Skip to content
e‑ISSN 2148-905X Open Access · CC BY 4.0
Vol. 12 · Issue 2 · 2025 Aug 31, 2025 Research Article

Examining the Physical Literacy Levels of Pre-Service Teachers

MY
Mehmet Yanik Corresponding Balikesir University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Balikesir, Türkiye mehmettyanik@gmail.com Turkey
Pages227-238 PublishedAug 31, 2025 LicenseOpen Access
PDF
VOL 12 · ISS 2 · 2025 Sportive Perspective: Journal of Sports and Educational Sciences View issue

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the physical literacy levels of pre-service teachers. A total of 333 pre-service teachers participated in the study. Personal information form and the “Perceived Physical Literacy Scale” adapted into Turkish by Munusturlar and Yıldızer (2020) were used as data collection tools. The collected data were analyzed with the SPSS using t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyses to examine independent groups, taking into account the skewness and kurtosis criterion (±1.5). According to the findings of the research, significant differences were found in the levels of physical literacy on demographic and other variables except for the gender variable. As a result of the research, while there was no significant difference between physical literacy and gender, there was a significant difference in favor of physical education and sports and basic education majors and those who do regular physical activity according to the department. In addition, it was seen that the increase in grade level also significantly affected the result. Based on these results, it is thought that there may be an increase in pre-service teachers' perceptions of physical literacy when they engage in in-school or out-of-school physical activity.

Keywords

#Physical activity #physical literacy #pre-service teachers #teacher training programs

