health, wellness, each other, and broader worldly ecologies. ...
Growing philosophical and empirical evidence shows that physical literacy and risky play enriches movement opportunities, while also fostering increased physical activity, wholistic health, and wellness across the lifespan. However, physical literacy and risky play have typically been theorized and practiced from a western worldview. In response, Nature’s Way-Our Way is an initiative designed to ground physical literacy and risky play in Indigenous games, activities, cultural connections, and traditional teachings, as enacted in Early Childhood Education Centres across Saskatchewan, Canada. This article explores Nature’s Way-Our Way’s theoretical underpinnings of Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing), adopted to braid together the strengths of Indigenous Knowledges with western knowledge through practices of Indigenous métissage (land and story-based approaches to curriculum informed by relationality). Providing examples of culturally rooted resources, this article shows how the Nature’s Way-Our Way initiative supports Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty to foster increased physical activity, wholistic health, and wellness across the lifespan.
... Kriellaars Dean J applied the concept of sustainable development to PE teaching. Practice shows that this concept has improved the teaching quality to a certain extent [7]. The above research on PE teaching is more specific but has not been applied to IoT and AI. ...
The Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) have promoted teaching reform while improving people’s lives. Under the new teaching environment, the position of physical education (PE) teaching in the teaching work has become increasingly prominent. At present, there are some problems in the PE teaching mode of most colleges and universities, such as poor teaching environment, unstable teaching data, and lack of technical support for the teaching system. This also leads to the low quality of PE teaching and unsatisfactory teaching results. In this paper, IoT and AI are combined to study the application mode of innovative practical teaching in college PE. This paper first constructs a physical education teaching system based on the Internet of Things, then summarizes the necessity of artificial intelligence technology participating in the reform of physical education classroom teaching, and gives a specific teaching application model. Finally, based on the golden sine algorithm-optimization neural network, the application model of college physical education in this paper is evaluated. Through experiments and investigations, the new teaching mode improves the teaching efficiency by 14.7%, improves the teaching quality, and provides reference for the next development of IoT and AI in teaching.
... Castelli, Centeio [13] highlight that, within the educational setting, curricula can contribute to PL in different ways: differentiating between structured, unstructured, or informal physical activities (recess), or content-rich physical activity instruction (combining academic concepts with movements). Thus, numerous studies are beginning to address PL both within the PE classroom [14,15] and during out-of-school periods [16,17]. ...
This article empirically provides a global overview of physical literacy, which allows for the understanding of the structure of the epistemic community studying literacy for healthy living. Publications registered in the Web of Science are analyzed using bibliometrics (spatial, productive, and relational) based on data from 391 records, published between 2007 and April 2022, applying five bibliometric laws and using VOSviewer software for data and metadata processing and visualization. In terms of results, we observe an exponential increase in scientific production in the last decade, with a concentration of scientific discussion on physical literacy in seven journals; a production distributed in 46 countries situated on the five continents, but concentrated in Canada and the United States; co-authored research networks composed of 1256 researchers but with a production concentrated of around 2% of these, and an even smaller number of authors with high production and high impact. Finally, there are four thematic blocks that, although interacting, constitute three specific knowledge production communities that have been delineated over time in relation to health and quality of life, fitness and physical competence, education, and fundamental movement skills.
... For males, promoting locomotorbased play and such curriculum strands as dance and gymnastics should nurture their deficiencies in flexibility and mobility to help them develop a rounded skillset that meets their activity needs (Coulter et al., 2020;Garcia-Pinillos et al., 2018). Ultimately, however, a physical education environment that invites high participation, enjoyment and a wide array of games and exercise opportunities (as well as embracing diversity across all strands of the curricula such as health-related fitness, aquatics, and adventure education) is essential to the requisite development of both strength and flexibility skills among male and females (Dudley, 2015;Kriellaars et al., 2019). It is within the best interests of physical education stakeholders to provide a well-rounded curriculum for their students in their efforts to promote healthy and active individuals, with diverse movement abilities, in addition to strong social and teamwork skills Cairney et al., 2019;Smith et al., 2021). ...
In prior research, Irish youth displayed poor motor competence across fundamental movement skills (FMS) and functional movements (FM). Our purpose in this study was to compare FMS and FM across male and female Irish adolescents and to determine whether there are associations between these movement domains. We collected data on 373 adolescents (178 females; M age = 14.38, SD = 0.87 years) from six Irish secondary schools, including motor competence testing of 10 FMS, and 7 FM. Overall levels of motor competence of both FMS and FM were low, and certain levels of dysfunctional movement were high. We observed significant sex-based differences in both FMS and FM, and there was a moderate association between FMS and FM that warrants further investigation. There is a need for societal intervention and policy changes to address low levels of motor competence among adolescent youth.
... Schools play a significant role in facilitating motor skill development in children primarily through the delivery of PE and cocurricular school sport, but also through a variety of other PA opportunities (e.g., break time activities, curriculum-based PA integration, and classroom energizer breaks; Koh et al., 2016;Mavilidi et al., 2020). PE is a formal part of the curriculum in most primary/elementary (hereafter "primary") schools worldwide (Kilborn et al., 2016), and aids the development of motor skills, by providing opportunities for deliberate practice in a wide variety of movement-based contexts (e.g., games and sports, gymnastics, dance, recreational activities; Bailey et al., 2009;Kriellaars et al., 2019). ...
Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of game-based approaches on game performance, fundamental movement skills, health-related indicators, and physical activity outcomes among children (5–12 years) when delivered in the primary physical education school setting. Method: A systematic search of six electronic databases without date limitation was conducted on June 11, 2021. Results: Among included studies (N = 17), positive outcomes were found for children’s game performance, fundamental movement skills, physical and mental health, and/or physical activity. Game-based approaches intervention success appears to be related to the contents of teacher training, especially the inclusion of a theory-based syllabus, mentoring, and reflection sessions. Conclusions: The findings of this review confirm that hybrid sport education-invasion games interventions delivered in primary schools are beneficial for improving a range of student outcomes. To improve physical self-perception, intrinsic motivation, well-being, physiological, and potential psychological outcomes for children, it is necessary to explore more game-based approaches’ longitudinal and intervention research with high quality.
... Circus arts has proven artistic and cultural relevance to contemporary society and holistic health, social and educational benefits. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] As with any physical activity, its practice presents a risk of injury. A literature review reported injury rates ranging from 7.4 to 9.7 per 1000 performances or athlete-exposures in professional circus artists, 3 16 17 and injury incidence estimates in circus arts students ranging from 0.3 to 3.3 5 18 injuries per 1000 exposure hours. ...
Indepth knowledge of injury and illness epidemiology in circus arts is lacking. Comparing results across studies is difficult due to inconsistent methods and definitions. In 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus group proposed a standard method for recording and reporting epidemiological data on injuries and illnesses in sports and stated that sport-specific extension statements are needed to capture the context of each sport. This is the circus-specific extension to be used with the IOC consensus statement. International circus arts researchers in injury and illness epidemiology and performing arts medicine formed a consensus working group. Consensus statement development included a review of literature, creation of an initial draft by the working group, feedback from external reviewers, integration of feedback into the second draft and a consensus on the final document. This consensus statement contains circus-specific information on (1) injury definitions and characteristics; (2) measures of severity and exposure, with recommendations for calculating the incidence and prevalence; (3) a healthcare practitioner report form; (4) a self-report form capturing health complaints with training and performance exposure; and (5) a demographic, health history and circus experience intake questionnaire. This guideline facilitates comparing results across studies and enables combining data sets on injuries in circus arts. This guideline informs circus-specific injury prevention, rehabilitation, and risk management to improve the performance and health of circus artists.
... While this framing of PL is primarily situated in the context of sport, as a key feature of athletic and physical activity development, 'PL as motor competence' appears to be infiltrating H/PE in a range of ways. Sport for Life Society has, for example, been involved in the development and promotion of the Physical Literacy Assessment for Youth (PLAY), a PL assessment tool that helps trained professionals, including H/PE teachers, assess the FMS of children aged seven years and older (Higgs et al., 2019;Kriellaars et al., 2019;Sport for Life Society, 2018;Young et al., 2020). In addition, the Government of British Columbia (2019) explicitly refers to PL as one of their four K-10 'Curricula Competencies'. ...
This paper explores how various ideological positions or ‘cosmoses’ associated with physical literacy (PL) have come to be and, in doing so, extends scholarship by examining and presenting PL as a multiplicity of physical literacies. Drawing on Stengers’ notion of ‘cosmopolitics’ and Venturini's ‘cartography of controversies’ method, 167 scholarly articles and 23 non-scholarly texts were analysed to observe and describe how PL has been framed over time as a result of dynamic political factors. Findings reveal that three ‘waves’ of PL cosmoses have unfolded over time (PL as health-promoting physical activity, PL as motor competence and PL as phenomenological embodiment). Whilst all three seek to promote engagement in physical activity and have loose ties to ‘health’, each PL cosmos is bound by different objectives, actors and obligations and is orientated towards solving a different problem. Rather than continued confusion and controversy, we propose that PL be understood as a multiverse wherein the three different PL cosmoses are held apart as physical literacies that play co-existing roles based on the problem that each cosmos is trying to solve. While understanding PL as a multiverse is not a solution to the controversy and uncertainty surrounding PL, it provides those who are interested in or tasked with enacting PL an opportunity to become aware of and understand what the different PL cosmoses or physical literacies constitute and thus make possible (or not) on the basis of their ontological differences.
... Зарубіжні дослідники в своїх роботах розглядають вплив навчання циркового мистецтва (повітряна акробатика, кільце, трапеція та ін.) у фізкультурі на фізичну грамотність дітей (Kriellaars DJ, Cairney J, Bortoleto MA, Kiez TK, Dudley D, Aubertin P) [8]. ...
