Pedagogical value and emotional impact of fitness testing in secondary physical education: student and teacher perspectives
The study demonstrates that "active demotivation" is a structural defect of fitness testing that persists even in resource-rich environments. We argue that adding resources without changing the pedagogical model merely shifts pressure from equipment scarcity to time scarcity. To address this, we propose a set of Refined Design Principles, mapping need-thwarting practices to evidence-based alternatives to support a shift from Performance-Oriented Testing to Process-Oriented Fitness Education.
Authors
- James Barkell
- Louisa Peralta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6205-8676)
- Ryan T. Nolan
Institutions
- The University of Sydney (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
- Published
- 2026-02-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2026.1701809
- Primary Topic
- Physical Education and Pedagogy
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00