Does physical literacy offer anything more or different to "quality HPE"?

I was asked to talk about the implications of physical literacy for quality teaching/teaching for effective HPE learning at the Western Australia HPE Conference. At the end of the presentation, I was asked: does physical literacy offer anything more or different to "quality HPE"?

Physical literacy is a contested and sometimes confusing concept. Confusing in the sense that often it appears that physical education has been 'liquid papered out' and replaced by physical literacy in what has been written about the concept, or in the way it has been defined by some institutions. When Brendon Hyndman and I did a Leximancer text analysis of physical literacy academic papers from 2001-2016, it was hard to see the difference between constructions of what have been called over time 'new PE', 'holistic PE' and 'quality PE'. Although physical literacy has been determined as a holistic concept through physical, social, emotional, and cognitive domains, it is in the physical domain where the concept of physical literacy was found to be most strongly related (the paper is available here for those interested in reading more). Lounsbery and MacKenzie's examination of PL found few differences in the terms 'physically educated' and 'physically literate' (read their paper here)

Physical literacy is contested along lines of potentially distracting from the 'things that matter and make a difference' while the idea of physical literacy is promoted and promulgated. While research is showing that the concept of physical literacy has utility, does it make more, different or a distinct contribution to difference than previous attempts at distinguishing physical education from say an Arnoldian philosophy for PE makes, the concept of quality PE makes (for example), or the idea of being physically educated, is not known. Now this may be a 'generational thing', but 'back in my day' of physical education teacher education becoming physically educated was not seen as restricted to a subject called PE in schools. Fitness coaches, PT's and sport coaches were often referred to as 'phys edders' if they operated from an educative intent. Indeed, Alan Launder would tell us that as 'phys edders' some of the best and most impact-full work we would do during our careers was in community settings, where the phys-edder was often called upon to coach or offer PA opportunities, particularly in 'country towns'.

Now maybe this is a particularly Australian thing, but 'multi-literacies' was a popular concept in Australian education in the late 1990's. One education policy adviser asked in  an early consultation meeting on an Australian physical literacy concept, why it was being adopted when "we've moved on from multi-literacies" and the focus now is on teaching for effective learning. Maybe, the arrival of physical literacy in Australia has arrived two decades too late for physical education as the conversation has 'moved on'? After all, the PE profession didn't ask for the concept. It's not in any curriculum framework as a key idea or guiding proposition, and so it runs the risk of becoming "yet another thing" an industry group wants teachers to pay attention to in an already crowded "things to pay attention to" landscape.

Maybe this also a particularly Australian thing as we have this amalgamated learning area Health and Physical Education (HPE), but the Australian physical literacy domains are pretty much the same as the domains of learning in HPE, which causes some to ask: 'what's new'? - especially when the Australian definition of PL is remarkably close to the definition of HPE. Additionally, in Australia, a strong emphasis on 'learner well-being' emerged in the mid-2000s that continues today. The dimensions of the Australian PL concept are pretty much the dimensions of learner well-being, which are the same as the learning domains pf PE. I think it is therefore fairly easy to see why some would be asking of PL 'what does it offer?' that 'wasn't already there?'

Adding to the thought 'what does it offer that wasn't already there?', the continuum of attainment of Australian PL is a good mirror of the continuum of achievement in the Movement and Participation: Moving Our Body sub-strand of the Australian Curriculum: HPE.

Another way of looking at this synergy is that it should be fairly straight forward for physical education and HPE teachers in Australia to assimilate the idea of physical literacy given the alignment to our curriculum conception of HPE.

But, we have a problem
The Australian physical activity report cards from the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance report cards on child and youth physical activity in Australia for 2014, 2016 and 2018 present an alarming picture of inactivity (see the report cards here). Reports continue to stack up about the 'movement crisis' in Australia where the idea of a 'sporty nation' seems to be for current and recent generations a 'bit of a myth'.

Australia has undertaken more 'fundamental movement skill' attainment research than anywhere else. Stephen Harvey and I have looked at this area of research globally and summarised it here (free-open access) if you are interested in reading about this area of research. It seems to be that the Australian movement equation is: Less competent=Less confident= Less active=Less 'fit'. Into this context, physical literacy has been inserted.

Image from Image from Sport Australia National Sport plan 2030

Physical Literacy: a general capability of the curriculum?
My opinion is there is value in promoting the proposition of physical literacy as a general capability of the curriculum, more so than in promoting it as a concept that will clarify, elevate, or illuminate the purpose, product, or philosophy of physical education. The Australian physical activity report cards from the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance report card on child and youth physical activity 2018 indicated schools as central in the accumulation of physical activity, rating physical activity participation in schools a 'B+' meaning 60-80% of children and youth meet or exceed 30 minutes of MVPA over the course of the school day. I have written before about the role schools can play in helping children lead activity and healthy lives (see here for example). Physical literacy development in my opinion should be the responsibility of every teacher; every teacher should be looking to make the school day as active as possible in order to deliver attainment of a 'healthy 24 hours', which requires several hours of light physical activity accumulation. Realistically, several hours of light physical activity accumulation and minimising time spent during the day 'sitting' can only occur during school term time if the span of hours of the school day include activity accumulation beyond recess, lunch, before and after school 'play' time.

I believe the 'jury is out' on whether physical literacy amplifies the value of physical education. In Canada, where PL has been part of policy conversation, research consideration, and professional advocacy efforts for a decade or more the report card looks pretty much like the Australian report card (see the Canadian report card here). What does one "make of that"? However, in Australia the physical activity "story" needs to change to gain policy support from which funding flows into urban design, lifestyle encouragement, accessible physical activity initiatives, and movement skill development to get more Australians active. I suggest schools are central in this as the primary means of education for active living and as sites for activity accumulation. If physical literacy serves to elevate the public conversation about the existing movement crises among young people (who become adults without the confidence in their competence to be physically active) that leads to physical education in primary schools being better resourced both with time and teacher expertise, then it will serve a good purpose. If it leads to policy initiatives such as tied funding to schools on the provision of a minimum quantum of time for physical activity during curriculum time (as existed in the 2004-2007 schools funding agreement), even better in my opinion as if there is funding 'on the line' its a good bet schools will transform to 'get the dollars'.