References

  1. Aşkar, P., &Altun. A. (2023). K-12 beceriler çerçevesi: Türkiye bütüncül modeli üzerine bir çalışma. Milli Eğitim Dergisi. 52(1). 925-940. https://doi.org/10.37669/milliegitim.1308740
  2. Balcı, S., & Ahi, B. (2017). SPSS kullanma kılavuzu SPSS ile adım adım veri analizi. Anı Yayıncılık.
  3. Balyi, I., Way, R., & Higgs, C. (2013). Long-term athlete development. Human Kinetics.
  4. Bailey, R. (2021). Defining physical literacy: making sense of a promiscuous concept. Sport in Society. 25(1). 163-180. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2020.1777104
  5. Castelli, D. M., Centeio, E. E., Beighle, A. E., Carson, R. L. & Nicksic, H. M. (2014). Physical literacy and comprehensive school physical activity programs. Preventive Medicine. 66. 95-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.06.007
  6. Caldwell, H., Di Cristofaro, N., Cairney, J., Bray, S., MacDonald, M., & Timmons, B. (2020). Physical Literacy. Physical Activity. and Health Indicators in School-Age Children. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 53-67. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17155367
  7. Çalı, O. (2024). Okul sporlarına katılan ortaokul öğrencilerinin bedensel okuryazarlık düzeyleri. Göbeklitepe Eğitim ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi. 3(2). 111-122. https://doi.org/10.70631/gesd.1548664
  8. Cengiz, C. (2023). An examination of physical literacy of high school students. International Journal of Education. 11(2). 83-91.
  9. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
  10. Cothran, D. J., Kulinna, P. H., & Garn, A. C. (2010). Classroom teachers and physical activity integration. Teaching and Teacher Education. 26(7). 1381-1388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.04.003
  11. Durden-Myers, E., & Bartle, G. (2023). Physical-literacy-enriched physical education: a capabilities perspective. Children. 10(9). 1503. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10091503
  12. Essiet, I. A., Warner. E., Lander, N. J., Salmon, J., Duncan, M. J., Eyre, E. L., & Barnett, L. M. (2022). Exploring Australian teachers’ perceptions of physical literacy: a mixed-methods study. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2022.2028760
  13. Edwards., L. C., Bryant, A. S., Keegan, R. J., Morgan. K., & Jones, A. M. (2017). Definitions. Foundations and associations of physical literacy: a systematic review. Sports medicine. 47. 113-126.
  14. Edwards, L. C., Bryant, A. S., Morgan, K., Cooper, S. M., Jones, A. M., & Keegan, R. J. (2019). A professional development program to enhance primary school teachers’ knowledge and operationalization of physical literacy. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 38(2). 126-135.
  15. Emadirad, E., Temple, B.W., Field, S.C., Naylor, P.J., & Temple, V.A. (2021). Motor Skills and Participation in Middle Childhood: A Direct Path for Boys. a Mediated Path for Girls. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 18(3). 318-324. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2020-0296
  16. Flemons, M., Diffey, F., & Cunliffe, D. (2018). The role of PETE in developing and sustaining physical literacy informed practitioners. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 37(3), 299-307. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2018-0128
  17. Gallahue, D. L., Ozmun, J. C., & Goodway, J. (2014). Motor gelişimi anlamak: Bebekler, çocuklar, ergenler, yetişkinler. (çev.ed. Özer. D. S. ve Aktop. A.). Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık. Nobel.
  18. Gu, X., Tamplain, P. M., Chen, W., Zhang, T., Keller, M. J., & Wang, J. (2021). A mediation analysis of the association between fundamental motor skills and physical activity during middle childhood. Children, 8(2), 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8020064
  19. Haerens, L., Kirk, D., Cardon, G., & Bourdeauhuji, I. (2010). The development of a pedagogical model for Health-Based Physical Education. Quest.
  20. Harvey, S., & Pill, S. (2019). Exploring physical education teachers ‘everyday understandings’ of physical literacy. Sport. Education and Society. 24(8). 841-854. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2018.1491002
  21. Haywood, K. M., & Getchell, N. (2009) Lifespan Motor Development (5th Ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics
  22. Iğdır, E. C., Çakır, T., Cantürk, A., & Pekel, A. O. (2024). Erken ergenlik dönemindeki bireylerin bedensel okuryazarlık ve benlik algısı düzeylerinin karşılaştırılması. Herkes için Spor ve Rekreasyon Dergisi, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.56639/jsar.1437479
  23. Karasar, N. (2018). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi (Otuz üçüncü basım). Ankara: Nobel Yayıncılık.
  24. Longmuir, P. E., Boyer, C., Lloyd, M., Yang, Y., Boiarskaia, E., Zhu, W., & Tremblay, M. S. (2015). The Canadian assessment of physical literacy: methods for children in grades 4 to 6 (8 to 12 years). BMC Public Health, 15, 1-11.
  25. Lubans, D. R., Morgan, P. J., Cliff, D. P., Barnett, L. M., & Okely, A. D. (2010). Fundamental movement skills in children and adolescents: a review of associated health benefits. Sports Medicine, 40, 1019-1035.
  26. Munusturlar, S., & Yıldızer, G. (2020). Beden eğitimi öğretmenleri için algılanan beden okuryazarlığı ölçeği’nin faktör yapısının Türkiye örneklemine yönelik sınanması. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. 35(1). 200-209
  27. MEB (Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı). (2018). Beden eğitimi ve spor dersi öğretim programı (Ortaokul 5.6.7 ve 8. sınıflar) Milli Eğitim Basımevi. Ankara.
  28. MEB (Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı).(2025). Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli. Erişim 10 Şubat 2025. https://tymm.meb.gov.tr/
  29. Moss, S., Lind, E., Ferkel, R., McGinnis, P., & True, L. (2020). Relationships among actual motor competence, perceived motor competence, and health-related fitness in college-aged males. Sports, 8(12), 158. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports8120158
  30. Pierce, Charles A., Richard A. Block & Herman Aguinis (2004). Cautionary note on reporting eta-squared evolves from multifactor ANOVA designs. Educational and Psychological Measurements, 64 (6): 916-924.
  31. Ramsland, K. (1998). Öğrenme sanatı (çev. İ. Şener. S. Şenol). İstanbul: Beyaz Yayınları
  32. Robinson, D. B., Randall, L., & Barrett, J. (2018). Physical literacy (mis) understandings: What do leading physical education teachers know about physical literacy? Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 37(3), 288-298. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2018-0135
  33. Sivri, M., & Yılmaz, A. (2023). Beden eğitimi öğretmenlerinin öz yeterlik inançları. pedagojik bilgi ve becerileri ile bedensel okuryazarlıkları arasındaki ilişki. Bayburt Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi. 18(40). 1386-1422. https://doi.org/10.35675/befdergi.1276392
  34. Sum, R. K. W., Ha, A. S. C., Cheng, C. F., Chung, P. K., Yiu, K. T. C., Kuo, C. C., ... & Wang, F. J. (2016). Construction and validation of a perceived physical literacy instrument for physical education teachers. PloS one, 11(5), e0155610. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0155610
  35. Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2013). Multivariate analysis of variance and covariance. Using multivariate statistics. Boston: Allyn and Bacon
  36. Taş, H., & Hürmeriç Altunsöz, I. (2021). Evaluation of Physical Literacy in Secondary School Students. Education and Science, 46(208), 475-491. https://doi.org/10.15390/EB.2021.9907
  37. World Health Organization (2020). Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour; Geneva. Switzerland: World Health Organization
  38. World Health Organization (2025, April 24). Obesity and overweight. https://www.who.int/news-room/factsheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
  39. Whitehead, M. (2010). Physical literacy: Throughout the life course. Routledge
  40. Yapar, A., & Akıncı, Y. (2023). Investigation of university students' perceived physical literacy according to selected demographic variables. Mediterranean Journal of Sport Science. 6(1-Cumhuriyet'in 100. Yılı Özel Sayısı). 505-519. https://doi.org/10.38021/asbid.1351356
  41. Yıldızer, G., & Munusturlar, S. (2021). Differences in perceived physical literacy between teachers delivering physical education in schools: classroom teachers vs physical education teachers. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 27(6), 626–639. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2021.1932784
  42. Zhang, Z. H., & Li, H. J. (2022). Development of a physical literacy assessment model for adults in China: a modified Delphi study. Public Health. 210. 74-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2022.06.017

License

CCBY 4.0
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

This work is openly licensed — share and adapt freely with attribution to the authors and the journal. View license terms ↗

Copyright (c) 2025 Sportif Bakış: Spor ve Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi

§ 06 — Related

Similar articles in this journal

Related peer-reviewed studies published in this journal.
View all issues