Basic Motor Competencies in Europe – Assessment and Promotion

The overarching aim of the project was to promote an active and healthy lifestyle among children and to foster health enhancing physical activity (HEPA) by providing children’s individual motor prerequisites for a participation in physical activities and sport. This was achieved by means of three objectives in three project phases with specific intellectual outputs (IO): 1.We obtained scientific information and feedback on the status und distribution of basic motor competencies among children in the partner countries. All project partners collected data to provide a cross-cultural comparison of differences and similarities to detect country specifics as well as potential causes and consequences. Moreover, the data provided fundamental information for the teachers on their classes in comparison to children in other classes and on special needs of their pupils. 2.We developed a toolkit for the promotion of basic motor competencies. On the basis of the assessments, all partners worked together to create a modularized concept which can be adapted to the countries, specific groups or individuals to provide tailored interventions to the children. 3.We disseminated the support concept within the partner countries and on EU level. All project results will be published and made accessible to ministries, teacher associations, universities and colleges, teachers, the scientific community, and important stakeholders in the field of education and health promotionInnovative aspectsThe primary concern of the proposed project is to present broad and interdisciplinary empirical research findings to facilitate the advancement of evidence-based practice in physical education and physical activity promotion by means of a reliable and valid diagnosis and an expert-based and modularized support concept for promoting physical activities as well as their broad dissemination in the partner countries and abroad. The central objectives of physical education in different European countries include a permanent striving to offer quality physical education (QPE). QPE in general covers aspects of output quality as well as process and input quality. The diagnostic tool of the MOBAK-instrument is a core indicator of output quality in physical education. The support concept is a tool for increasing process quality. The qualification of the teachers to enable them to provide QPE is a central element of input quality. The newly developed MOBAK-instrument is a scientific diagnostic tool which is broadly accepted by researchers in the field of sport pedagogy and physical education as well as by teachers and practitioners in schools. The broad acceptance is demonstrated by the approval of 13 partners in the field of physical education teacher education and policy of sport, exercise, and physical activity. Moreover, it was developed in close collaboration with practitioners in schools and is compatible with the physical education curricula of all partner countries. This is a fundamental element of an evidence-based policy in the field of physical education. The development of an expert-based and modularized support concept is the fundamental requirement for empowering teachers to deliver QPE and empower children to take part in physical education and in the culture of sport and exercise. On the basis of this scientific based diagnosis, this concept provides a major contribution to the fostering of QPE and the promotion of competencies among physical education teachers as well as general teachers in primary schools. Finally, the support of the project by EUPEA and the dissemination through this institution represented an innovative approach to providing scientific and expert-based concepts to teachers and children in the countries of the EU.