The Importance of Physical Literacy for Physical Education and Recreation

Abstract

As the basis of characteristics, qualifications, behaviors, awareness, knowledge and understanding of the development of healthy active living and physical recreation opportunities Physical Literacy (PL); has become a global concern in the fields of physical education and recreation since its first use as a term. Experts from different countries and disciplines underline the necessity of expanding the PL context. Despite this international recognition, neither the existence of a work on PL in nor a model of PL in physical education programs has yet to be seen in Turkish literature. The aim of this study is to introduce such an important concept to Turkish literature by a comprehensive literature review and to present the prominence of PL in terms of physical education, physical activity and sports fields. In addition, under the scope of this study, undergraduate and graduate programs in which physical educators are trained to shape both all students and athletes are examined and various proposals are made about how to place PL in these programs. By examining the graduate and postgraduate programs of faculties of sport and physical education and sport sciences in 98 universities in Turkey and NCTR, we come to a conclusion that between the 3.-6. semesters of graduate programs, the introduction of the PL course, training and modules will increase the awareness and competence of the PL. Moreover we expect that it would be beneficial to train these field specialists and bring them to my country through the opening of specific post-graduate training programs in the field of PL.