Children's Movement Competence Assessment

The research highlights a significant shortage of suitable Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) assessment tools designed specifically for primary school teachers. Existing assessments are often criticized for their clinical design, making them impractical for classroom use. These tools are often too complex, time-consuming, and costly for teachers to effectively implement. This lack of appropriate assessment tools hinders accurate evaluation of children's movement competence and impacts the effectiveness of physical education (PE) programs. The study emphasizes the need for more practical and accessible FMS assessment resources to support teachers in monitoring and promoting children's gross motor skills and overall physical literacy. The inadequacy of existing tools necessitates the development of a new assessment that is sensitive to the demands and constraints of the primary school classroom, as well as being aligned with curriculum goals.

While acknowledging the crucial role of trained researchers in movement competence assessment, the study underscores the importance of greater teacher involvement. The research emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between research and practical classroom application. Current assessment frameworks, while valid and reliable within research settings, often lack the practicality needed for daily use by primary school teachers. Existing research often involves trained researchers conducting assessments, rather than teachers; however, teacher participation in these processes is deemed critical for effective and relevant physical education (PE) instruction. This necessitates the development of a simple and practical assessment tool that teachers can confidently utilize to effectively support children's motor skill development and enhance physical literacy. The study's focus on teacher-led assessment reflects a shift towards empowering teachers to actively participate in measuring children's progress in fundamental movement skills (FMS).

This research aims to elicit expert opinion to guide the design of a new movement competence assessment tool specifically for primary school teachers. The study employs a qualitative approach to gain a deep understanding of the challenges and considerations involved in creating a practical and effective assessment. The goal is to develop a tool that enhances teaching and learning while maintaining the necessary rigor for meaningful data collection. By consulting experts, this research seeks to address the current shortcomings of existing FMS assessment methods, resulting in a more suitable and effective tool for assessing children's fundamental movement skills (FMS) in primary school physical education (PE) settings. The overall objective is to improve the quality and accessibility of physical literacy assessment for primary school teachers.

This study employed a qualitative research design to gather expert opinions on the design of a movement competence assessment framework for primary school teachers. The researchers chose a qualitative approach because they wanted a deep understanding of the challenges and considerations involved in creating a practical and effective assessment. The data collection involved two scenario-guided focus groups: one with five academic experts in children's movement development, and another with three practitioner experts experienced in primary school physical education (PE). The use of focus groups allowed for rich, interactive discussions, facilitating the emergence of key themes related to movement assessment design. The decision to use separate focus groups for academics and practitioners was deliberate, aimed at reducing potential biases from differing experiences and perspectives. This qualitative approach is well-suited for exploring complex issues in educational assessment, such as the design of physical literacy assessments.

Participants were purposefully selected based on their expertise in either academic research or practical application within primary school physical education (PE). The academic experts were selected based on their established credentials in the field of children's movement development, while the practitioner experts possessed extensive experience in senior developmental roles within primary PE teacher education and children's movement development. The selection criteria emphasized a deep understanding of children's motor skills and physical literacy. The researchers aimed for a small group of participants to allow for in-depth analysis and to avoid the limitations of large-sample surveys. They justified their methodology by asserting that it's preferable to thoroughly understand the views of a few well-chosen participants rather than superficially gather information from many. Their definition of 'practitioner expert' is grounded in the conceptual framework of a community of practice (CoP), highlighting the importance of experience and knowledge sharing within a specific context. Ethical approval (Liverpool John Moores University, Ref. 15/EHC/027) ensured the anonymity of participants and the responsible conduct of the research.

Data were collected through two independently conducted focus groups, resulting in approximately ten hours of recorded discussion. The focus groups were moderated by experienced researchers, ensuring engagement and capturing rich qualitative data. A scenario-guided approach was used to stimulate discussion around key challenges in movement competence assessment. The data were analyzed using a thematic approach, beginning with verbatim transcriptions and proceeding to a thematic analysis, identifying recurring themes and subthemes related to assessing children's movement competence. This multi-phased analysis involved independent analysis of each focus group's transcripts followed by a collaborative review to identify and refine common themes. This iterative approach allowed for a thorough analysis of the data and ensured that the reported themes accurately reflected the collective insights of the participants, providing a robust basis for the study's conclusions regarding the design of FMS assessment for primary school teachers. The study specifically used a qualitative thematic approach (Braun and Clark, 2006) to analyze the data.

A central dilemma identified in the research concerned the purpose of assessing children's movement competence. Experts debated whether the primary goal should be research-driven data collection or to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. This highlights a tension between the needs of the research community—focused on producing reliable and valid data—and the practical requirements of educators seeking to improve physical literacy and motor skill development within a constrained classroom environment. The debate exposed a lack of consensus on whether assessment tools should prioritize the rigorous standards of motor skill assessment research or the immediate educational needs of the students. This tension between research and practice is a crucial consideration for the design of any FMS assessment tool for primary school teachers. This core dilemma will influence all other aspects of assessment design; therefore, addressing this is paramount before proceeding with other design considerations.

The study revealed a significant dilemma regarding the appropriate setting for assessing children's movement competence: a structured, 'engineered' environment versus a more natural, informal setting. The 'engineered' approach typically involves standardized tests and tasks in a controlled setting, aiming for high reliability and validity in assessing fundamental movement skills (FMS). Conversely, a natural setting more closely resembles children's everyday physical activities, potentially enhancing the assessment's ecological validity and relevance to real-world physical literacy. This is a key consideration when designing an assessment tool, given the limitations and time constraints typically found in a primary school classroom. This choice strongly influences both the practicality and the validity of the assessment, highlighting the need to find a balance between controlled conditions that allow for reliable measurement and an environment reflective of children's everyday experiences, making the results more meaningful and useful for teachers.