Мета: проаналізувати історію виникнення повітряної акробатики. Матеріали і методи: теоретичний аналіз та узагальнення матеріалів наукової, методичної літератури, інтернет-ресурсних та інших джерел. Результати: Проведені нами дослідження показали, що перші згадки про повітряну. Повітряна акробатика з’явилась у французькій цирковій школі в 1959 році. В 1995 році Ізабель Водель вперше продемонструвала виступ на полотні. Висновки: результати досліджень свідчать про те, що повітряна акробатика є одним з найпізнішим видом повітряного мистецтва. Популярність получила тільки у 90-х роках ХХ століття завдяки Цирку дю Солей.
... Of the 38 articles included in this review, 36 cited a range of definitions of physical literacy proposed by Whitehead, including Whitehead's published version 11,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] , the International Physical Literacy Association (IPLA: https://www.physical-literacy.org. uk/?v=7516fd43adaa) published versions 12,16,18,[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] , and the one published by Canada's Physical Literacy Consensus Statement 2015 (https://sportforlife.ca/wp-content/ ...
Physical literacy has been gaining popularity worldwide in physical education, physical activity, and sports. However, more attention has been focused on the concept of physical literacy, and its assessment is still in its early stages. The primary aim of this paper is to summarize the current development of the definition, especially the assessment of physical literacy worldwide, and to provide valuable information for researchers and related policymakers in the field of physical education and sports promotion in Japan. In this review, a search of the literature in English was conducted using two major electronic databases, which yielded 38 articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. This study summarized the characteristics of physical literacy definitions and assessments involved in 38 studies and then compared the similarities and differences between these assessment tools in terms of components, usage scenarios, and applicable populations. Finally, we integrated the results with the Japanese social context to provide suggestions on how to develop physical literacy in Japan.
... Despite programs and interventions which have been designed using a PL approach [20,21], there is little consensus on how best to measure PL to monitor change and/ or responsiveness to intervention [22,23]. Therefore, the research on PL highlights the necessity of designing an instrument for measuring and accurate assessment of PL [7,19,24]. ...
Background
The concept of physical literacy (PL) has gained worldwide interest due in large part to alarming decreases in physical activity (PA) and increases in overweight and obesity. Although the concept is gaining in popularity, critical gaps in research remain including the need to develop quality assessment tools to determine PL levels, to evaluate interventions and monitor changes and trends over time.
Aims
This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the popular Canadian assessment of physical literacy (CAPL) in a sample of Iranian 8- to 12 year-olds and to determine the current levels of PL in that population.
Methods
The study consisted of 504 children (boys, n = 327, girls, n = 177). Analyses included confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), test–retest, and inter-rater reliability.
Results
The content validity of the CAPL was calculated to be 0.86. Factor analysis, using 12 indicators in four domains (i.e., physical competence, motivation and confidence, knowledge and understanding, and daily behavior), showed a good fit. The reliability of the instrument was equal to 0.95. According to CAPL’s interpretation system, the average level of PL in the sample was determined to be “progressing”. Moreover, a statistically significant relationship was found between PL scores, age, and gender.
Conclusions
The conceptual model of PL was compatible with the Iranian sample of 8- to 12 year-olds. Directions based on these findings are discussed.
Physical literacy was the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life. The purpose of this article is to understand the application of physical literacy measurement of research of sport pedagogy research in a systematic review. This article searches 6 databases including SportDiscus with Full Text, OmniFile Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson), OpenDissertations, GreenFILE, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts and Teacher Reference Center, and evaluates the quality of these articles. A total of 8 articles were included in the literature review. A systematic literature review was conducted on an overview of research of sport pedagogy on measuring of physical literacy, measurement dimension, research design, and results. The results showed that physical literacy measuring mainly included daily behavior, physical ability, motivation and confidence, and knowledge and understanding. Measurements include self-reporting scales, practical tests, quizzes, and the use of a pedometer. Finally, it was suggested that future researchers want to understand the physical literacy of different educational stages in Taiwan, according to Curriculum Guidelines of 12-Year Basic Education for developing measurement tools. For cross-country comparisons of physical literacy, measurement tools that are more widely used can be used.
ABSTRAK. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengadaptasi konsep literasi fisik berbasis negara luar ke dalam sistem pendidikan jasmani di Indonesia serta mengeksplorasi strategi kampanye untuk meningkatkan pemahaman masyarakat tentang literasi fisik. Literasi fisik mencakup kemampuan motorik, rasa percaya diri, motivasi, serta pemahaman terhadap aktivitas fisik berkelanjutan. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode tinjauan pustaka dengan pendekatan analisis deskriptif untuk menjelaskan temuan utama dari literatur yang ditinjau, serta meta-analisis untuk mengintegrasikan hasil-hasil penelitian yang relevan. Data diperoleh melalui pencarian pada aplikasi Publish or Perish dengan kata kunci "physical literacy" (literasi fisik), "physical education" (pendidikan jasmani), dan "physical literacy campaign" (kampanye literasi fisik), dengan rentang waktu publikasi dari tahun 2019 hingga 2024. Dari 1000 artikel yang ditemukan, dipilih artikel-artikel yang relevan dengan topik penelitian, menghasilkan 10 artikel yang dianalisis lebih lanjut. Analisis dilakukan dengan mengkaji penerapan literasi fisik di luar negeri, yang kemudian dijadikan acuan untuk mengidentifikasi potensi penerapannya di Indonesia. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa negara-negara maju seperti Finlandia dan Swedia menerapkan pendekatan holistik serta kebijakan yang komprehensif dalam mengintegrasikan literasi fisik. Namun, tantangan utama di Indonesia meliputi kurangnya infrastruktur, terbatasnya pelatihan untuk guru, dan rendahnya kesadaran masyarakat. Untuk mengatasi hal tersebut, disarankan untuk meningkatkan pendidikan jasmani dan kebugaran masyarakat melalui perbaikan fasilitas, peningkatan kesadaran, serta penyelenggaraan pelatihan guru. Kata Kunci: Adaptasi Konsep, Indonesia, Kampanye, Literasi Fisik, Pendidikan Jasmani ABSTRACT. This study aims to adapt the concept of foreign-based physical literacy into the physical education system in Indonesia and explore campaign strategies to improve public understanding of physical literacy. Physical literacy includes motor skills, self-confidence, motivation, and understanding of sustainable physical activity. This study uses a literature review method with a descriptive analysis approach to explain the main findings of the reviewed literature, as well as a meta-analysis to integrate relevant research results. Data were obtained through a search on the Publish or Perish application with the keywords "physical literacy", "physical education", and "physical literacy campaign", with a publication period from 2019 to 2024. From 1000 articles found, articles relevant to the research topic were selected, resulting in 10 articles that were further analyzed. The analysis was carried out by reviewing the application of physical literacy abroad, which was then used as a reference to identify the potential for its application in Indonesia. The results showed that developed countries such as Finland and Sweden apply a holistic approach and comprehensive policies in integrating physical literacy. However, the main challenges in Indonesia include lack of infrastructure, limited training for teachers, and low public awareness. To overcome this, it is recommended to improve physical education and community fitness through improving facilities, increasing awareness, and organizing teacher training. Keywords: Concept Adaptation, Indonesia, Campaign, Physical Literacy, Physical Education
Introduction
Physical literacy (PL) emerges as a highly effective resource for creating lasting physical activity habits at a time when physical inactivity has become one of the main risk factors in our population. Thus, active breaks (AB) could be an ideal option for increasing physical activity time in schoolchildren.
Methods
A cross-sectional quasi-experimental study was conducted, involving 89 participants aged 8-12 years from Extremadura. The Canadian assessment of physical literacy (CAPL-2) was administered to assess the participants' physical literacy level. The BMI was also measured.
Results
Higher scores were obtained in all domains and subdomains of the CAPL in the experimental group. Significant differences were found both in total physical literacy score (p < 0.001) and in all domains and subdomains, except for the subdomains self-reported question, intrinsic motivation and knowledge and understanding domain (p = 0.344).
Conclusion
The results of the study support the positive effects of an AB program of PL and its domains. The development of active break programs could help to increase the PL level of schoolchildren.
