ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Educational Psychology
This article is part of the Research TopicPhysical Literacy Across the LifespanView all 3 articles
Physical Literacy Conceptions in Teacher Training: A 1 longitudinal study
Provisionally accepted
Ariadna Hernaiz-Sánchez1*
Miguel A. González-Valeiro2
Óscar Romero-Chouza3
María A. Fernández-Villarino4- 1European University of Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
- 2Universidade da Coruna, A Coruña, Spain
- 3Universidad Europea de Madrid SLU, Madrid, Spain
- 4Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
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Physical literacy (PL) embodies the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, 23 and understanding necessary to sustain physical activity throughout life. Understanding how 24 future physical education (PE) teachers conceptualize PL is essential for its effective 25 implementation in schools. This longitudinal study examined the evolution of trainee teachers' 26 conceptions of PL across five years of initial teacher education in Spain. A total of 397 students 27 (76% male; 22.6 ± 3.8 years) from two universities participated, with data collected at three time 28 points: the first and final years of the bachelor's degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences 29 and the final year of the master's degree in Teacher Training. Responses to the open question 30 "What is a physically literate student?" were coded into 13 conceptual categories and analysed 31 through two-step cluster analysis, multinomial logistic regression, and chi-square tests (p < 32 0.05). Three profiles emerged: (1) an Enjoyment-Oriented group focused on participation and 33 enjoyment in physical activity; (2) a Performance-Centred group emphasizing motor skills, 34 physical fitness, and sport competence; and (3) a Competence-Driven group highlighting motor 35 competence and active lifestyles. Over time, students' conceptions shifted significantly (χ² = …, 36 p < 0.05) from enjoyment and personal competence towards motor competence and 37 performance-related attributes, with lifestyle habits and maternal education predicting cluster 38 membership. These findings indicate that initial teacher education may foster more performance-39 oriented understandings of PL, underscoring the need for balanced curricula that integrate 40 physical, cognitive, and affective dimensions of physical literacy.
Keywords: Physical Literacy, Physical Education, teacher training, Beliefs and attitudes, higher education
Received: 04 Sep 2025; Accepted: 17 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hernaiz-Sánchez, González-Valeiro, Romero-Chouza and Fernández-Villarino. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ariadna Hernaiz-Sánchez, ariadna.hernaiz@universidadeuropea.es
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