Compatibility of physical education curricula with physical literacy across 40 European countries

Carl J. Goss H. Lundvall S. Pavlova I. Algurén B. Antala B. Bartle G. Birch J. Black V. Bryant A.S. Carlos-Vivas J. Christodoulides E. Cowley J.G. Csányi T. De Martelaer K. Emeljanovas A. Eren G. Fernāte A. Foweather L. Gilic B. Gisladottir T. Green N. Groffik D. Heck S. van Hilvoorde I. Huhtiniemi M. Iconomescu T.M. Jaunig J. Jones E. Jurak G. Kelso A. Koka A. Kreinbucher-Bekerle C. Laudańska-Krzemińska I. Martins J. Masanovic B. McFlynn P. McKee M. Melby P.S. Mendoza-Muñoz M. Mieziene B. Milanović I. Mileva E. Mouton A. Müller I. Németh Z. O’Brien W. Olaru B.S. Petrytsa P. Onofre M. Pihu M. Popeska B. Popovic S. Poweleit A. Radisavljević Janić S. Riga V. Schnitzler C. Sekulic D. Semyonova M. Singh A.S. Smila B. Tsivitanidou O. Töpfer C. Vašíčková J. Venetsanou F. Winje Ø. Zito V. Yıldızer G. Elsborg P. D’Anna C. Vlček P. Salin K.
2025 Taylor and Francis Ltd.

Journal of Curriculum Studies
2025

Although the student-centred concept of physical literacy (PL) has been emphasized by UNESCO, knowledge about its adoption/implementation into PE remains scant. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate and compare the compatibility of PE curricula with PL in Europe. We collaboratively gathered a panel of experts encompassing 40 European countries. In the first step, the experts were invited to freely specify the compatibility of country’s PE curricula with PL. The reports were subjected to six-step reflexive thematic analysis. In the second step, we theoretically derived, psychometrically explored, and descriptively analysed 15 curricular-didactical items, each containing a spectrum of statements with high versus no/insufficient PL compatibility. We synthesized both data sources following an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. While few PE curricula explicitly adhered to PL in Europe, most documents exhibited content and aims marking elements of PL. However, we registered large differences in PL-compatibility between four European regions for the deep structure of the curricula (η²=.27, p=.01). While the quantitative survey suggested no differences in PL compatibility between anglophone versus non-anglophone countries, the qualitative material revealed conceptual and terminological challenges across Europe. The European countries have hesitantly followed the UNESCO call to align PE with the holistic PL concept.

Learning , mixed methods , physical activity , policy , teaching

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Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
School of Health and Human Performance, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
Department of Theory and Methods of Physical Culture, Ivan Boberskyj Lviv State University of Physical Culture, Lviv, Ukraine
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Department of Sport Sciences in Educology and Humanities, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Division of Education and Society, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
Institute of Learning, Universitet of Greenland, Nuuk, Greenland
Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
School of Sciences, University of Central Lancashire Cyprus, Larnaca, Cyprus
Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Initial Teacher Education, University of Stirling, United Kingdom
Department of Physical Education Theory and Methodology, Hungarian University of Sports Science, Budapest, Hungary
Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
Department of Physical and Social Education, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania
Department of Physical Education and Sports Teaching, Eskisehir Technical University, Eskisehir, Turkey
Department of Latvian Academy of Sport Education, Riga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, Split, Croatia
School of Education, Research Center for Sport and Health Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
International Physical Literacy Association, Wigan, United Kingdom
Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Institute of Sport Sciences, Katowice, Poland
LUNEX International University of Health, Exercise and Sports, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Department of Movement, School & Sports, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, Zwolle, Netherlands
MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Dunarea de Jos University, Galati, Romania
Department of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Cardiff School of Sport & Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Department of Health, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
Department of Physical Activity and Health Promotion Science, Poznan University of Physical Education, Poznan, Poland
Faculty of Human Kinetics and UIDEF, Institute of Education, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Faculty for Sport and Physical Education, University of Montenegro, Niksic, Montenegro
School of Education, Ulster University, Coleraine, United Kingdom
Department of PE & Sport, Stranmillis University College, Belfast, United Kingdom
Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
Department of Physical and Social Education, Lithuanian Sports University, Kauna, Lithuania
Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Bulgaria
Department of Psychology, Pedagogy and Sociology, National Sports Academy Vasil Levski, Sofia, Bulgaria
Department of Physical Activity and Rehabilitation Sciences, Research Unit for a life-Course perspective on Health & Education (RUCHE), University of Liege, Liège, Belgium
Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Institute of Sport Science and Physical Education, Department of Sports, University of Pècs, Pècs, Hungary
Physical Education, Sports Studies and Arts Programme, School of Education, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
Department of Physical Education and Rehabilitation, Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University, Ternopil, Ukraine
Faculty of Educational Sciences, Goce Delcev University, Stip, North Macedonia
Institute of Sport Didactics and Physical Education & Centre for PE Teacher Education, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Department of Educational Sciences and Early Childhood Education, University of Patras, Rio, Greece
Facultè des Sciences du sport de Strasbourg (F3S), University of Strasbourg, laboratoire E3S (UR1342), Strasbourg, France
Higher School of Art and Sports, Pavlodar Pedagogical University named after Alkey Margulan, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
Mulier Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
University of Central Lancashire Cyprus, School of Sciences, Larnaca, Cyprus
Institute of Sport Science, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Jena, Germany
Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
School of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
Capdi & LSM, Taranto, Italy
Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Frederiksberg, Denmark
Department of Psychology and Education, Pegaso University, Naples, Italy
Institute of Sports Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition
School of Health and Human Performance
Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science
Department of Theory and Methods of Physical Culture
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport
School of Humanities
Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education
Institute of Learning
Cardiff School of Education and Social Policy
Faculty of Sport Sciences
School of Sciences
Faculty of Social Sciences
Department of Physical Education Theory and Methodology
Department of Movement and Sport Sciences
Department of Physical and Social Education
Department of Physical Education and Sports Teaching
Department of Latvian Academy of Sport Education
Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences
Faculty of Kinesiology
School of Education
International Physical Literacy Association
Academy of Physical Education in Katowice
LUNEX International University of Health
Department of Movement
MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam
Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport
Department of Human Movement Science
Cardiff School of Sport & Health Sciences
Faculty of Sport
Department of Health
Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy
Department of Physical Activity and Health Promotion Science
Faculty of Human Kinetics and UIDEF
Faculty for Sport and Physical Education
School of Education
Department of PE & Sport
Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
Department of Physical and Social Education
Faculty of Sport and Physical Education
Department of Psychology
Department of Physical Activity and Rehabilitation Sciences
Department of Sport
Institute of Sport Science and Physical Education
Physical Education
Department of Physical Education and Rehabilitation
Faculty of Educational Sciences
Institute of Sport Didactics and Physical Education & Centre for PE Teacher Education
Department of Educational Sciences and Early Childhood Education
Facultè des Sciences du sport de Strasbourg (F3S)
Higher School of Art and Sports
Mulier Institute
University of Central Lancashire Cyprus
Institute of Sport Science
Faculty of Physical Culture
School of Physical Education and Sport Science
Department of Sport Science and Physical Education
Capdi & LSM
Center for Clinical Research and Prevention
Department of Psychology and Education
Institute of Sports Sciences

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