Motor Competence Assessment by Teachers in Australian Schools: A Snapshot

Purpose: Motor competence (MC) is important for child health and development, yet MC levels are low. Childhood is an important time to develop MC, and primary physical education (PE) provides an ideal setting. MC assessment is integral to targeted teaching and improvement of MC through a targeted approach. Therefore, the aim is to identify (a) the current MC assessment practices of PE teachers, (b) whether qualification and/or teaching experience affected assessment practices, and (c) the facilitators and barriers to assessing MC. Method: A cross-sectional study utilizing an online survey was conducted with Victorian (Australia), primary PE teachers (n = 30). Results: Despite all teachers perceiving MC assessment to be important, over half (57.6%) did not assess MC with any evidence-based tool. Lack of time was reported as the biggest barrier to MC assessment. Conclusion: There is a disconnect between the availability of evidence-based MC assessments and the application of these by teachers in schools. Future research is required to better understand why teachers are not using the available assessments, and teacher-informed solutions need to be sought to overcome barriers.