Feasibility of the Promoting Pupils' Physical Literacy (3PL) intervention: Does it work? Will it work?

ABSTRACTIn recent years, physical literacy (PL) has been the subject of increased publication, promotion, and speculation in physical education (PE). This research sought to understand how PE teachers interpret PL. We investigated teacher’s conceptualisations, understandings, practices, and ideas of ‘what’ PL stands for through a #Chat conversation with physical educators on Twitter. This generated qualitative data that were interpretively analysed. An ‘everyday philosophy’ of PL emerged from the physical educators’ relationship with the PL concept, alongside the notion that some use social media as a PL advocacy tool. A lack of sophistication was evident in the PE teachers understanding and operationalization of PL. We conclude that perhaps too much time and effort has been spent ‘adapting’ PL to national contexts, personal, and institutional agendas, rather than investing in the pedagogical and content knowledge of PE teachers to deliver on the concept of PL. We suggest that it is empirical research rather than academic opinionating that is needed to establish the validity of PL for PE.

While Physical Literacy has been highlighted as a determinant in health in recent study, there is a dearth of studies examining its effect on physical health, and there is a little in the way of empirical data linking Physical Literacy to health outcomes. Accordingly, further empirical research is needed to clarify the mechanisms by which Physical Literacy affects physical health. The purpose of this study was to verify the role of medical students' Physical Literacy on Health-related quality of life as well as to explore the chain mediating role of Physical Activity and Subjective Well-being in it. This study utilized a cross-sectional study design. The Physical Literacy, Health-related Quality of Life, Physical Activity ratings, and Subjective Well-being of students at Shanxi Medical University were all measured using an online survey administered in September 2023. A total of 1968 valid questionnaires were returned. First, descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed using SPSS software. Second, PROCESS was used to test the mediating role. Finally, we used structural equation modeling (Amos) to test the model fit. There is a significant correlation between all variables. After mediation effects analysis, we found that there were three indirect pathways of physical literacy on health-related quality of life: a single mediating effect of physical activity, a single mediating effect of subjective well-being, and a chained mediating effect of physical activity-subjective well-being. The mediating role of physical activity and subjective well-being on the relationship between physical literacy and health-related quality of life has been confirmed. Our research results support the integration of physical literacy into physical education teaching and the modification of curriculum content by physical education teachers as part of efforts to enhance students' physical activity levels, subjective well-being levels, and overall health. This study provides a new perspective for intervention in improving the health of medical students.

In an era where public health challenges are increasingly complex, the role of Physical Education (PE) extends far beyond the development of motor skills. This essential academic text repositions PE as a critical pedagogical space for fostering comprehensive health literacy. Moving from theory to practice, the book provides a robust framework for understanding how PE curricula, teacher roles, and strategic community partnerships can collaboratively empower individuals and communities to make informed health decisions. The journey begins with a crucial terminological clarification, distinguishing between often-conflated concepts like ‘physical education,’ physical literacy,’ and ‘health literacy.’ Subsequent chapters critically examine the unique possibilities inherent in the PE setting for developing health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The text meticulously outlines the evolving role of the PE teacher as a facilitator of health literacy and explores practical strategies for embedding these competencies into curriculum design. A significant focus is placed on the power of collaboration, offering models for designing joint school-community health initiatives and strategies to overcome common institutional barriers. This book is an indispensable resource for pre-service and in-service PE teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, and public health professionals committed to creating sustainable, impactful health literacy programs.

