Abstract
Childhood obesity and early onset of chronic disease are growing problems among Canadian youth (WHO, 2013). Recently, physical literacy (Whitehead, 1987, 1993) has gained attention as a vehicle through which to introduce the foundations of healthy physical activity patterns. Current conceptualizations of physical literacy relate to “competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person” (PHE Canada, 2013). Given many school-based physical education (PE) programs are failing to facilitate minimum physical activity engagement among children and youth (Stone et al., 2012), there is a push towards the promotion of physical literacy during compulsory education (Whitehead & Murdoch, 2006). While PE curricula are often pinpointed as the centre of poor programming (Tinning, 1990), little research has focused on understanding the learning that occurs within teacher training programs. This study explored new PE teachers’ perceptions of physical literacy and it’s implementation into current classroom practice. Data was collected from 10 new teacher through the use of a semi-structured interview guide. Preliminary findings suggest participants valued the concept of physical literacy, but had limited understanding as to how to implement or evaluate physical literacy in the classroom, or broader contexts. Further, participants experienced disconnect between the provision of resources, their training in physical and health education, and the ever-evolving health and physical education curricular landscape. Practical implications and directions for further research will be discussed.
