Understanding PE teachers’ opinions about physical fitness assessment in children aged 10-11 years

Introduction:
Physical fitness assessments for children, aged 10-11 years were performed in the province of Luxembourg. Children went to sports centres with their teachers to achieve a battery of 8 tests, evaluating different parameters of their physical fitness. However, this assessment campaign was restricted to the evaluation physical fitness and was focused on performances. Moreover, PE teacher’s involvement in this campaign seemed limited. From October 2023, the framework of the campaign will be modified following recommendations of the new curriculum for health and physical education.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to collect PE teachers' opinions about the objectives of the campaign, their role and how the campaign fitted into their PE lessons.
Methods:
Interviews were conducted to meet forty-five PE teachers involved in the 2022-campaign. Discussions were recorded. Ideas discussed in each interview were transcribed. This procedure was used to create an online survey.
Results:
Thirty-seven PE teachers completed the online survey. Very few PE teachers were involved in projects regarding the new curriculum. Ninety-two percent of PE teachers prepared their students for the tests. Ninety-two percent of PE teachers informed their students about their results. Results were not discussed with parents. Three-quarters of PE teachers wanted to further integrate the campaign.
Conclusion:
This survey analysed the impact of this campaign on teachers' interventions, as well as the barriers encountered. This study could allow a better collaboration between PE teachers, parents, researchers, and members of the sports service for the development of future campaigns.