Assessing Physical Literacy in Health and Physical Education Through Biographical Mapping

Background: Assessment plays an integral role in shaping how physical literacy (PL) is understood and enacted within Health and Physical Education (H/PE). Traditional assessments that are too linear, narrow, or focused on fixed ends can limit students’ exploration of PL. Purpose: This paper proposes a biographical mapping approach for PL (BMAP-PL), offering a conceptual and methodological approach for assessing PL that extends beyond particular physical movements and skill competencies. Approach: BMAP-PL in H/PE involves a five-step process, including mapping significant movement-related events, evaluating PL over time, and integrating reflective goal setting and assessment. This process conceptualizes PL as a dynamic, nonlinear, and individualized journey with no fixed end state. Significance: Through capturing the biographical situatedness of a student’s PL journey, BMAP-PL highlights how individualized experiences, coupled with knowledge and skill acquisition, can contribute to the ongoing development of PL, offering a meaningful and flexible assessment approach for PL in H/PE.