Physical Literacy in Europe (EUROPLIT) The Current State of Implementation in Research, Practice, and Policy
According to the International Physical Literacy Association (IPLA), the concept of physical literacy can be described as “the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life”. Even though physical literacy has permeated the most relevant documents in the area of physical activity, health, and physical education (e.g., Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030, UNESCO Quality Physical Education Guidelines for Policymakers), not all countries acknowledge the value of physical literacy.
When adopting a rather critical perspective on the current state of PL implementation, the focus is also directed on Europe. Given that there is no aggregated overview in the literature providing country-specific or comparative insights on physical literacy in this continent, our research group identified the potential and necessity to comprehensively assess the current situation in Europe. Using an expert approach, the present project addresses the following research questions:
(1) What is the current state of PL in European countries (and in Europe as a whole)?
(2) What are the commonalities, differences, and challenges for implementing PL across Europe?
Based on the results, potential pathways should be derived for future PL efforts in Europe.
Project Time: 01.01.2022 – 31.10.2023 Project Lead Erlangen: Dr. Johannes Carl Primary Cooperation Partners: Dr. Peter Elsborg & Prof. Dr. Peter Bentsen, Center for Clinical Research and Prevention (CCPR), Frederiksberg Hospital/Copenhagen, Denmark; Dr. Kasper Salin, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland Financial Support: Frederiksberg Hospital, Region Hovedstaden, Denmark Institutional Support: International Physical Literacy Association (IPLA; Nigel Green) Contributing Countries/Secondary Cooperation Partners: Austria (Johannes Jaunig, Peter Holler), France (Christophe Schnitzler, Joseph Gandrieau), Denmark (see primary project partner), Czech Republic (Jana Vasickova), Germany (Clemens Töpfer), Belgium (Alexandre Mouton, Kristine de Materlaer), Bulgaria (Vlad Fedorov), Croatia (Barbara Gilic, Damir Sekulic), Cyprus (Efstathios Christodoulides), England (Nigel Green), Greece (Vassiliki Riga), Ireland (Hanna Goss), Italy (Viviane Zito), Lithuania (Arunas Emeljanovas, Brigita Mieziene), The Netherlands (Ivo van Hilvoorde), Northern Ireland (Hanna Goss), Norway (Jens Birch), Poland (Ida Laudanska-Krzeminska), Portugal (Joao Martins, Marcos Onofre), Romania (Teodora Iconomescu, Bogdan Olaru), Scotland (Gillian Bartle), Wales (Anna Bryant, Lowri Edwards), Slovenia (Mojca Markovic), Spain (Maria Mendoza Munoz), Sweden (Suzanne Lundvall), Turkey (Günay Yildizer), and Ukraine (Iulia Pavlova)