Background/Objectives: To address the inconsistent provision of specialist physical education (PE) in primary schools, this study investigated the comparative efficacy of distinct team teaching configurations. The objective was to compare these instructional models' impact on students' basic motor competencies (MC) and self-reported physical literacy (PL). Methods: This cluster-randomized trial involved N = 266 students (grades 1-4) in Slovakia, assigned to one of five instructional models (PE teacher; GT+PET; PET+AT; GT+C; and GT+AT). The five-month intervention included two 45 min PE lessons weekly. Given the cluster design and non-normal data, the Wilcoxon singed-rank test and Kruskal-Wallis H-test were applied to assess the differences, and Cohen's r was applied to determine effect size. Results: Comparative analysis showed no significant differences across teaching models for Self-Movement (p = 0.544), Object-Movement (p = 0.138), or PL (p = 0.219). Significant within-group MC gains were found in 4 teaching models, yet the practical effect size was generally weak to moderate (r ranging from 0.21 to 0.69). The strongest practical improvement was observed in the AT+PET Self-Movement group (r = 0.69). In contrast, the GT+PET configuration achieved no significant MC gain. For PL, only the AT+PET and GT+PET models showed significantly positive but moderate changes (r = 0.32 and 0.37). Conversely, the GT+C model resulted in a moderately significant decline in PL (Δ = -9.16, r = 0.43). A positive but practically weak correlation emerged between the MC subscales and PL (ρ ranging from 0.135 to 0.238, p < 0.05), with the highest limited association for Catching (ρ = 0.377, p < 0.01). The frequency of organized out-of-school physical activity was positively correlated with MC subscales (ρ = 0.195-0.282, p < 0.01) but not significantly correlated with PL. Conclusions: No single teaching model proved superior for improving overall motor competence or self-perceived physical literacy. While most effective configurations yielded moderate practical gains, the GT+C model presents a key paradox: while effective for objective skills, it proved detrimental to self-perceived physical literacy. These findings lead to explicit policy and implementation recommendations focused on strengthening collaborative instruction. Policymakers should consider strategies to support the integration of specialist PE teachers (PETs), such as establishing co-teaching as a recommended practice and allocating dedicated resources for funding and collaborative planning time to leverage the specialized knowledge they bring. Furthermore, schools are encouraged to focus on the effective implementation of PET-involved team teaching approaches (e.g., AT+PET and GT+PET). These models are not only effective but also support the co-professionalization of the generalist teacher, which is essential for ensuring that high-quality, evidence-based PE practices are consistently embedded.

This study examines the role of workplace professional development in enhancing the instructional effectiveness of physical and health education teachers and its subsequent impact on student physical literacy, particularly during the transition to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP). The research aimed to assess how targeted professional learning initiatives influence teaching performance and foster physical literacy among students. Data were collected from a sample of three physical and health education teachers and 128 MYP Year 1 students, selected from a total population of 391 students across MYP Years 1–4. Quantitative analysis revealed a statistically significant improvement in students’ physical literacy after one academic year, with notable differences between Unit 1 and Unit 2 test scores (M = -3.625, SD = 3.76473, t(127) = -10.894, p &lt; .000). Improvements included increased physical fitness, enhanced self-confidence, and a deeper understanding of healthy lifestyle practices. The findings provide evidence that comprehensive, context-specific professional development can significantly improve teaching quality and positively influence student outcomes in physical education. The study recommends fostering a collaborative school culture that supports ongoing communication and professional growth tailored to educators’ needs. The results of this current study will contribute a useful framework for fair and scalable professional development, giving teachers, school leaders, and policymakers who want to improve teaching quality in difficult situations useful information.

Prevalence of physical inactivity in children and adolescents and the associated epidemic of obesity are increasing concerns. U.S. national health statistics indicate early adolescence (i.e., 10-14 years) appears to be a period of importance regarding physical activity, sedentary behavior, health-related physical fitness, and obesity trends. Considering a significant portion of their waking hours are spent in school, it is widely held that schools' should play a significant role in increasing students' physical activity and health-related physical fitness. To do this, physical education in schools focus on providing quality physical education programs that produce physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of health-producing physical activity. In effect, a call for developing a comprehensive and valid measure of physical literacy has been aptly expressed. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation was to test the psychometric properties of proposed models of physical literacy, examine correlates of the physical literacy factor, and investigate the significance of the relationship between physical literacy and interscholastic sport intention via structural equation modeling. Participants were 400 (231 female, 169 male) sixth-grade physical education students who completed three brief surveys assessing maturation, self-efficacy, self-esteem, knowledge and understanding, motivation, physical activity and sport participation, and interscholastic sport intention. In addition, students completed a sedentary behavior log, a health-related physical fitness assessment, and an overhand throwing skill assessment. Analyses offered overall support for the proposed physical literacy measurement models. Results also supported positive relationship Physical literacy was statistically significantly positively related physical activity and sport team participation, and significantly negatively related and screen-time sedentary behavior. Results also supported a positive path between physical literacy and interscholastic sport intention. The implications of promoting physical literacy within physical education are discussed in light of the three higher-order underlying factors of physical literacy.