At present, community-based movement experiences for children are heavily structured, highly prescriptive and sport-centric, with a near singular focus on development in the physical domain (e.g., performance-related and health-related fitness, sport-specific movement skills, etc.). The absence of consideration of psychosocial and creative domains in programming could impact the nature of the relationship between physical literacy and movement creativity. This pioneering study was designed to explore the associations between movement creativity and multiple physical literacy measures. A cross-sectional study of 125 fifth-grade children was performed with assessment of movement creativity and multiple physical literacy assessments of each child (self, parent, teacher and trained assessor). The study revealed no relationships between physical literacy measures and overall movement creativity, and limited relationships between specific movement competencies with Flow (r=-0.28, p<0.05 with manipulation) and Originality (r=0.21, p<0.05 with body control). Cluster analysis revealed a gradient of three clusters, with the lowest movement creativity levels associated with the highest motor competence and reports of the child’s physical literacy. These findings are consistent with community and school-based programming that highlights prescriptive development of physical competencies without intentional consideration of movement exploration and problem solving. The results of this study support the inclusion of movement exploration-based practices such as circus arts instruction, parkour and dance. Further interventional research is indicated to examine the impact of movement exploration programming on the movement creativity and physical literacy of children. Actuellement, les expériences communautaires menées sur le mouvement chez l’enfant sont extrêmement structurées, très normatives et axées sur le sport. Elles se focalisent presque exclusivement sur le développement physique (p. ex., performance et santé physiques, aptitudes motrices propres au sport, etc.). La non-prise en compte des aspects psychosociaux et créatifs dans le programme pourrait avoir des répercussions sur la nature de la relation entre capacités physiques et créativité de mouvement. Cette étude pionnière a été élaborée dans le but d’examiner les rapports pouvant exister entre plusieurs mesures de capacités physiques et la créativité de mouvement. Une étude transversale a été menée auprès de 125 enfants en 5e année de primaire durant laquelle la créativité de mouvement et différents aspects liés à leurs capacités physiques ont été évalués (par eux-mêmes, mais aussi par les parents, le corps enseignant et un·e évaluateur·rice qualifié·e). On constate qu’il n’existe aucun lien entre les capacités physiques mesurées et la créativité de mouvement globale. De plus, l’étude montre que le rapport entre les aptitudes spécifiques liées au mouvement et la fluidité (r = -0,28, p < 0,05 avec manipulation) et l’originalité (r = 0,21, p < 0,05 avec contrôle du corps) est limité. Une analyse typologique a mis en valeur un gradient de trois groupes, avec les niveaux de créativité de mouvement les plus faibles associés aux capacités motrices les plus élevées, ainsi que des rapports sur les capacités physiques de l’enfant. Ces conclusions sont en phase avec les programmes communautaires et scolaires qui mettent l’accent sur un développement normatif des aptitudes physiques, sans tenir compte de manière réfléchie de l’exploration du mouvement et de la résolution des problèmes. Ces résultats viennent appuyer la nécessité d’intégrer à l’enseignement des pratiques basées sur l’exploration du mouvement, comme les arts du cirque, le parkour et la danse. Il conviendrait de mener une recherche interventionnelle plus poussée afin d’examiner l’impact d’un programme d’exploration du mouvement sur les capacités physiques et la créativité de mouvement chez les enfants.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of physical literacy (PL) in school children (10 to 16 years) in Santiago, Chile, and to explore the relationship between PL and body mass index (BMI). In addition, gender and age differences were analyzed in relation to PL levels in a context where childhood obesity remains a public health challenge. Methods: A total of 439 students in grades 5–8 were assessed using the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy-2 (CAPL-2) questionnaire. Demographic variables (sex, age, and BMI) were correlated with levels of motivation to engage in physical activity and physical activity knowledge. Chi-square and effect size were applied. Results: The results revealed a significant correlation between motivation for physical activity and gender, with boys showing higher levels of motivation than girls (χ² = 12.403, p < 0.006). In addition, an inverse relationship was observed between BMI and motivation (effect size = 0.198), suggesting that more motivated children tend to have a healthier BMI. Knowledge about physical activity increased with age (χ² = 60.460, p < 0.001) but did not have a significant influence on BMI. Conclusions: The findings highlight the need to design gender-specific interventions that enhance motivation as a key factor in promoting a healthy lifestyle and physical activity adherence. Public health strategies should include motivation-driven approaches to foster physical literacy and long-term engagement in physical activity, particularly for girls, to address pediatric health challenges in Chile. Public health policies should address these factors to improve pediatric health outcomes.
Purpose:
As an extension of adventure education in school physical education, parkour has the potential to develop problem-solving and creative thinking along with the development of curriculum linked motor competencies and self-competence in a fun and risk-taking environment. This study aimed to investigate whether an adventure education model-based parkour intervention is more effective than the regular physical education in development of divergent thinking, motor creativity, movement competence and perceived motor competence of fourth-grade students.
Methods:
A quasi-experimental, between group design was used. The participants were 55 fourth-grade students (Intervention: 28 from 1 school, Comparison: 27 from 2 schools) in rural regions. An eight-week parkour intervention (16 sessions) was designed and conducted for the intervention group, while the comparison group continued the regular physical education curriculum. One-way ANCOVA was used for the data analysis (p < .01). Measurement tools included Play Creativity, Divergent Thinking: Realistic Presented Problems, Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder: KTK and Perceived Motor Competence Questionnaire in Childhood (PMC-C).
Findings:
Significant differences in motor creativity [F(1,52) = 9.76, p = .003, partial η2 = .158], divergent thinking skills [fluency F(1,52) = 33.14, p < .001, partial η2 = .389; originality F(1,52) = 7.39, p = .009, partial η2 = .124], movement competence [F(1,52) = 34.45, p < .001, partial η2 = .398], and perceived motor competence [F(1,52) = 7.44, p = .009, partial η2 = .125] were observed when compared to the comparison group. The intervention integrity was assessed to be 90%, and the attendance rate of the participants in the intervention was 87.2%.
Conclusions:
This adventure education model-based parkour unit was effective in developing general and movement related creativity, as well as movement competence and perceived motor competence of primary school students. This study has implications for deploying movement exploratory approaches such as parkour as a means to achieve quality physical education characteristics which could involve professional development on the adventure education framework, parkour specific training, as well as non-linear and physical literacy enriched pedagogical practices.
Introduction: Physical literacy (PL) is a multidimensional concept that includes the domains of movement competence, positive affect, social participation, and the confidence, motivation, and knowledge and understanding necessary for regular engagement in physical activity. The Sharing Dance Public School Program was created by Canada’s National Ballet School specifically designed to promote PL through dance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the program to improve PL in grade 4 to 6 children over the course of a school year. Methods: Children were initially recruited from two schools including an intervention and a control school. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection was prematurely terminated which resulted in baseline and mid-point data from the intervention group only. As such, participants included 57 children ( n = 28 females, M ag e = 10.34 ± 0.85 years) that engaged in the dance program once per week for 50 minutes. Assessments of PL included a direct measure of movement competence (PLAYfun) and a self-report measure (survey) to assess the other domains of PL. Results: Significant improvements were found in movement competence. However, significant decreases were found for fun and enjoyment, confidence, and social participation. No changes were observed for knowledge and understanding or overall PL. Conclusions: Findings from the present study are encouraging as they provide initial evidence for the support of community-based PL programs, such as the Sharing Dance Public School Program, to help children develop their movement competence. Future research is needed to further evaluate the effectiveness of the Sharing Dance Public School Program over a school year, and when compared to a control group, as was initially intended.
Physical literacy (PL), a concept commonly associated with the early years, physical education, and youth sport development, can become a meaningful determinant of health and longevity for the adult and older adult population. A review of 55 recent publications from 2018 to 2023 that encompassed physical literacy conceptual frameworks, assessments, and intervention-based studies was undertaken through an heuristic inspired by the philosophy which gave birth to PL. With particular interest in how PL has evolved in response to the needs of an aging population, this position paper tracks a key shift in focus from the individual to the relational context. It references positive interaction and social participation in recent models as significant features of an across-the-lifespan PL perspective.The concluding position is that fostering joyful inter-action be at the heart of PL promotion, resource development and assessment practices, especially in the case of an aging population.
Purpose: Providing specialised training to community-based physical activity instructors (such as circus coaches) has been identified as a potential strategy to increase participation for preschool-aged children born preterm. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of a novel co-designed training program CirqAll: professional development for circus coaches (CirqAll:PD), which aimed to increase coaches knowledge, skills, and confidence in working with children born preterm.
Materials and methods: CirqAll:PD consisted of 10-hours of online self-directed content and four 90-minute online workshops completed over four weeks. Recruitment capability, acceptability, implementation fidelity and limited efficacy testing were evaluated using a case series design.
Results: Fifty-one circus coaches were enrolled, and 27 completed CirqAll:PD. Reasons for attrition were primarily related to the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability s (TFA) concept of burden. All 27 coaches indicated that CirqAll:PD was acceptable (TFA questionnaire). Overall intervention fidelity was high (high adherence to planned delivery, moderate adherence to dosage, and excellent participant responsiveness). Limited efficacy testing revealed positive trends regarding coaches knowledge, skills, and confidence (Determinants of Implementation Behaviour Questionnaire).
Conclusions: These results support the feasibility of CirqAll:PD. Adaptations to reduce attrition and burden on participants are required prior to further testing.
The aim of this study is to review the literature on lifestyle sports and lifestyle sport contexts with regard to the developmental potential they may represent in young people’s everyday lives. The review applies a relational developmental systems approach to youth development. The eligibility criteria are based on the phenomenon of interest and outcomes. Hence, we include studies examining the associations between young people performing lifestyle sports and potential developmental outcomes: mental, biological, social, and behavioral. The present study shows that the volume of research on informal lifestyle sport is rather extensive and that studies on the way these activity contexts may affect developmental processes in youth are diverse and wide ranging. The studies suggest that performing lifestyle sports may have several beneficial health and skills outcomes. Furthermore, positive associations are suggested between involvement in lifestyle sport contexts such as climbing, snowboarding, parkour, tricking, kiting, and surfing and (a) mental outcomes such joy, happiness, freedom, euphoria, motivation, self-efficacy, and well-being; (b) social outcomes such as gender equality, network building, social inclusion, interaction, friendship; and (c) behavioral outcomes such as identity, creativity, and expressions of masculinity and/or femininity. The review performed indicates that lifestyle sport contexts are flexible according to needs and desires that exist among the practitioners and that the human and democratic origins of these contexts make them supportive for positive movement experiences and for positive youth development. The findings have implications for PE teachers, social workers, policymakers, sport organizations, and urban architecture, in that providing lifestyle sport opportunities in the everyday lives of young people will foster a holistic development in a positive way.
One of the main insights we want to share is our own approximation to intercultural encounters. That is we understand ‘working towards the intercultural encounter’ as a journey, as a process rather than a fixed state or a place we thrive to reach. In considering this handbook as a journey with a multiplicity of results, we acknowledge that we rather found more questions than answers. Our journey included circus skills, games, fun, care, critical thinking, experiences of the world and of different worlds (circus schools, universities, big cities, towns and rural areas…), creativity, shows and performances… To share some of what we learned from this research process, we have selected stories and from the fieldnotes and interviews. They might seem very personal and specific. They are. We invite you to read them as research findings and as a basis for thinking and reflecting on the relation they might have to your context and practice.
