Improving motor skills in primary school with assessment and tracking systems

Oscar Scipio, a member of the Learning to Move Measurement expert team and a primary education adviser at the KVLO, explains why assessment and tracking systems for motor skills are increasingly being used and how these systems can best be implemented.

Why should we actually track or measure motor skills in primary school?

“As a school, you have a duty of care. In general, schools are required to work with a tracking system, but many schools had not yet done so for physical education. Fortunately, we are now seeing a turnaround in this regard.

However, it is important for schools to understand the difference between tracking and measuring. The difference between the two mainly lies in their intended purpose: an assessment system is used for benchmarking and provides insight into where children stand at that moment on a broader scale. It is data that, for example, a municipality can use to adapt its sports policy. Useful, but less applicable for a physical education teacher.

A pupil tracking system focuses more on pupils’ development, because such a system works according to learning pathways. A tracking system provides insight into which learning steps children can take or what learning support you can provide as a teacher. This helps directly and concretely with planning your lessons. In this way, you track and support the learning process at an individual level.”

Why are these systems being used more and more?

“On the one hand, the obligation, or duty of care, naturally helps, but nowadays we are also increasingly seeing municipalities wanting to get involved. An assessment system provides valuable insights that municipalities can use to develop data-driven policies.

In addition, we are seeing more and more specialist physical education teachers, and therefore also subject teams, in primary education. A tracking system is an important form of in-depth development that improves physical education and also helps the specialist teacher. At the same time, the range of systems has become much more accessible. They are easier to apply, user-friendly and increasingly better in terms of quality.”

What do municipalities use these systems for?

“Municipalities mainly use assessment systems to collect data and use it to draw up their policy plans for sport and physical activity. The data collected can provide hard evidence for making additional funds available for physical education or physical activity in the neighbourhood in general. It also supports the 2+1+2 approach – particularly the +1 and +2) – which focuses on integrated cooperation between various organisations to promote more opportunities for physical activity.”

In 2019, the KVLO launched Lerenbewegenmeten.nl, in which you were also involved as an expert. Why was this knowledge base created?

“In the knowledge base, you can find the various systems, along with an explanation of what they are used for and what their value is: how does it work, is it scientifically substantiated, how is measurement carried out, for which target group, how is data recorded, et cetera. All the systems are compiled in one place and described neutrally. This gives you the facts at a glance, allowing you, as a specialist teacher, to investigate further which system is suitable for you or your subject team.”

Is using a tracking system for motor skills discouraged if there is no specialist physical education teacher at the school?

“Without a specialist teacher, it is more difficult to use a pupil tracking system. It takes time, and your pedagogical climate really needs to be well established in order for you to focus on tracking a learning pathway. It does require specific qualities from the person standing in front of the class.

That does not mean that a general classroom teacher would be unable to do it. Two lessons a week are enough to make it possible. A classroom teacher can also ask themselves how they can improve children’s motor skills. And perhaps even more importantly: ‘How do I do this at an individual level?’

I am reminded here of the cauliflower theory: Learning = Does it work? - Can they do it? - Does it come alive? Without a tracking system, as a specialist teacher you are more likely to remain focused on ‘does it work?’ I recognise this from my own experience as well. My lessons seemed to go well, with very enthusiastic children, but looking back, I think the learning aspect could have been better if I had started using a pupil tracking system earlier. Because of this, I have become much more aware of the learning process a child goes through in each activity.”

What will assessment and tracking systems offer us in the future?

“I hope that physical education will remain a learning subject in the future. What I often see nowadays is that enjoyment is regarded as the main aim of our subject. Of course, enjoyment is also very important to me—don’t get me wrong—but I think and hope that pupil tracking systems will help ensure that teaching broad motor skills remains an essential part of our subject.

However, I would like us to work towards a system in which we focus less on setting standards and more on inspiring children. I hope that, by using assessment and tracking systems intelligently, we can find a way to help children discover their talents and guide them towards the right place for sport and physical activity. In short: working towards generating personalised physical activity advice instead of issuing a standards-based report.”

Source: Healthy School.