Search

Background: Although physical literacy is explicitly defined and integrated into Canadian provincial physical education curricula, limited empirical evidence substantiates the development of physical literacy in elementary physical education. Despite physical education curricular expectations, developing and assessing physical literacy in students may be difficult for teachers with little to no background in physical literacy or physical education. Purpose: The primary purpose was to explore the effect of a curricularly linked physical literacy enriched intervention in elementary school physical education. A secondary purpose involved an examination of the intervention's effects on sex differences. Design: A quasi-experimental controlled intervention trial with a matched comparison group was used to determine the impact of a curricular-based physical literacy enriched physical education intervention on students' development of physical literacy. Teachers (n = 6) and students (n = 131) from four Saskatchewan elementary schools participated in either a PLitPE (experimental) condition or a usual practice (control) condition. The PLitPE intervention was created using learning principles consistent with physical literacy and Self-Determination Theory. PLitPE instructional elements were developed with input from thirteen teachers who were members of the local school division's physical education professional learning community. An embedded professional development model was used where a mentor teacher was present to facilitate and support the implementation of the PLitPE intervention. The Physical Literacy Assessment for Youth tools were used to assess motor competence (PLAYfun), student self-description (PLAYself), and movement participation (PLAYinventory). Each domain of physical literacy (physical competence, psychological, and behavioural) was evaluated using these tools. Results: Significant differences, favouring PLitPE over control, were observed for average motor competence (M = 49.4, M = 40.0, p < 0.001, PLAYfun), movement vocabulary (M = 10.3, M = 7.5, p < 0.001, PLAYfun), environmental participation (M = 423.9, M = 390.1, p < 0.05, PLAYself), and a reduction of sex differences on average motor competence and movement vocabulary. Statistically significant relationships with low to fair correlations between PLAYfun and PLAYself variables existed. Conclusions: This study provides empirical evidence supporting physical literacy enriched physical education. PLitPE developed the psychological domain (affective and cognitive) and significantly improved physical competence, however, the intervention did not manifest in improved behaviour. Concerning sex differences, the intervention yielded an equal and substantive improvement in both males and females in the intervention group. Future studies should consider the addition of reflective approaches, as well as the construction of positive challenges for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to examine the pedagogical practices that encourage students with severe disabilities' participation in an elementary physical education program through the lens of ableism. Focus group interviews were conducted with elementary students and semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight educators in the school. Field notes were conducted and documents, including the lesson plan and journal entries were collected. Findings reveal the teacher's intentional instructional practices fostered students' engagement with peers and classroom activities. The results of this research augment the literature describing teachers' orientations and pedagogical innovation that serve the needs of students with disabilities within general physical education settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of cognitively challenging physical activity games on students' executive functions and situational interest in physical education. Participants were 144 fourth- and fifth-grade students (75 boys, 69 girls) from four elementary schools. A four-group, repeated measures, cross-over quasi-experimental design was used in this acute experiment including a physical education session. One fourth- and one fifth-grade class from each school were randomly assigned to Group 1 with cognitively challenging physical activity games, Group 2 with a session for teaching soccer skills, Group 3 with a session for teaching track and field skills, and Group 4 (waiting-list control group) with cognitively challenging physical activity games after the post-test. Pre- and post-test measures for executive functions and a post-test measure for situational interest were included. Group 1 students, who were involved in cognitively challenging physical activity games, improved their scores in the executive functions more than students who participated in the sessions with soccer or track and field skills and waiting-list control group students. The positive effects on students' executive functions were replicated when the cognitively challenging physical activity games session was implemented in the waiting-list control group. Some improvements on executive functions for students who participated in the soccer skills session were found. Students who played the cognitively challenging physical activity games reported higher scores on novelty compared to students in the soccer or track and field groups. These results support the effectiveness of the cognitive challenging physical activity games for triggering students' executive functions in physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a tactical games model instructional plan on game-play volleyball performances of elementary school students, taking into account their skill level. In total, 39 fourth-grade students (average age: 8.9 years) participated in a 13-week unit, in which each lesson exaggerated the use of small-sided games. In-game performances were assessed via the Team Sport Assessment Procedure, while students played a 10-minute modified game (four versus four). Data were collected pre- and post-intervention, and after the summer vacation (retention test). A 2 (skill level) × 3 (time) analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to compare students' performance, and the relevant effects were interpreted mainly by means of confidence intervals and effect size measures. At the end of the instructional period, all participants had an overall moderate to large improvement, and this global improvement seems to have remained at least until the end of the summer vacation. Lower-skilled students attained a larger and more established improvement than high-skilled students did. However, some detrimental effects on in-game students' performance existed at the end of the instructional period. Therefore, teachers have to take into account students' skill levels when designing their lessons because, if small-sided games are adequately considered and managed, students' learning processes can be enhanced. Furthermore, the students should be assigned appropriate learning activities to avoid summer learning loss in physical education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationships between student emotions in elementary physical education (PE) and their self-reported personal and social behaviors. Additionally, self-reported emotion and personal and social behavior differences were tested between students receiving a traditional multiactivity and games PE curriculum and those experiencing a Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model curriculum. Participants were 2nd and 3rd grade students (n =222) from two schools in the United States. Both schools had similar student demographics, school needs, and community characteristics. For secondary comparison analysis, school one (n =87) served as the comparative school receiving a traditional multiactivity curriculum and school two (n =135) received the TPSR model. Results showed that enjoyment and anger were predictors of students' behavioral engagement. Findings also disclosed a significant positive effect for enjoyment, perceived responsibility, and behavioral engagement favoring the TPSR group. The TPSR model may be positively associated with elementary students' beliefs about responsible behaviors, student enjoyment, and training students in positive ways to deal with anger. Overall, investigating the relationship between students' emotions and their personal and social development, as it relates to PE, may provide intervention to reduce some negative experiences students report in these environments. Likewise, positive emotional experiences may increase in-class engagement and the adoption of adaptive personal and social responsibilities within PE and potentially into other areas in and out of school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]