Another crucial dilemma centers on the level of detail and the nature of tasks within the FMS assessment. The tension between simplicity and complexity arises from the need to create an assessment that is both easy for non-specialist primary teachers to administer within limited time and still captures a valid and reliable picture of a child's movement competence. Experts debated the optimal balance between simple, easily measurable tasks and more complex assessments that provide a richer, more comprehensive picture of motor skill development. Furthermore, the study explored whether assessments should employ static tasks (isolated skill execution) or dynamic tasks (free-flowing movements) or a combination. The choice is fraught with implications for both feasibility (time constraints) and the ecological validity of the assessment in reflecting real-world movement and physical literacy skills. The study finds that finding this balance is critical to creating an assessment tool that is both practical and effective for primary school teachers.

The research emphasizes the critical need for a teacher-friendly movement competence assessment framework that prioritizes simplicity and practicality. Existing assessment tools are often too complex and time-consuming for primary school teachers to utilize effectively. Therefore, a new framework should be easily measurable and manageable within the constraints of a typical physical education (PE) lesson. The tool needs to account for the fact that many primary school teachers are non-specialists in physical education, lacking both the knowledge and confidence to conduct complex assessments. This implies that the assessment design should focus on ease of use and clear, straightforward procedures rather than extensive data collection and complex analysis. While the importance of capturing comprehensive data on fundamental movement skills (FMS) is acknowledged, the study recommends prioritizing the tool's practicality and usability for teachers to ensure its effective implementation in classroom settings. This consideration should take precedence over aspects such as strict adherence to research standards of reliability and validity.

Recommendations for task design within a teacher-friendly FMS assessment framework should account for both the nature of tasks (static versus dynamic) and time constraints. The study highlights the debate among experts regarding the optimal balance between static tasks (isolated skill assessment) and dynamic tasks (free-flowing movement). While some experts argued for a focus on dynamic elements to mirror real-world movement contexts, acknowledging that static testing doesn’t represent the typical environment of children's physical activity, others proposed incorporating static tasks to allow for isolated skill assessment. The time required to administer the assessment is crucial, and the tool should be designed to fit within the timeframe of a typical PE lesson. The assessment must be easily measurable and completed by a large number of students, and in order to accommodate a busy classroom setting, a simple and efficient procedure is essential. This underscores the practical challenges faced by teachers and the need for a well-designed assessment that respects their time limitations without compromising the value of the assessment for students.

The development of a teacher-friendly movement competence assessment should account for the unique context of primary school physical education (PE) and the expertise level of the teachers administering the assessment. While mirroring existing protocols for movement assessment could be considered, it is crucial to adjust them to account for the context of use by non-specialist teachers. Existing assessment frameworks, predominantly designed for researchers, are often too complex for typical primary school teachers. The new tool needs to address this by prioritizing ease of understanding and use. This recommendation emphasizes that the tool’s design should respond to the specific needs and limitations of the context in which it is to be used, ultimately promoting both the tool's effectiveness and acceptance by primary school teachers. This approach reflects a shift towards creating assessment tools specifically designed to address the practical requirements and limitations of the classroom rather than strictly mirroring research methodologies. Moreover, the study suggests further research is required, to fully understand how to optimize the learning and development of fundamental movement skills (FMS).

A key limitation of the study is the reliance on expert opinions from academics and practitioners rather than direct input from primary school teachers. While the expertise of these participants provided valuable insights into the design of a teacher-friendly movement competence assessment, their perspectives may not fully reflect the challenges and practical constraints faced by teachers in daily classroom settings. The study acknowledges that the use of third-party perspectives (experts) is limiting, especially considering that the assessment tool is intended to address dilemmas faced by teachers directly. This limitation highlights the need for future research to involve teachers actively in the design and testing of the assessment tool to ensure its suitability and usability in real-world classroom contexts. This limitation is crucial because the insights of experts are not necessarily equivalent to the needs and realities of the intended users (teachers).

The study recommends further research to address several gaps identified in the current understanding of movement competence assessment in primary schools. A significant area for future research involves directly including primary school teachers in the design and testing of a new FMS assessment tool. This participatory approach would ensure that the final product accurately reflects the needs and priorities of the intended users. The study also highlights the need to explore more child-centred approaches to assessment. The experts, in this study, largely disregarded the notion of what children might say about their own movement competence. This omission is significant, as children's perceptions can sometimes diverge from objective assessments. Future research should explore ways to incorporate children's voices and perspectives into the assessment process, possibly moving toward an approach that includes assessment for learning. This could help to create more authentic and meaningful assessment experiences for children, promoting a greater understanding of their physical literacy.

The study questions the feasibility and scalability of existing movement assessment frameworks, particularly those designed primarily for population surveillance. While some existing tools claim suitability for large-scale use, the resources required (specialized assessors, significant time commitment) often limit their practical application. The study notes that a large amount of assessment data has been collected in the past decade from only a small percentage (0.03%) of the age-appropriate population in the UK. This highlights a discrepancy between the claimed feasibility of large-scale assessment and the practical reality. This consideration is crucial for the design of future FMS assessment tools. New tools should consider not only the demands of rigorous motor skills assessment but also the realities of large-scale implementation in schools, ensuring that they are both practical and effective for assessing children's physical literacy across wider populations.