Background: Physical education (PE) can be considered the centrepiece of school physical literacy (PL) programs, but ineffective lessons or an absence of PE across the public primary school system has raised concern. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation, acceptability and impact of teacher delivery of PE as part of a multicomponent Physical Education Physical Literacy (PEPL) approach, designed to improve classroom teachers’ provision of PE and PL opportunities within a cluster of suburban primary schools. Method: Within a pragmatic randomised cluster-based trial with mixed methods, a PEPL coach was appointed to seven schools for one school year, with another seven schools continuing their usual practice as the control group. The coach’s role was to support and professionally develop classroom teachers to teach PE and to create opportunities that develop PL inside and outside the school environment. Focusing on Grade 5 teachers, the implementation, acceptability and teacher impact were assessed using direct observations of PE teaching style, a daily log kept by the coach and interviews with principals and teachers. Results: The PEPL coach visited each school on average once a week for the 33 available weeks of the school year. There were several positive effects for teachers and schools. With no classroom teacher initially taking PE or classroom physical activity breaks, all seven teachers regularly introduced a PE lesson and activity breaks into their weekly schedule. PE class instructional time increased (intervention; +4.8 vs. control; −3.5 min/lesson; β = 1.69; SE = 0.76; p = .05), with lessons of greater duration (intervention; +8.6 vs. control +1.9 min/lesson; β = 1.14, SE = 0.58, p = .05) and moderate and vigorous physical activity increased 5.7 min in intervention classes (p < .05). The PEPL coach introduced regular physical activities before and after school and linked the schools with a national sports coaching scheme. Interviews indicated that the PEPL approach was both valued and well-accepted by staff, that classroom teacher confidence to teach PE increased and that principals perceived a shift toward a school ‘culture’ of physical activity. Conclusions: Well-received by classroom teachers and principals, the PEPL approach resulted in classroom teachers introducing both PE and activity breaks into their weekly teaching program and schools were linked to external sport coaching programs. These effects suggest that the PEPL approach enhanced opportunities for the development of physical literacy in this suburban primary school setting. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12615000066583.

Physical Education, Exercise, Fitness and Sports: Early PM&R Leaders Build a Strong Foundation

Over the last decade, academics, professionals, and politicians have become increasingly interested in the assessment of children’s and adolescents' physical literacy in physical education. Physical literacy has been measured and quantified as a multidimensional term comprising behavioral, psychological, and physical components. The majority of this research was conducted on children and adolescents in educational settings, emphasizing the importance of this age group in establishing the foundations of physical literacy, which will influence lifetime physical activity, health, and well-being. Since there are no studies in the population of Lithuanian primary school students, evaluating children's physical literacy or the validity and reliability of individual physical literacy assessment instruments, the current overview may be useful in guiding the development of future research in this area in our country.&#x0D; The objective of this study is to review the assessment of physical literacy in primary school children from a theoretical standpoint.&#x0D; Methods: analysis of scientific literature and assessment instruments for physical literacy.&#x0D; Conclusions:1. There is no consensus on the assessment of children's physical literacy. Representatives of the idealistic approach suggest using subjective, qualitative, and interpretive methods to monitor a student’s progress on their individual path to physical literacy. Supporters of the pragmatic approach view physical literacy as the result of practical activities that must be measured and assessed using instruments to evaluate fundamental movement skills, physical fitness, motivation, etc.&#x0D; &#x0D; Physical literacy in primary school students could be assessed across four domains: affective, behavioral, cognitive, and physical. The affective part of the assessment tools for elementary school children is indicated by the child's motivation and self-confidence. The behavioral part is reflected by the child's objective physical activity, subjective physical activity, variety and frequency of physical activities, and participation in physical activities in different places and at different times of the year. The cognitive part is shown by the child's knowledge of physical activity and the benefits of taking part in physical activities, as well as by the child's understanding of how to plan and carry out physical activities. The physical part is demonstrated by physical fitness, movement skills, and self-perceived competence.&#x0D; &#x0D; Keywords: physical literacy, primary school students, assessment.

