Physical Literacy

Welcome to the Physical Literacy web site

Full Articles

Whitehead, M.E. Meaningful Existence, Embodiment and Physical Education - Journal of Philosophy of Education (1990)

Whitehead, M.E. The Concept of Physical Literacy - BJTPE (2001)

Whitehead, M.E. The Concept of Physical Literacy - EJPE (2001)

Whitehead, M.E. Physical Literacy - A Debate - Pre-Olympic Congress Thessaloniki (2004)

Mandigo, J. and Holt, N. Reading the Game: Introducing the notion of Games Literacy - PHE (2004) (PDF only)

Whitehead, M.E. Physical Literacy - A Developing Concept (2005)

Whitehead, M.E. Developing Physical Literacy - Roehampton (2005)

Whitehead, M.E. The Concept of Physical Literacy and the development of a sense of self - IAPESGW (2005)

Whitehead, M.E. Poster on Physical Literacy 2nd World Summit on Physical Education - Macolin (2005)

Haydn-Davies, D. How does the Concept of Physical Literacy affect what is and might be the practice of Physical Education? BJTPE (2005)

Whitehead, M.E. Developing the Concept of Physical Literacy. ICSSPE Newsletter Summer 2006

Whitehead, M.E. with Murdoch, E. Physical Literacy and Physical Education: Conceptual Mapping. PE Matters Summer 2006

Martin, A. Special PE: Physical Literacy in a Special School. PE Matters Vol. 1 No.3 Winter 2006

Whitehead, M.E. Physical Literacy and its importance to every individual - NDA (2007)

Whitehead, M.E. Squaring the circle - Women, Physical Literacy and Western Patriarchal Culture - BPSA (2007)

Whitehead, M. E. (2007) Physical Literacy as the goal of Physical Education with particular reference to girls and young women. Unpublished paper given at CAHPERD Conference May 2007

Maggie Killngbeck, Mark Bowler, Danny Golding and Paul Sammon. Physical Education and Physical Literacy

Whitehead, M. E. (2007) Physical Literacy: Philosophical considerations in relation to the development of self, universality and propositional knowledge. Sport Ethics and Philosophy Vol 1 No. 3 Dec 2007

British Journal Teaching of Physical Education - 2001

The Concept of Physical Literacy

Margaret Whitehead

Abstract

The paper introduces the concept of Physical Literacy and poses a series of questions in relation to the further development of the concept. These are:-

Firstly is the concept universal, or is it culturally grounded? Should we be trying to describe a physically literate individual in UK, or anywhere in the world?

Secondly is the concept age related? Should we refer to an end state achieved by an adult - whatever that means - or do we need to create a concept that can be unpacked at different stages of life - infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age?

Thirdly where do the physically challenged fit in- those with a physical and/or another disability?

And fourthly how far should we include, what could be called for short, dexterity? Should we confine ourselves to movement involving larger muscle groups - for want of a better description?

Read the full paper.