Research protocol for physical education policy and monitoring systems: The Global Observatory for Physical Education-GoPE!

Abstract Overview

Background: Persistent gaps between Physical Education (PE) policies and their implementation remain a challenge in many countries. GoPE! is a new surveillance system1 of PE and school-based physical activity (PA) policies, monitoring initiatives, and research. GoPE! is composed of five dimensions: 1) country demographics, 2) PA prevalence in children and adolescents, 3) PE policy, 4) PE monitoring, and 5) research on PE and school-based PA interventions. In this abstract, we aim to present the standardized methodology developed to collect data on PE policy and monitoring systems.
Purpose: To describe the standardized data collection protocol for worldwide PE policies and monitoring systems.
Methods: The data collection involved the collaboration of the GoPE!’s Country Contacts network (CC) and Research Working Group (RWG). The RWG is researching for 218 countries on the existence of 1) national official PE curriculum, 2) national policies requiring mandatory PE, and 3) national policies requiring minimum PE time, regarding the compulsory school years of primary and secondary education. This methodology consisted of a search 1) on governmental websites, 2) international reports, 3) Google Scholar, and 4) search databases. On the other hand, the CC will provide data on national monitoring systems to evaluate PE policy implementation.
Results: GoPE!’s standardized methodology will inform the Country Card on PE policies and monitoring systems for each country.
Conclusions and practical implications: The GoPE! will enable policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to assess PE policies and monitoring systems globally, empowering leaders to enact necessary changes to promote physical activity and health in youth.
Funding: The authors declare to have received no funding for conducting the study.
References:
UNESCO. World-wide survey of school physical education final report 2013. 2014.
Martins J, Onofre M, Hallal PC. Launch of the Global Observatory for Physical Education (GoPE!). Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2023 Jul 1;20(7):573–4.

Additional Authors

Name: Andressa Sobrinho

Affiliation: aculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil;

Presenting Author: yes

Name: Pedro C. Hallal

Affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA;

Presenting Author: no

Name: Michael Pratt

Affiliation: Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA;

Presenting Author: no

Name: Rafael Cristão

Affiliation: Centro de Estudos em Educação, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana e UIDEF, Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal;

Presenting Author: no

Name: João Costa

Affiliation: Sports Studies and Physical Education Programme, School of Education, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland;

Presenting Author: no

Name: Marcos Onofre

Affiliation: Centro de Estudos em Educação, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana e UIDEF, Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal;

Presenting Author: no

Name: Dean Dudley

Affiliation: Macquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia;

Presenting Author: no

Name: Andrea Ramirez Varela

Affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Houston, USA; Department of Pediatrics at McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA; Center for Pediatric Population Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA;

Presenting Author: no

Name: João Martins

Affiliation: Centro de Estudos em Educação, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana e UIDEF, Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal;

Presenting Author: no

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