Purpose:
Preschool-aged children (three to five years old) born preterm participate in less physical activity (PA) than term-born children. Circus activities (a type of recreational PA) are a potential avenue to increase PA rates, but further insight into how to tailor these to address the participation gap is needed. This study investigated barriers and facilitators informing participation in recreational PA for preschool-aged children born extremely preterm and explored strategies to enhance participation in circus activities.
Materials and methods:
Sequential mixed-methods study utilizing surveys (n = 217), interviews (n = 43), and a focus group (n = 6) with key stakeholder groups (parents, coaches, and clinicians). Qualitative data (Framework Method) and quantitative data (descriptive statistics) were mixed during preliminary and final analyses.
Results:
Five themes were developed from the mixed data: the crucial role of the coach and the need for specific training, the therapeutic role of PA and promoting outcomes beyond the physical, the impact of communication and class planning, consideration of convenience and cost, and finally, the role of clinicians.
Conclusions:
Barriers, facilitators, and strategies were identified which may be used to modify or co-design circus-based PA interventions to enhance participation and improve rates of PA for preschool-aged children born extremely preterm.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONFamilies consider recreational physical activities to be part of the therapeutic agenda for their preschool-aged children born extremely preterm.Key stakeholders feel that recreational physical activity should target outcomes beyond the physical.Coach attributes and capability impact participation of children born preterm and their families, and may be enhanced with specific training.Clinicians should be engaged in design of recreational physical activities for children born preterm.
Previous school-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) interventions have focused on the quantity of physical activity (PA) achieved during physical education (PE) rather than students’ PE experiences, including enjoyment. Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of a fitness- and skill based HIIT intervention guided by the Self Determination Theory. Method: For this pretest-posttest randomized controlled 6-week pilot study, 4–5th grade students (15 boys, 30 girls; age = 10.5 ± 0.9 years) completed a 16–19-minute HIIT circuit (INT); whereas, 22 students (10 boys, 12 girls; age = 10.5 ± 0.9 years) engaged in regular PE (CON). Two-way mixed ANCOVA tests were performed to assess preliminary efficacy. Results: Participants reported favorable program satisfaction (mean 3.6 ± 1.5 out of 5). The physical educator reported a high feasibility survey score (31/35), and themes emerging from a program acceptability interview included positive perceptions of the HIIT program and strategies for future implementation. A large effect size was evident for cardiorespiratory fitness (ηp² = 0.26), as VO2peak increased in INT from 53.6 ± 6.1 to 56.9 ± 7.3 ml/kg/min and decreased in CON (53.9 ± 7.0 to 52.4 ± 10.4 ml/kg/min). Students in INT exhibited greater amounts of moderate-to-vigorous PA and vigorous PA during PE versus CON, based on accelerometer data (23.4 ± 5.0 vs. 15.7 ± 4.7 min/hr, ηp² = 0.45; 4.5 ± 2.6 vs. 2.3 ± 1.3 min/hr; ηp² = 0.27, respectively). Conclusions: Findings support the feasibility of this fitness- and skill-based HIIT program and may be a valuable addition to elementary school PE programs.
Purpose:
The associations between longitudinal physical activity (PA) patterns across childhood and physical literacy have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to identify PA trajectories from preschool to school-age, and to determine if trajectory group membership was associated with school-age physical literacy.
Methods:
Participants (n = 279, 4.5 [0.9] y old, 48% girls) enrolled in this study and completed annual assessments of PA with accelerometry over 6 timepoints. Physical literacy was assessed at timepoint 6 (10.8 [1.0] y old). Group-based trajectory analysis was applied to identify trajectories of total volume of PA and of moderate to vigorous PA and to estimate group differences in physical literacy.
Results:
Three trajectories of total volume of PA and of moderate to vigorous PA were identified. Groups 1 (lowest PA) included 40% to 53% of the sample, groups 2 included 39% to 44% of the sample, and groups 3 (highest PA) included 8% to 16% of the sample. All trajectories declined from timepoint 1 to timepoint 6. School-age physical literacy was lowest in trajectory groups with the lowest total volume of PA or moderate to vigorous PA over time (P < .05).
Conclusions:
PA should be promoted across early and middle childhood, as it may play a formative role in the development of school-age physical literacy.
Community arts projects have long been used in community development. Nevertheless, despite many liberatory tales that have emerged, scholars caution that well-meaning organizations and artists may inadvertently become complicit in efforts that distract from fundamental inequities, instrumentalizing creative expression as a means to transform potentially dissident youth into productive and cooperative ‘citizens’. This article examines how social circus – using circus arts with equity-seeking communities – has been affecting personal and community development among youth with marginalized lifestyles in Quebec, Canada. Employing a ‘critical mixed methods’ design, we analysed the impacts of the social circus methodology and partnership model deployed on transformation at the personal and community level. Our analysis suggests that transformation in this context is grounded in principles of using embodied play to re-forge habits and fortify an identity within community and societal acceptance through recognizing individual and collective creative contributions. The disciplinary dimension of the programme, however, equally suggests an imprinting of values of ‘productivity’ by putting marginality ‘to work’. In the social circus programmes studied, tensions between the goal of better coping within the existing socioeconomic system and building skills to transform inequitable dynamics within dominant social and cultural processes, are navigated by carving out a space in society that offers alternative ways of seeing and engaging.
Evidence supports a positive association between competence in fundamental movement skills (e.g., kicking, jumping) and physical activity in young people. Whilst important, fundamental movement skills do not reflect the broad diversity of skills utilized in physical activity pursuits across the lifespan. Debate surrounds the question of what are the most salient skills to be learned which facilitate physical activity participation across the lifespan. In this paper, it is proposed that the term ‘fundamental movement skills’ be replaced with ‘foundational movement skills’. The term ‘foundational movement skills’ better reflects the broad range of movement forms that increase in complexity and specificity and can be applied in a variety of settings. Thus, ‘foundational movement skills’ includes both traditionally conceptualized ‘fundamental’ movement skills and other skills (e.g., bodyweight squat, cycling, swimming strokes) that support physical activity engagement across the lifespan. A proposed conceptual model outlines how foundational movement skill competency can provide a direct or indirect pathway, via specialized movement skills, to a lifetime of physical activity. Foundational movement skill development is hypothesized to vary according to culture and/or geographical location. Further, skill development may be hindered or enhanced by physical (i.e., fitness, weight status) and psychological (i.e., perceived competence, self-efficacy) attributes. This conceptual model may advance the application of motor development principles within the public health domain. Additionally, it promotes the continued development of human movement in the context of how it leads to skillful performance and how movement skill development supports and maintains a lifetime of physical activity engagement.
Framed within Self-Determination Theory, the purpose of the present study was to test the effects of a training program with physical education (PE) teachers. Participants were 21 high school PE teachers (experimental group, n = 10; control group, n = 11), and their 836 students, aged 12 to 16 years. Teachers in the experimental group received a training program consisting of strategies to support autonomy, competence, and relatedness need satisfaction. A repeated measures ANCOVA was carried out for each dependent variable. After the intervention, students in the experimental group significantly increased their scores on autonomy support, relatedness support, autonomy satisfaction, autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and intention to be physically active, as compared to the control group. These findings emphasize the utility of a training program with PE teachers to promote the students’ psychological need satisfaction, and hence, self-determined motivation toward PE classes.
Background:
The concept of physical literacy has received increased research and international attention recently. Where intervention programs and empirical research are gaining momentum, their operationalizations differ significantly.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to inform practice in the measure/assessment of physical literacy via a systematic review of research that has assessed physical literacy (up to 14 June, 2017).
Methods:
Five databases were searched using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols guidelines, with 32 published articles meeting the inclusion criteria. English-language, peer-reviewed published papers containing empirical studies of physical literacy were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results:
Qualitative methods included: (1) interviews; (2) open-ended questionnaires; (3) reflective diaries; (4) focus groups; (5) participant observations; and (6) visual methods. Quantitative methods included: (1) monitoring devices (e.g., accelerometers); (2) observations (e.g., of physical activity or motor proficiency); (3) psychometrics (e.g., enjoyment, self-perceptions); (4) performance measures (e.g., exergaming, objective times/distances); (5) anthropometric measurements; and (6) one compound measure. Of the measures that made an explicit distinction: 22 (61%) examined the physical domain, eight (22%) the affective domain; five (14%) the cognitive domain; and one (3%) combined three domains (physical, affective, and cognitive) of physical literacy. Researchers tended to declare their philosophical standpoint significantly more in qualitative research compared with quantitative research.
Conclusions:
Current research adopts diverse often incompatible methodologies in measuring/assessing physical literacy. Our analysis revealed that by adopting simplistic and linear methods, physical literacy cannot be measured/assessed in a traditional/conventional sense. Therefore, we recommend that researchers are more creative in developing integrated philosophically aligned approaches to measuring/assessing physical literacy. Future research should consider the most recent developments in the field of physical literacy for policy formation.
The International Charter for Physical Education, Physical Activity, and Sport clearly states that vested agencies must participate in creating a strategic vision and identify policy options and priorities that enable the fundamental right for all people to participate in meaningful physical activity across their life course. Physical literacy is a rapidly evolving concept being used in policy making, but it has been limited by pre-existing and sometimes biased interpretations of the construct. The aim of this article is to present a new model of physical literacy policy considerations for key decision makers in the fields of public health, recreation, sport, and education. Internationally debated definitions of physical literacy and the wider construct of literacy were reviewed in order to establish common pillars of physical literacy in an applicable policy model. This model strives to be consistent with international understandings of what " physical literacy " is, and how it can be used to achieve established and developing public health, recreation, sport, and educative goals.
Background The concept of physical literacy has stimulated
increased research attention in recent years—being
deployed in physical education, sport participation, and the
promotion of physical activity. Independent research
groups currently operationalize the construct differently.
Objective The purpose of this systematic review was to
conduct a systematic review of the physical literacy construct,
as reflected in contemporary research literature.
