VAN ROSSUM, Thomas (2018). Development of a teacher-oriented movement assessment tool for children aged 4-7 years. Doctoral, Sheffield Hallam University.
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VanRossum_2018_PhD_DevelopmentOfA.pdf - Accepted Version
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VanRossum_2018_PhD_DevelopmentOfA.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.
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Abstract
Children's competence in performing fundamental movement skills (FMS) is positively
associated with physical activity levels, health-related fitness and healthier weight status.
The early years of primary school provide a crucial platform for children to develop FMS.
It has been recommended that teachers become more involved in assessing children’s
FMS so that they can subsequently support their development of these skills more
effectively. However, there is a shortage of FMS assessment tools available for teachers
to use within primary schools. To address this shortfall, this research programme was
conducted to develop a movement assessment tool (MAT) for primary school teachers to
assess the FMS of children aged 4-7 years old. Qualitative and quantitative research
methods were implemented across four studies. In the initial three studies, the
perspectives of primary school teachers and experts from the field of children’s
movement development and primary school Physical Education were sought to establish
recommendations for the format of the MAT and to establish its content. Based on these
findings, a prototype of the MAT was developed. In the final study, a Mixed-Methods
Research design was implemented with primary school teachers to evaluate the feasibility
of the MAT prototype being used in lesson time. Until now, there has been a paucity of
literature discussing teacher-oriented assessment of children’s FMS. Therefore, the
original contribution to knowledge presented in this thesis is the detailed understanding
of how teachers should assess young children’s FMS in school settings. The findings of
Study One signify that teachers perceive a need for a MAT that is simple to use, quick to
administer, and that provides valuable feedback to guide future teaching and learning. In
Study Two, three dichotomous dilemmas emerged from the data in relation to assessing
children’s FMS competence. These dilemmas relate to the intended purpose of the
assessment, the nature of its implementation and the context that it will be used. Study
Three established content validity for the movement tasks within the assessment of FMS
for children aged 4-7 years. The findings of Study Four revealed that the MAT is feasible
for teachers to implement within PE lessons and teachers reported improvements in their
awareness of assessing children’s FMS as a result of using the MAT. The overall findings
present a MAT that allows primary school teachers to assess the FMS competence of
children aged 4-7 years old within PE lessons. Considering the shortage of teacheroriented
MATs, this protocol may be attractive to teachers as it enables them to better
understand and support children's development of FMS.
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