IAPESGW Edmonton, Canada – 2005
The Concept of Physical Literacy and the development of a Sense of Self.
Margaret Whitehead

The paper looks back to the development of the concept of Physical Literacy with reference to its roots in Existentialist and Phenomenological thinking. Proposed solutions to questions raised in earlier papers will be addressed. Particular reference will be made to the challenging issues related to the universality of the concept and to the role of propositional knowledge in becoming physically literate. The main body of the paper will address the relationship between Physical Literacy and the development of a sense of self, including reference to concepts such as self-confidence, self-expression. The connection between developing a sense of self and achieving effective interpersonal relationships is then considered briefly. Finally the paper will look at the implications of identifying the prime goal of movement work in school/Physical Education as being the nurturing of physical literacy in all pupils. This will cover not only the content of the work but the teaching methods used and the climate of the lesson as created by the teacher.