Methods Five databases were searched using the preferred
reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses
(PRISMA) guidelines for systematic reviews. Inclusion
criteria were English language, peer reviewed, published
by March 2016, and seeking to conceptualize physical
literacy. Articles that met these criteria were analyzed in
relation to three core areas: properties/attributes, philosophical
foundations and theoretical associations with
other constructs. A total of 50 published articles met the
inclusion criteria and were analyzed qualitatively using
inductive thematic analysis.
Results The thematic analysis addressed the three core
areas. Under definitions, core attributes that define physical
literacy were identified, as well as areas of conflict between
different approaches currently being adopted. One relatively
clear philosophical approach was prominent in
approximately half of the papers, based on a monist/holistic
ontology and phenomenological epistemology. Finally, the
analysis identified a number of theoretical associations,
including health, physical activity and academic
performance.
Conclusions Current literature contains different representations
of the physical literacy construct. The costs and
benefits of adopting an exclusive approach versus pluralism
are considered. Recommendations for both researchers and
practitioners focus on identifying and clearly articulating
the definitions, philosophical assumptions and expected
outcomes prior to evaluating the effectiveness of this
emerging concept.
Background
The concept of physical literacy has stimulated increased research attention in recent years—being deployed in physical education, sport participation, and the promotion of physical activity. Independent research groups currently operationalize the construct differently.
Objective
The purpose of this systematic review was to conduct a systematic review of the physical literacy construct, as reflected in contemporary research literature.
Methods
Five databases were searched using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for systematic reviews. Inclusion criteria were English language, peer reviewed, published by March 2016, and seeking to conceptualize physical literacy. Articles that met these criteria were analyzed in relation to three core areas: properties/attributes, philosophical foundations and theoretical associations with other constructs. A total of 50 published articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed qualitatively using inductive thematic analysis.
Results
The thematic analysis addressed the three core areas. Under definitions, core attributes that define physical literacy were identified, as well as areas of conflict between different approaches currently being adopted. One relatively clear philosophical approach was prominent in approximately half of the papers, based on a monist/holistic ontology and phenomenological epistemology. Finally, the analysis identified a number of theoretical associations, including health, physical activity and academic performance.
Conclusions
Current literature contains different representations of the physical literacy construct. The costs and benefits of adopting an exclusive approach versus pluralism are considered. Recommendations for both researchers and practitioners focus on identifying and clearly articulating the definitions, philosophical assumptions and expected outcomes prior to evaluating the effectiveness of this emerging concept.
In this commentary, an argument for using physical literacy as a guiding framework for the design, implementation and evaluation of physical activity interventions targeting cognitive development in early childhood is offered. While physical activity and exercise have been shown to be positively linked to cognitive development, selecting the right kinds of activities for children, particularly in the first six years of life, is critical to ensuring children stay engaged and benefit from participation. The concept of " thinking movement " has been described before, where emphasis is placed not only on the importance of physical activity, but the combination of cognitive (e.g., problem solving) and movement based skills together as necessary for stimulating positive change in cognitive ability. Physical literacy offers great potential as a framework beyond thinking movement because it focuses not only on movement (motor skill) and physical activity, but also affective (fun) and motivational domains such as competence and confidence. The intersections of motor skill, positive affect and motivation are the core elements required to ensure children want to be active and are critical for maintenance of physical activity across the life-course.
Background
Gross motor competence confers health benefits, but levels in children and adolescents are low. While interventions can improve gross motor competence, it remains unclear which correlates should be targeted to ensure interventions are most effective, and for whom targeted and tailored interventions should be developed.
Objective
The aim of this systematic review was to identify the potential correlates of gross motor competence in typically developing children and adolescents (aged 3–18 years) using an ecological approach.
Methods
Motor competence was defined as gross motor skill competency, encompassing fundamental movement skills and motor coordination, but excluding motor fitness. Studies needed to assess a summary score of at least one aspect of motor competence (i.e., object control, locomotor, stability, or motor coordination). A structured electronic literature search was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Six electronic databases (CINAHL Complete, ERIC, MEDLINE Complete, PsycINFO®, Scopus and SPORTDiscus with Full Text) were searched from 1994 to 5 August 2014. Meta-analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between potential correlates and motor competency if at least three individual studies investigated the same correlate and also reported standardized regression coefficients.
Results
A total of 59 studies were identified from 22 different countries, published between 1995 and 2014. Studies reflected the full range of age groups. The most examined correlates were biological and demographic factors. Age (increasing) was a correlate of children’s motor competence. Weight status (healthy), sex (male) and socioeconomic background (higher) were consistent correlates for certain aspects of motor competence only. Physical activity and sport participation constituted the majority of investigations in the behavioral attributes and skills category. Whilst we found physical activity to be a positive correlate of skill composite and motor coordination, we also found indeterminate evidence for physical activity being a correlate of object control or locomotor skill competence. Few studies investigated cognitive, emotional and psychological factors, cultural and social factors or physical environment factors as correlates of motor competence.
Conclusion
This systematic review is the first that has investigated correlates of gross motor competence in children and adolescents. A strength is that we categorized correlates according to the specific ways motor competence has been defined and operationalized (object control, motor coordination, etc.), which enables us to have an understanding of what correlates assist what types of motor competence. Indeed our findings do suggest that evidence for some correlates differs according to how motor competence is operationalized.
Physical Education has been showing an exponential growth in the application of circus activities as programmatic content, and a consequently increase of academic production. The objective of this study was to identify the state of the art when it comes to the circus activities and physical education through a literature review of academic-scientific production, nationally and internationally. Results indicate that much of the literature is presented as experience reports and manuals, highlighting the technical and pedagogical procedures. In general we found limited conceptual discussions, and very few studies that propose advances beyond the common sense and pedagogical romanticism.
Physical literacy has become an increasingly influential concept in the past few decades, and is being woven into education, sport, and recreation policy and practice, particularly in Canada. The term is based on a metaphor that likens movement fluency to language literacy. Use of a metaphoric rather than a theoretical foundation has enabled various interpretations and re-definitions of the term. This article aims at an understanding of physical literacy that encompasses and reunifies the interpretations, helping physical literacy to be theoretically understood, practically researched, and instrumentally employed. The division of the holistic physical literacy concept into various interpretations is traced and the metaphoric basis of physical literacy is discussed. Through this analysis the unifying theme of communication is identified, and based on this a new definition of physical literacy is advanced and a model of physical literacy development is proposed. A series of questions that invite a multi-disciplinary approach to physical literacy research is presented. Copyright © National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE).
The purpose of this review is to synthesize the evidence of the relationship between fundamental motor skills (FMS) competence and physical activity by qualitatively describing results from 13 studies that met rigorous inclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria: (a) published in a peer-review journal, (b) participants were between the ages of 3–18, (c) participants were typically developing, (d) FMS was measured by a process-oriented assessment, (e) assessed physical activity, (f) related FMS and physical activity through statistical procedures, and (g) printed in English. Databases were searched for relevant articles using key terms related to FMS and physical activity. Evidence suggested low to moderate relationships between FMS competence and physical activity in early childhood (r = .16 to .48; R 2 = 3–23%, 4 studies), low to high relationships in middle to late childhood (r = .24 to .55; R 2 = 6–30%, 7 studies), and low to moderate relationships in adolescence (r = .14 to .35; R 2 = 2–12.3%, 2 studies). Across ages, object control skills and locomotor skills were more strongly related to physical activity for boys and girls, respectively. Future research should emphasize experimental and longitudinal research designs to provide further understanding of the relationship between FMS competence and physical activity.
Physical literacy is described as the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and engage in a physically active lifestyle. As such, it is expected that those who have greater physical literacy would be more likely to obtain the health benefits offered by habitual physical activity. A theoretical model and assessment battery, the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL), for the assessment of childhood physical literacy had been proposed in theory but validity data were lacking. The purpose of this study was to explore validity evidence for the CAPL among children in grades 4 to 6.
CAPL validity was evaluated through three analyses that utilized cross-sectional data obtained through local schools in Eastern Ontario, Canada. A confirmatory factor analysis compared the data to the theoretical model. Patterns of association between self-reported age and gender and the CAPL total and domain scores were examined using regression models. Teacher ratings of participants' knowledge, attitude and physical activity competence were compared to assessment results.
The CAPL was completed by 963 children (55 % female) in grades 4, 5 and 6. Children were 8 to 12 years of age (mean 10.1 years), with 85 % of children approached agreeing to participate. A confirmatory factor analysis using data from 489 children with complete raw scores supported a model with four domains: engagement in physical activity (active and sedentary), physical competence (fitness and motor skill), motivation and confidence, and knowledge and understanding. Raw domain scores followed expected patterns for age and gender, providing evidence for their validity. Interpretive categories, developed from age and gender adjusted normative data, were not associated with age indicating that the CAPL is suitable for use across this age range. Children's gender was associated with the physical competence, motivation and engagement in physical activity domain scores, indicating that further research is required regarding the gender adjustment of the raw CAPL scores. CAPL domain and total scores were statistically significantly associated with teacher ratings of the child's motivation, attitudes, fitness, skill and overall physical activity.
CAPL offers a comprehensive assessment of engagement in physical activity, physical competence, motivation and confidence, and knowledge and understanding as components of childhood (grades 4 to 6, 8 to 12 years) physical literacy. Monitoring of these measures enhances our understanding of children's physical literacy, and assists with the identification of areas where additional supports are required.
There has been much international concern about the present and future status of school physical education. Recent research has employed surveys or case studies to examine the status of physical education but there is a dearth of in-depth physical education curriculum document analysis. The aim of this study is to contribute to the international discussion about physical education curricula by expanding upon previous interpretations of Canada’s physical education curricula and addressing additional aspects that may have been overlooked. Results of an analysis of Canada’s 10 provincial physical education curricula reveal trends and themes related to instructional time allocations, curricular aim statements, curricular organizing categories and learning outcome statements. While the stated aim of physical education curricula in Canada is focused on healthy, active living, there is evidence that the specific content of the learning outcome statements are more focused on movement skills, games and sport technique. This contradiction sparks further discussion about the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of physical education curricula and the importance of understanding what has, is, and perhaps should be influencing decisions about curriculum development throughout the world.
