Parents and Physical Literacy: Knowledge, Perceptions, and Responsibilities

Abstract

Parents play a critical role in their child’s physical activity behaviours. However, limited research has focused on parents’ understanding and perceptions of physical literacy (PL). This study gained insight into parent’s knowledge, understanding, and perceived responsibility for the development of their child(ren)’s PL. Parents/guardians (n = 384) completed a telephone survey asking about their (a) understanding of the concept of PL, (b) beliefs in who is responsible for PL development, (c) perspectives on their own child’s PL, and (d) perceived opportunities for further PL development. Findings indicated a lack of knowledge about the concept of PL with 80% of parents reporting they had never heard of PL. Further, participants (88%) indicated parents were primarily responsible for the development of PL in children. These findings demonstrate that there is an opportunity to enhance parental knowledge and understanding of PL and promote a shared responsibility (home, school, community) of children’s PL development.