School Directors

4. Aim to improve total physical activity levels by fostering positive attitudes to physical activity

To date, most studies in schools which have focused on increasing physical activity levels have only been successful at increasing levels during the school day. Furthermore, a number of programmes promoting physical activity in schools have specifically focused on activities which increase fitness, such as timed runs. While both increases in physical activity and fitness are important for health, intensive fitness activities, such as timed runs, may not inspire positive attitudes towards physical activity or lifelong behaviour changes. This may be why programmes which focus solely on fitness are not successful at changing total physical activity levels. It may therefore be more important for programmes to focus on fostering children’s positive attitudes towards physical activity in the hope of influencing overall physical activity levels, which may in turn impact on fitness.

Strategies :
• Create a physical activity experience that is fun and focuses on young people feeling good, gaining confidence and enjoying what they do.
• Create programmes which encourage young people to increase their physical activity levels throughout the whole day, not just at school.
• Promote a ‘mastery climate’, ie, an environment where young people are encouraged to develop their individual skill levels and personal best.
• Provide opportunities to try a wide variety of activities including some which are more likely to be attractive to those who are less sporty, such as creative activities like dance or cheerleading.
• Ensure activities are developmentally appropriate and use positive reinforcement to recognise effort and progress

Learning Objective

The learning objective is to give knowledge about improving the total physical activity levels of students in schools by fostering positive attitudes to physical activity. The step provides resources, which give many examples of how physical activity can be presented in an interesting way to kids.

Online Resources

• Practical strategies for promoting physical activityIdentifying and using strategies that are both effective and cost-effective is important to ensure efficient use of available resources and funding. This briefing brings together the available research evidence as well as practical strategies to outline recommended approaches and actions for effectively promoting physical activity in children up to 12 years.
• Assessment in Physical EducationThis is the chapter 6 of the Physical Education Curriculum Framework and it is states that assessment in PE serves many purposes and contributes to decision making. In order to support this thesis many factors, as for example the different forms of assessment, the teaching – learning – and evaluation process, are taken into account.
• Practical strategies for promoting physical activityIdentifying and using strategies that are both effective and cost-effective is important to ensure efficient use of available resources and funding. This briefing brings together the available research evidence as well as practical strategies to outline recommended approaches and actions for effectively promoting physical activity in children up to 18 years.
• Ten Strategies for Schools to Promote Physical Activity and Healthy EatingThe guidelines provide information on how schools can encourage pupils be more physically active