In Sweden, as in many countries before Sweden, boys’ academic achievements are getting considerable attention as the big gender issue. The Swedish gender equality policy that was put on the agenda in the 1970s is now associated with extreme discussions. This study aims to explore how gender equality was discussed in the 1970s, in connection with work on a forthcoming curriculum. The empirical material examined consists of the preparatory work for the Swedish comprehensive school National Curriculum, LGR 80 and the publication Lärartidningen [Teachers’ Journal]. In the material, the gender inequality problem was first and foremost discussed in terms of sex-role values that led to sex-linked choices of education and jobs. Hopes that girls would turn to technical education and technical career choices were highly connected to the issue of equality between the sexes. Attention was occasionally drawn to women’s second-rate position in society, but mainly the problem of gender inequality was considered to be pupils’ attitudes rather than structures and strong cultural norms. Through information and sex-mixed classes the problem would be solved. Thus, in the material examined the gender discussions were rather superficial.
Guided by the interest-based motivation theory, this study examined the ex-tent to which personal interest and situational interest accounted for boys' and girls' learning outcome in a middle school physical education dance unit. Per-sonal and situational interests, physical activity intensity, and skill/knowledge outcome were measured in a random student sample (N = 57). Girls demon-strated higher personal interest in dance than the boys, but both groups were equally motivated with situational interest. Although the girls were not as physi-cally active as boys, their skill/knowledge outcome measures were higher than those of the boys. It appears that gender may have little impact on the motiva-tional effect of situational interest and that girls' in-class learning might have higher quality than that of boys as a result of higher personal interest. The findings indicate that situational interest may motivate all students, but it is necessary to enhance personal interest in order for them to engage in quality learning. Motivation to learn can be defined in the pedagogical context as student willingness to engage in the content (Burke, 1995). According to Griffin (1985), gender stereotyping of physical activity affects students' willingness to learn in physical education via mediating their perception of physical ability (Williamson, 1996). Researchers (Lee, Fredenburg, Belcher, & Cleveland, 1999) have noticed that boys and girls usually hold strong motivational and competence beliefs in physical activities they consider "gender appropriate" for themselves. In turn, the "gender appropriate" values, especially those in relation to physical activity choices, are assumed to be an underlying motivator or demotivator for boys and girls. The gendered motivator determines their responses to particular activities being taught in physical education (Hickey & Fitzclarence, 1999).
Although previous studies have demonstrated that children with high levels of fundamental movement skill competency are more active throughout the day, little is known regarding children's fundamental movement skill competency and their physical activity during key time periods of the school day (i.e., lunchtime, recess and after-school). The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between fundamental movement skill competency and objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) throughout the school day among children attending primary schools in low-income communities.
Eight primary schools from low-income communities and 460 children (8.5 +/- 0.6 years, 54% girls) were involved in the study. Children's fundamental movement skill competency (TGMD-2; 6 locomotor and 6 object-control skills), objectively measured physical activity (ActiGraph GT3X and GT3X + accelerometers), height, weight and demographics were assessed. Multilevel linear mixed models were used to assess the cross-sectional associations between fundamental movement skills and MVPA.
After adjusting for age, sex, BMI and socio-economic status, locomotor skill competency was positively associated with total (P = 0.002, r = 0.15) and after-school (P = 0.014, r = 0.13) MVPA. Object-control skill competency was positively associated with total (P < 0.001, r = 0.20), lunchtime (P = 0.03, r = 0.10), recess (P = 0.006, r = 0.11) and after-school (P = 0.022, r = 0.13) MVPA.
Object-control skill competency appears to be a better predictor of children's MVPA during school-based physical activity opportunities than locomotor skill competency. Improving fundamental movement skill competency, particularly object-control skills, may contribute to increased levels of children's MVPA throughout the day.Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry No: ACTRN12611001080910.
This document reviews the status of physical literacy around the world, and then offers recommendations for its implementation in Australia.
The authors investigated the quality of physical education at 2 elementary schools—1 in which generalist instructors taught physical education and 1 in which a physical education specialist delivered a schoolwide program. Set within the context of increasingly marginalized public school physical education, the discussion incorporates ethnographic data that illustrate the differences in program quality at both schools. The authors present notional support for physical education and practical challenges faced by classroom teachers at the generalist school. Features of the specialist program illustrate how children benefit from educationally sound and well-planned programs.
This paper explores gender differential performance in ‘gifted and talented’ 9‐ and 13‐year‐olds in a mathematics assessment in England. Boys’ and girls’ attitudes to mathematics and their views about which gender is better at mathematics are also considered. The study employs the use of a matched sample of boys and girls so that school, age and previous achievement in mathematics can be controlled whilst exploring performance on World Class Test items. The main result of this research was that there was no significant gender difference in performance for the 9‐ or the 13‐year‐olds. However, attitudinal differences were found, including a seemingly commonly held stereotypical view of mathematics as a boys’ subject. These results are important since the uptake of higher level mathematically‐based courses by girls is poor. Further findings reveal that where ‘gifted’ girls perform as well as ‘gifted’ boys, their confidence in the subject is lower than their performance might suggest. This work is also discussed in the light of related research findings and in relation to stereotype threat theory.
Background:
Physical education (PE) is recommended as a source for physical activity (PA) and learning generalizable PA skills. Few studies have objectively examined high school PE, specifically its delivery, including PA, lesson contexts, and class gender composition.
Methods:
We used the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) to assess PA during 6 lesson contexts in 47 boys-only, 54 girls-only, and 63 coed lessons from 7 high schools. MANOVA assessed differences based on class gender composition.
Results:
Actual lesson length was 27.7 min, only 65% of the scheduled length of class periods. Students engaged in moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) 54% of the time, with boys being more active than girls. Game play was the most dominant context (47%), and little time was allocated to knowledge and skill development. Class size, lesson length, PA, and lesson contexts all differed by class gender composition (P < .001).
Conclusions:
Many differences in the conduct of high school PE are related to class gender composition. Boys accumulated more MVPA than girls. When held, PE lessons contributed about 25% of recommended daily PA minutes; improvements could be made by increasing allocations to fitness and skill practice and reducing transition and management time. Teacher professional development is warranted.
Physical education can be a powerful influence on promoting youth physical activity (PA). This review describes correlates of youth PA, examines how these factors have been targeted in physical education (PE) based interventions, and makes suggestions for PE pedagogy to promote PA. Perceived physical competence, enjoyment of PA, intention, direct help and support from parents and significant others, and opportunities to be active were consistently associated with youth PA. The large-scale PE-based PA promotion programs that were successful in increasing out-of-school PA applied a pedagogical framework targeting variables associated with motivation (i.e., perceived competence, enjoyment of PA, self-determination). PE based interventions should continue to address the nature of activities, but also utilize pedagogy that promotes psychological determinants of student motivation. (Contains 1 table.)
The purpose of this study was to provide a contemporary estimate of the health care cost of physical inactivity in Canadian adults. The health care cost was estimated using a prevalence-based approach. The estimated direct, indirect, and total health care costs of physical inactivity in Canada in 2009 were 4.3 billion, and $6.8 billion, respectively. These values represented 3.8%, 3.6%, and 3.7% of the overall health care costs.
The current study examined associations between gender, perceived athletic competence, and enjoyment of physical education (PE) class over time in a cohort of children enrolled in grade four (ages 9 or 10) at baseline (n = 2262).
We assessed each student 5 times over a period of 2 years. We used mixed effects modeling to examine change over time in enjoyment of PE.
Enjoyment of PE declined among girls but remained constant among boys. Higher levels of perceived competence were associated with higher PE enjoyment. A 3-way interaction between gender, competence, and time revealed that PE enjoyment was lowest and declined most markedly among girls with low perceived athletic competence. Among boys with low competence, enjoyment remained at a consistently low level.
Our results indicate that lower perceived athletic competence is associated with low enjoyment of PE, and, among girls, with declining enjoyment. Findings suggest that interventions in a PE context that target perceived competence should be considered in future work.
Decreased physical activity plays a critical role in the increase in childhood obesity. Although at least 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is recommended, few longitudinal studies have determined the recent patterns of physical activity of youth.
To determine the patterns and determinants of MVPA of youth followed from ages 9 to 15 years.
Longitudinal descriptive analyses of the 1032 participants in the 1991-2007 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development birth cohort from 10 study sites who had accelerometer-determined minutes of MVPA at ages 9 (year 2000), 11 (2002), 12 (2003), and 15 (2006) years. Participants included boys (517 [50.1%]) and girls (515 [49.9%]); 76.6% white (n = 791); and 24.5% (n = 231) lived in low-income families.
Mean MVPA minutes per day, determined by 4 to 7 days of monitored activity.
At age 9 years, children engaged in MVPA approximately 3 hours per day on both weekends and weekdays. Weekday MVPA decreased by 37 minutes per year [corrected], while weekend MVPA decreased by 39 minutes per year [corrected]. By age 15 years, adolescents were only engaging in MVPA for 50 minutes per weekday [corrected] and 36 minutes per weekend day [corrected]. Boys were more active than girls, spending 18 and 14 more minutes per day [corrected] in MVPA on the weekdays and weekends, respectively. The rate of decrease in MVPA was the same for boys and girls. The estimated age at which girls crossed below the recommended 60 minutes of MVPA per day was approximately 13.2 years for weekday [corrected] activity compared with boys at 14.9 years [corrected], and for weekend activity, girls crossed below the recommended 60 minutes of MVPA at 12.7 years [corrected] compared with boys at 13.6 years [corrected].
