A Conceptual Framework for Physical Literacy

During the summer I read the Aspen’s Reviews, the Australian Physical Literacy and Sport Review and the UDSA Physical Literacy Plan. The one-dimensional and narrow perspective that they attribute to Physical Literacy has become simply “old wine in a new bottle”. As a consequence I have created a conceptual framework for Physical Literacy as a guide to articulating what needs to be considered when generating a framework to stimulate informed practice. The following components of Physical Literacy are outlined in more detail in the attached pdf.

  1. Development of Personhood

It is important for young people and adults that they can construct ideas for themselves about what they would like their lives to be, what they can aspire to be and what they would like to achieve (there are matters of significance for them). In order to achieve this, a sense of autonomy and agency are important so that they can be the authors of their own life plan.

  1. A Person’s Movement Capability
  • Vitality, vigour and dynamism
  • Expressive and aesthetic qualities
  • Competence potential
  • Resource for living well
  1. Cultural richness and its association with enhancing the quality of lives through engaging in purposeful physical pursuits and learning to value them as an integral part of one’s life. They have the potential to enrich lives in many ways and make a significant contribution to enabling people to lead a satisfying life.

By using the term purposeful physical pursuits, I am saying that physical activity cannot be the central focus of Physical Literacy. It is a purposeful pursuit (of a certain kind of which there are many variations and possibilities with rich potential) that provides enrichment, meaning and generates motivation.

  1. Personal Wellbeing.
  1. The embodied nature of Physical Literacy means that this capability operates in concert with other capabilities associated with developing personal qualities and promoting Inner resources

For further information please see the attached PDF below:

A Conceptual Framework for Physical Literacy - A personal perspective [PDF] (522 downloads )