Research has shown that physical activity (PA) is important for health throughout the lifespan. Therefore, it is important that children develop the individual prerequisites that enable participation in PA throughout life. The theoretical concept physical literacy (PL) and the research field of PL has described such personal competences and traits. However, to promote PL among children and lifelong PA, there is a demand for more high-quality interventions to be developed and tested. When targeting children, schools are an important setting. Despite the possibility of promoting PL during PE lessons, few well-tested interventions have been developed. In this study, we therefore aim to context adapt and feasibility test an already existing and promising PL intervention to a Danish school context. The ADAPT and MRC guidelines were followed to adapt the Promoting Pupils Physical Literacy (3PL) intervention. Through workshops with stakeholders, the intervention was adapted to fit Danish 4th and 5th graders. Four Danish schools were recruited in a wait list design. The feasibility and acceptability of both the intervention and the effect study design will be investigated. To investigate the intervention, weekly questionnaires, observations, and interviews will be conducted during the intervention period. The feasibility of the effect study design will be investigated by collecting baseline and endline data on pupils’ PL and daily PA as well as parents’ socioeconomic status. Expected outcomes include a TIDieR checklist, a revised, feasible, and acceptable intervention, and an effect study design protocol. This will contribute to important steps in the direction of making PL interventions more accessible for practice. Valid testing of intervention effectiveness enables stakeholders to make informed decisions grounded in evidence. This will strengthen the possibilities of a successful outcome and for a PL intervention that is more accessible for practice, which is important for scale up.

Physical literacy, as embodied within physical education, has been vaunted as having increasing importance as a disposition for students of all abilities to establish lifelong adherence to physical activity. Physical education is a school curricular subject that supports the development of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for participating in active and healthy lifestyle. Physical literacy has become a hot topic in the field of physical education in schools in recent years. With the promulgation of "the Development of Core literacy of Chinese Students", the cultivation of Core literacy of Discipline becomes an important direction of deepening curriculum reform in China. The core literacy of physical education and health disciplines plays an important role in promoting students' core literacy. In order to cultivate the core literacy of physical education, we should make good use of every physical education class and reform the traditional physical education teaching model. The Chinese Health Physical Education Curriculum Model has its unique teaching characteristics, and it has positive effects on all dimensions of the core literacy of physical education and health discipline. This study used the Chinese Health Physical Education Curriculum Model to explore how the teaching characteristics of the model are used in physical education and what evidence is currently available to validate this view. This study uses an explorative literature overview with an inductive approach, comparative analysis, and significant themes in published peer reviewed articles, with a focus on physical literacy and physical education, and mathematical statistics method are also used in this study. The results show that the Chinese Physical Education Curriculum Model has an indirect effect on athletic ability, healthy behavior, and sports morality. Through structured exercises and 10 minutes of physical fitness, students' physical activity participation was improved, students' physical and mental health was enhanced, and students' core literacy of physical education and health discipline was promoted. Through the research and discussion on sports ability, healthy behavior and sports morality, this study provides partial support for Chinese healthy physical education curriculum model in promoting the core literacy of physical education disciplines, and provides an important reference for further promoting the development of core literacy of physical education and health disciplines in China.

The study determined the predictive influence of PE teachers’ teaching competencies on students’ physical literacy. The measure of the PE teachers’ competencies was based on the TPACK framework. It has the following sub-variables: technological, content, pedagogical, technological content, technological pedagogical, and technological pedagogical and content competencies. On the other hand, student physical literacy was measured as the combination of motivation, knowledge, and physical competence. The survey showed that PE teachers’ have poor teaching competencies, and the students have poor physical literacy. Using multiple linear regression analysis, the researcher was able to establish the predictive influence of teaching competencies on student’ physical literacy. The result of the study has implications on the promotion of physical literacy among students. PE teachers’ teaching competencies must be a part of the conversation about students’ physical literacy. The schools must recognize the need to address the poor state of PE teachers’ competencies if they wish to bolster the promotion of physical literacy among students.

