Physical Literacy

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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 Unpublished paper given at CAHPERD Conference May 2007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

Physical Literacy

Philosophical considerations in relation to developing a sense of self, universality and propositional knowledge.

Margaret Whitehead PhD

University of Bedfordshire England

Abstract

This paper opens with a presentation of the philosophical underpinning and rationale of the concept of physical literacy. This is followed by a presentation of the concept of physical literacy. Three sections then consider aspects of the concept in a little more detail. The first investigates the relationship of the physical literacy to the development of a sense of self and to establishing interaction with others. Here the philosophical approach is informed by writings on cognitive development and recent neurological insights. The second considers the universality of the concept and looks briefly at the views of existentialists and of contemporary sociologists. The third section addresses the place of propositional knowledge in being physically literate. The implications of objectifying the body in descriptive language are weighed against the fact that verbally expressed understanding and knowledge are an integral part of western culture. The debate presented is one of a series that has, over the last five years, mapped the author’s work on developing the concept of physical literacy. The aspects chosen to be discussed here are three that have generated considerable interest and debate. In conclusion there is a short reflection on the implications of the views discussed to education and physical education.

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