In this study cohort, measured physical activity decreased significantly between ages 9 and 15 years.
Much of the early information about exercise and medicine appeared in the ancient, medieval, and Renaissance medical literature in the context of the "six things nonnatural." These were the things that were under everyone's own control, directly influenced health, and became the central part of the new "physical education" movement in the early 19 century in the United States. They were known then as the "Laws of Health." Until the early 1900s, "physical education" was dominated by physicians who specialized in health and exercise. However, physical education changed to a games and sports curriculum led by coaches who introduced competition and athletic achievement into the classroom. As that happened, physicians disappeared from the profession. Through the last half of the twentieth century, as exercise became more central to public health, the medical community began to view exercise as part of lifestyle, a concept embracing what was once called the "six things nonnatural."
This paper describes the process used to arrive at recommended physical activity guidelines for Canadian school-aged children and youth (5-17 years), adults (18-64 years) and older adults (>/=65 years).
The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) Physical Activity Measurement and Guidelines (PAMG) Steering Committee used the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research Evaluation (AGREE II) Instrument to inform the guideline development process. Fourteen background papers and five systematic reviews were completed. Systematic review authors appraised and synthesized the data, and proposed specific recommendations at an international consensus conference of invited experts and key stakeholders. Independently, an international panel of experts interpreted the evidence from the systematic reviews and developed recommendations following attendance at the Consensus Conference.
Using the AGREE II instrument as a guide, specific foci for each of the guidelines were defined and systematic review methodology was used to synthesize the evidence base. The expert panel, CSEP PAMG Steering Committee and methodological consultants reviewed the systematic reviews and Consensus Statement. The expert panel achieved consensus on the level of evidence informing the physical activity guidelines and developed a separate document outlining key recommendations, interpretation of the evidence and justification of each recommendation.
The CSEP and Public Health Agency of Canada followed a rigorous process to examine the evidence informing potential revisions to existing physical activity guidelines for Canadians. It is believed that this is the first physical activity guideline development process in the world to be guided and assessed by AGREE II and AMSTAR instruments.
The aim of the article was to review studies on the tracking of physical activity in all phases of life from childhood to late adulthood. The majority of the studies have been published since 2000. The follow-up time in most studies was short, the median being 9 years. In men, the stability of physical activity was significant but low or moderate during all life phases and also in longterm follow-ups. In women, the tracking was lower and in many cases non-significant. Among both sexes, stability seems to be lower in early childhood than in adolescence or in adulthood and lower in transitional phases, such as from childhood to adolescence or from adolescence to adulthood, than in adulthood. However, the differences in the stability of physical activity between age groups and between different phases of life were small. The number of tracking studies utilising objective methods to measure physical activity was so small that systematic differences in stability between self-report and objective methods could not be determined. A factor which caused differences in tracking results was the adjustment of correlations for measurement error and other error variance. Adjusted coefficients were clearly higher than unadjusted ones. However, adjustment was done only in very few studies. If the different methods used for estimating habitual physical activity and the failure to control for important covariates in studies of tracking are taken into account, physical activity appears to track reasonably well also in the longer term, for example from adolescence to adulthood. The results of the tracking studies support the idea that the enhancement of physical activity in children and adolescents is of great importance for the promotion of public health.
Understanding the factors that influence physical activity can aid the design of more effective interventions. Previous reviews of correlates of youth physical activity have produced conflicting results.
A comprehensive review of correlates of physical activity was conducted, and semiquantitative results were summarized separately for children (ages 3-12) and adolescents (ages 13-18). The 108 studies evaluated 40 variables for children and 48 variables for adolescents.
About 60% of all reported associations with physical activity were statistically significant. Variables that were consistently associated with children's physical activity were sex (male), parental overweight status, physical activity preferences, intention to be active, perceived barriers (inverse), previous physical activity, healthy diet, program/facility access, and time spent outdoors. Variables that were consistently associated with adolescents' physical activity were sex (male), ethnicity (white), age (inverse), perceived activity competence, intentions, depression (inverse), previous physical activity, community sports, sensation seeking, sedentary after school and on weekends (inverse), parent support, support from others, sibling physical activity, direct help from parents, and opportunities to exercise.
These consistently related variables should be confirmed in prospective studies, and interventions to improve the modifiable variables should be developed and evaluated.
The aim of this study was to investigate stability of physical activity from childhood and adolescence to adulthood in multiple age cohorts, and analyze how well adult physical activity can be predicted by various physical activity variables measured in childhood and adolescence.
The data were drawn from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. The study was started in 1980, when cohorts of randomly sampled boys and girls aged 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 years (total of 2309 subjects) were examined for the first time. The measurements were repeated in 1983, 1986, 1989, 1992, and 2001. In 2001, the subjects (n =1563, 68%) were aged 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, and 39 years, respectively. Physical activity was measured by means of a short self-report questionnaire that was administered individually in connection with a medical examination. On the basis of a questionnaire, a physical activity index (PAI) was calculated. There were no significant differences in the 1980 PAI between participants and dropouts in 2001.
Spearmans rank order correlation coefficients for the 21-year tracking period varied from 0.33 to 0.44 in males, and from 0.14 to 0.26 in females. At shorter time intervals the correlation was higher. On average, the tracking correlation was lower in females than in males. Persistent physical activity, defined as a score in the most active third of the PAI in two or three consecutive measurements, increased the odds that an individual would be active in adulthood. Odds ratios for 3-year continuous activity versus continuous inactivity varied from 4.30 to 7.10 in males and 2.90 to 5.60 in females. The corresponding odds ratios for 6-year persistence were 8.70 to 10.80 and 5.90 to 9.40.
It was concluded that a high level of physical activity at ages 9 to 18, especially when continuous, significantly predicted a high level of adult physical activity. Although the correlations were low or moderate, we consider it important that school-age physical activity appears to influence adult physical activity, and through it, the public health of the general population.
Youth with better motor abilities may find it easier to be physically active and may be more likely to engage in physical activity compared with peers with poorer motor competence. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between motor proficiency and physical activity in 8- to 10-year-old children. Self-efficacy toward physical activity was also assessed.
Sixty-five children (34 girls and 31 boys) were studied. Children's physical activity was assessed by the Manufacturing Technologies Incorporated/Computer Science and Applications Incorporated model 7164 accelerometer, and their motor proficiency was determined by the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. The Children's Self-Perceptions of Adequacy in and Predilection for Physical Activity scale measured children's self-perceptions of adequacy in performing and desire to participate in physical activities.
Children's motor proficiency was positively associated with activity counts and percentage of time in moderate and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity and inversely related to percentage of time in sedentary activity. Children in the greatest quartile of motor proficiency were the most physically active compared with children with lower levels of motor proficiency who had similar levels of physical activity. Children with greater standardized BMI were less physically active, more sedentary, and had poorer motor proficiency compared with children with a lower standardized BMI. Children's Self-Perceptions of Adequacy in and Predilection for Physical Activity scores were positively associated with Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency standard score for boys. Children's motor proficiency explained an additional 8.7% of the variance in physical activity in multiple linear regression after controlling for factors that may influence physical activity.
Motor proficiency is positively associated with physical activity and inversely associated with sedentary activity in children, but there may be a threshold of motor proficiency above which children may be the most physically active. Children's motor proficiency may be an appropriate target for increasing physical activity in youth.
With a billion-dollar industry centred in Montreal, the province of Quebec has established itself as a major hub for contemporary circus. Cirque du Soleil has a global presence, and troupes such as Cirque Éloize and 7 doigts de la main are state-of-the-art innovators. The National Circus School of Montreal - the only state-funded elite training facility in North America - is an influential leader in artistry and technique. Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil’s Cirque du Monde supports arts for social change on many continents and is renowned for its social-circus training and research.
Cirque Global is the first book-length study of this new variety of circus and its international impact. The contributors offer critical perspectives on this rapidly developing art form and its aesthetics, ethics, business practices, pedagogical implications, and discursive significations. Essays explore creative, entrepreneurial, and cultural forces that are shaping Quebec’s dynamic nouveau cirque. Lavishly illustrated with photographs from circus performances, the volume showcases Quebec circus’s hybrid forms, which have merged the ethos and aesthetics of European circuses with American commercial and industrial creativity.
Cirque Global is the definitive study of the phenomenon of Quebec circus and is an important model for future research on contemporary circus.
Details
400 Pages, 6.25 x 9.25
65 photos, 8 tables
ISBN 9780773546738
June 2016
Formats: Cloth, Paperback, eBook
The reliability and validity of the PLAYfun and PLAYbasic tools were assessed. The PLAYfun, PLAYbasic, Canadian Agility and Movement Skill Assessment (CAMSA) obstacle course, and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C) were administered to children (aged 8–14 years) in two remote Canadian communities. Inter-rater reliability of the PLAYfun and PLAYbasic were good-to-excellent for average measures and moderate-to-good for single measures. The PLAYfun subscales were poor-to-excellent for average and single measures. The internal consistency of the PLAYfun tool was good, PLAYbasic was poor-to-good, and the individual subscales were poor-to-good. Convergent validity was moderate-to-large for the PLAY tools and CAMSA obstacle course, and small-to-moderate for the PLAY tools and the PAQ-C, and small-to-moderate for the PLAY tools and age. For children and youth in northern Canada, the motor competence aspect of physical literacy is most accurately assessed using the complete PLAYfun tool and two raters.
Introduction:
PLAYfun is a measure of motor competence, comprehension and confidence which is part of a suite of scales used to assess physical literacy in children and youth. However, its measurement properties have not been reported in the published literature. The purpose of this study is to examine the factor structure of PLAYfun, in addition to variations in PLAYfun subscale results by age and sex.
