Primary School Teachers? Perceptions of Physical Literacy Assessment: A Mixed-Methods Study

Purpose: Teachers are important stakeholders in supporting children's physical literacy (PL), yet teachers' perception of PL assessment is underexplored. Method: Utilizing a mixed-methods design, 122 primary school teachers (of children aged 5-12 years) in Australia completed an online survey, followed by nine interviews. Results: Teachers who favored assessment (58%) tended to report assessing PL in children (chi 2[1, N = 110] = 7.025, p = .008). Those who reported assessing PL (also 58%) were more confident to do so (chi 2[2, N = 109] =10.540, p = .005). Teachers considered movement skills, engagement and enjoyment, relationships, and safety and risk as the most important elements for assessing PL. Qualitative data showed nonsupport for PL assessment stemmed from skepticism regarding relevance of assessment, appropriateness of assessment, and views that the curriculum and PL framework were implicitly linked. Conclusion: Professional development, resources, and suitable PL teacher assessments can upskill teachers' knowledge, confidence, and reduce barriers in implementing PL assessments.

Automated summary

The study explores the perceptions of Australian primary school teachers on assessing children's physical literacy (PL) through a mixed-methods design. The results indicate that a majority of teachers support PL assessment and consider movement skills, engagement and enjoyment, relationships, and safety and risk as the most important assessment elements. However, some teachers express skepticism towards PL assessment due to doubts about its relevance and appropriateness, as well as the perceived implicit link between the curriculum and PL framework. The study suggests that professional development, resources, and suitable teacher assessments can enhance teachers' knowledge, confidence, and facilitate the implementation of PL assessments.