Background: A plethora of new terms and digital pedagogies have been making recent headlines in higher education with the promise, or threat, that digital technology will revolutionise the way in which universities operate. Blended learning is part of this digital revolution and institutions of higher education worldwide are increasingly adopting it as a new mode of delivery. The exposure of blended learning as central to mainstream higher education has been heightened exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose: Challenged by the argument around the concept of ‘blended’ being ill defined, and also given the lack of practical ‘blended’ experiences in physical education teacher education (PETE), this paper aims to explore physical education teacher educators’ and pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) enactment and experiences of an integrated approach to blended learning. Method: Three physical education teacher educators and two classes of physical education PSTs participated. The integrated blended approach was designed through a block structure which allowed intended outcomes, teaching and learning activities and assessment tasks to be aligned and interconnected. Data collection occurred over two academic years for the same three physical education teacher educators and two different cohorts of PSTs. Focus groups interviews were conducted with the three teacher educators and a voluntary sample of PSTs. PSTs’ learning blogs were also analysed. Results: Findings were presented in three categories: Development of strong building blocks; Blended learning ‘releases the teaching and learning from the grips of the lecturer’; and Assessment in a blended (and non-blended) environment. We attempted to go beyond the binary humanist assumption about blended learning by designing an integrated approach with a clear but flexible structure. That is, with an organic alignment and purposeful integration of all its instructional components. Conclusions: When introducing blended learning in a (physical education) teacher education programme, we suggest designing an aligned and integrated approach structured in blocks, where all instructional components are interconnected and informing each other, enhancing prior knowledge. Given the growing role of digital technology for teaching and learning in educational policies and new PETE curricula, we advocate for the publication of more research-based experiences on blended learning in PETE programmes that might be replicated in other PETE programmes. This would encourage colleagues to explore the implications of digital technology and learn from other PETE contexts and also the sustainability of digital technology as an established mode of delivery.

There is an assumption that fostering PL in young students can enhance performance and achievement in other areas of the curriculum. However, evidence supporting this relationship is missing. The purposes of this study were to verify whether physical literacy (PL) is correlated with academic achievement (AA) in adolescent students and whether PL predicts AA across time. A cohort study was conducted with 122 adolescents. Participants were assessed at baseline and 5 months later. PL was determined in terms of psychomotor domain (motor competence, physical activity level, musculoskeletal fitness and body composition). AA was measured at both time points and determined using writing, reading and math scores in standardized tests. Pearson correlations and regression analysis between PL and AA were performed. No significant correlations were found between PL and AA. Regression analysis revealed that PL did not predict AA across time. This study indicates that PL does not predict AA in adolescent students across time. Regardless, we encourage the promotion of PL in physical education classes and educational settings due its importance for general development of children and adolescents, including aspects of health and behaviour.

The rapid development of social media has led to its increased use by children and adolescents for health and well-being purposes. Accordingly, social interactions resulting from social media use can be further integrated into physical and health education pedagogy. Given the relationship between increased physical literacy and positive health outcomes, best practices and lessons learned from social media use in the healthcare industry should be adopted by health and physical educators practicing in schools. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to comment on several practical and ethical challenges and opportunities associated with using social media to improve physical literacy among youth. Specifically, two of the most prominent issues are discussed in depth: (1) integration of social media in physical education settings that educate children and adolescents about the biopsychosocial effects of physical activity, and (2) use of wearable technologies among youth to accrue experiences that enhance physical literacy competencies. In our opinion, health and physical educators who utilize the ALL-ENGAGE Playbook described in this commentary will successfully reach, engage, and impact students with popular social media that adequately promotes physical literacy, including through experiential use of wearable technologies.