Method:
In this study, we use a sample of children and youth aged 7 to 14 years (n=215) to test a proposed factor structure for the motor competence component of PLAYfun and to examine age and sex differences in subscale and total scores. The initial (n=128) and secondary (n=98) samples were drawn from a stratified (by geographic region), random sample of 27 afterschool programs from a larger pool of 400 programs across the province of Ontario. Seven research assistants were initially trained on the administration of PLAYfun and rated a small pilot sample of 10 children. These trained assessors then assessed the full sample..
Results:
Inter-rater agreement was very good (ICC=.87). The hypothesized 5-factor structure of the scale was found to have an acceptable fit to the data (RMSEA = 0.055, 90% CI = 0.03 to 0.075; CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.94). In general, PLAYfun scores increased with age as developmentally expected. There were few sex differences across skills, but girls did not perform as well as boys on upper and lower body object control skills.
Conclusion:
The factor structure and patterns of results by age and sex support PLAYfun as a measure of motor competence. Continued evaluation of the tool and other subscales of PLAY are required.
... If this difference was a consistent feature of a child's behavior across a typical 5-day school week and ... Add to this the decreased time spent in sedentary behaviors by children with better-developed skills, and the potential contribution of the level of motor skill performance to an ...
In "Physical Education Teacher Effectiveness in a Public Health Context," we took a broad view of physical education (PE) teacher effectiveness that included public health need and support for PE. Public health officials have been consistent and fervent in their support of PE, and for more than two decades, they have called on schools to promote and provide physical activity. They have strongly recommended PE because: (a) It is part of the formalized school curriculum and an essential access point to provide and promote physical activity for nearly all children, and (b) it is the only venue where the least active children experience physical activity at higher intensities. Within the current marginalized status of PE, public health is an ally. Hence, we took a broad public health position, indicated that teacher effectiveness is tied closely to PE program effectiveness, identified physical activity and its assessment as important parts of PE, offered a vision of teacher effectiveness that goes beyond the PE lesson to include components of the comprehensive school physical activity model, and emphasized the need for the collection of data to support PE and physical activity programs. We have read the written reviews and listened to dialogue about our article. In this follow-up article, we address the major comments using 4 themes: prioritizing public health over other PE emphases, PE having a muddled mission, concerns about physical activity, and extending the roles and skills of physical educators.
The major aim of this study was to identify the relationship between prior experiences of Physical Education (PE), general thoughts about PE and their relationship if any, to estimated competence of the primary education student teacher to teach the six areas of the National Curriculum Physical Education (NCPE), i.e. games, gymnastics, swimming, dance, athletics, outdoor and adventurous activities (OAA). In addition, change was assessed over the period of a 1‐year Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) primary programme. A pre‐post survey questionnaire designed by the author was utilised. The pre‐study was conducted in week 1, term 1, a second data collection occurred in week 8, term 2 at completion of PE programme and prior to school experience, the final questionnaire was completed in the final week of term 3. Focus interviews were conducted in term 3 with five volunteers. Estimated teaching competence was seen to increase in all six areas of the NCPE (p < 0.05), over the time series providing confirmation of the influence of the PGCE course. Interestingly, at the beginning of the PGC, 16% of students felt competent to teach gymnastics, 25% to teach OAA, 29% to teach dance, 37% to teach athletics and 48% to teach swimming and games. Students favoured the university course in preparing them to teach dance and gymnastics, and favoured prior experiences to teach OAA and swimming. All three factors, prior experiences, school experience and the university course were favoured equally in preparing students to teach games. Personal ability was found to be positively correlated to estimated teaching competence in each activity (p < 0.05). Interview data identified the influence of prior experiences on estimated teaching competence. The study confirmed the influence of the PGCE PE course on estimated ability to teach PE.
Technology linked with reduced physical activity (PA) in occupational work, home/domestic work, and travel and increased sedentary activities, especially television viewing, dominates the globe. Using detailed historical data on time allocation, occupational distributions, energy expenditures data by activity, and time-varying measures of metabolic equivalents of task (MET) for activities when available, we measure historical and current MET by four major PA domains (occupation, home production, travel and active leisure) and sedentary time among adults (>18 years). Trends by domain for the United States (1965-2009), the United Kingdom (1961-2005), Brazil (2002-2007), China (1991-2009) and India (2000-2005) are presented. We also project changes in energy expenditure by domain and sedentary time (excluding sleep and personal care) to 2020 and 2030 for each of these countries. The use of previously unexplored detailed time allocation and energy expenditures and other datasets represents a useful addition to our ability to document activity and inactivity globally, but highlights the need for concerted efforts to monitor PA in a consistent manner globally, increase global PA and decrease sedentary behavior. Given the potential impact on weight gain and other cardiometabolic health risks, the differential declines in MET of activity and increases in sedentary time across the globe represent a major threat to global health.
This study considers relationships among motor coordination (MC), physical fitness (PF) and physical activity (PA) in children followed longitudinally from 6 to 10 years. It is hypothesized that MC is a significant and primary predictor of PA in children. Subjects were 142 girls and 143 boys. Height, weight and skinfolds; PA (Godin-Shephard questionnaire); MC (Körperkoordination Test für Kinder); and PF (five fitness items) were measured. Hierarchical linear modeling with MC and PF as predictors of PA was used. The retained model indicated that PA at baseline differed significantly between boys (48.3 MET/week) and girls (40.0 MET/week). The interaction of MC and 1 mile run/walk had a positive influence on level of PA. The general trend for a decrease in PA level across years was attenuated or amplified depending on initial level of MC. The estimated rate of decline in PA was negligible for children with higher levels of MC at 6 years, but was augmented by 2.58 and 2.47 units each year, respectively, for children with low and average levels of initial MC. In conclusion MC is an important predictor of PA in children 6-10 years of age.
Circus is increasingly being used as a developmental and remedial activity for children. However, it is in the paradoxical nature of circus that it operates in a way both mysterious and easily accessible. This thesis proposes that circus as education is more effective when both teacher and student have a better understanding of circus as an art form.
To explain this I first introduce six 'elements' of childhood, whose absence often seems to result in an incomplete personal maturity. I then conduct a wide exploration of both the real and the imagined circus, showing how these elements occur or are evoked there, and I establish a correspondence or 'homology' between the two entities - childhood and circus. The discoveries shed light on the aesthetic code of circus itself, leading to the conclusion that circus works as an artform because its essential composition recalls profound experiences of childhood.
I argue that contemporary Western childhood presents unexpected hazards, mostly involving passivity and over-protection. In other parts of the world, and in some Western populations, childhood has other problems, linked to deprivation, exploitation and physical danger. In either case, a child involved in circus activities has a chance to make good some deficits, by experiencing constructive physical risk, aspiration, trust, fun, self-individuation and hard work. My hope is that this dissertation will contribute some strength to the case for well-designed programmes of circus activities for young people, in both formal and informal settings.
To describe and compare levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior in schoolchildren from 34 countries across 5 WHO Regions.
The analysis included 72,845 schoolchildren from 34 countries that participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) and conducted data collection between 2003 and 2007. The questionnaire included questions on overall physical activity, walking, or biking to school, and on time spent sitting.
Very few students engaged in sufficient physical activity. Across all countries, 23.8% of boys and 15.4% of girls met recommendations, with the lowest prevalence in Philippines and Zambia (both 8.8%) and the highest in India (37.5%). The prevalence of walking or riding a bicycle to school ranged from 18.6% in United Arab Emirates to 84.8% in China. In more than half of the countries, more than one third of the students spent 3 or more hours per day on sedentary activities, excluding the hours spent sitting at school and doing homework.
The great majority of students did not meet physical activity recommendations. Additionally, levels of sedentariness were high. These findings require immediate action, and efforts should be made worldwide to increase levels of physical activity among schoolchildren.
To describe physical activity levels of children (6-11 yr), adolescents (12-19 yr), and adults (20+ yr), using objective data obtained with accelerometers from a representative sample of the U.S. population.
These results were obtained from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES), a cross-sectional study of a complex, multistage probability sample of the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population in the United States. Data are described from 6329 participants who provided at least 1 d of accelerometer data and from 4867 participants who provided four or more days of accelerometer data.
Males are more physically active than females. Physical activity declines dramatically across age groups between childhood and adolescence and continues to decline with age. For example, 42% of children ages 6-11 yr obtain the recommended 60 min x d(-1) of physical activity, whereas only 8% of adolescents achieve this goal. Among adults, adherence to the recommendation to obtain 30 min x d(-1) of physical activity is less than 5%.
Objective and subjective measures of physical activity give qualitatively similar results regarding gender and age patterns of activity. However, adherence to physical activity recommendations according to accelerometer-measured activity is substantially lower than according to self-report. Great care must be taken when interpreting self-reported physical activity in clinical practice, public health program design and evaluation, and epidemiological research.
Children with better-developed motor skills may find it easier to be active and engage in more physical activity (PA) than those with less-developed motor skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between motor skill performance and PA in preschool children. Participants were 80 three- and 118 four-year-old children. The Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study (CHAMPS) Motor Skill Protocol was used to assess process characteristics of six locomotor and six object control skills; scores were categorized as locomotor, object control, and total. The actigraph accelerometer was used to measure PA; data were expressed as percent of time spent in sedentary, light, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and vigorous PA (VPA). Children in the highest tertile for total score spent significantly more time in MVPA (13.4% vs. 12.8% vs. 11.4%) and VPA (5% vs. 4.6% vs. 3.8%) than children in middle and lowest tertiles. Children in the highest tertile of locomotor scores spent significantly less time in sedentary activity than children in other tertiles and significantly more time in MVPA (13.4% vs. 11.6%) and VPA (4.9% vs. 3.8%) than children in the lowest tertile. There were no differences among tertiles for object control scores. Children with poorer motor skill performance were less active than children with better-developed motor skills. This relationship between motor skill performance and PA could be important to the health of children, particularly in obesity prevention. Clinicians should work with parents to monitor motor skills and to encourage children to engage in activities that promote motor skill performance.