Topic Editors

Department of Human and Society Sciences, University of Enna “Kore”, 94100 Enna, Italy
Prof. Dr. David Stodden
Department of Educational and Developmental Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA

Movement and Health: Holistic Development to Support Long-Term Active Lifestyles

Abstract submission deadline
31 October 2025
Manuscript submission deadline
31 December 2025
Viewed by
843

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

The scientific literature frequently emphasizes the urgent need to address the gradual decline in motor competence and health-related fitness levels during childhood and adolescence, often associated with low physical activity levels. To challenge this situation, national/international guidelines (e.g., WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity) underline the need to improve the amount of physical activity during childhood and adolescence. However, solely increasing the quantity of physical activity may not be the best solution. Therefore, effective educational strategies to foster holistic learning and development in multiple domains to support long-term active lifestyles are also essential. It is well known, however, that for any intervention to be effective, it must be supported by appropriate evaluation processes.

This Topic aims to gather studies that could help to supplement the existing literature in the fields of motor development and physical fitness, and their relation with the psychological, social–emotional, and cognitive behaviour of individuals.

Specifically, studies that examine the impact of interventions to support holistic development processes in children and adolescents require assessment. However, holistic assessment practices are limited. Furthermore, the assessment of physical education in many countries around the world is lacking due to multiple factors, including assessment time feasibility, cost, and necessary assessment training. Thus, research on the methods of assessing holistic development, the barriers and facilitators of assessments, and systematic literature reviews are accepted. The keywords associated with this call will be useful for contextualizing the focus of this Topic.

Dr. Francesco Sgrò
Prof. Dr. David Stodden
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • physical fitness
  • motor competence
  • physical education
  • physical literacy
  • holistic development
  • assessment
  • cognitive
  • psychological
  • social–emotional

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Applied Sciences
applsci
2.5 5.3 2011 18.4 Days CHF 2400 Submit
Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology
jfmk
2.6 4.2 2016 19.7 Days CHF 1600 Submit
Sports
sports
2.2 4.1 2013 19.1 Days CHF 1800 Submit
Children
children
2.0 2.7 2014 14 Days CHF 2400 Submit

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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25 pages, 3029 KiB  
Article
Multisport-Integrated Training for Rugby Instructors: Success and Effects on Minirugby Players
by Marta Rigon, Gabriele Signorini, Raffaele Scurati, Athos Trecroci, Dario Colella, Damiano Formenti, Giampiero Merati, Domenico Cherubini and Pietro Luigi Invernizzi
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10010011 - 27 Dec 2024
Viewed by 522
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The educational system thinking approach (ST) takes a holistic vision of instructors/teachers and learners’ relationships, making sports pivotal for reflection on education. This study evaluated the efficacy of a multisport ST-based course on minirugby instructors’ teaching competence and children players’ motor conduct. [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The educational system thinking approach (ST) takes a holistic vision of instructors/teachers and learners’ relationships, making sports pivotal for reflection on education. This study evaluated the efficacy of a multisport ST-based course on minirugby instructors’ teaching competence and children players’ motor conduct. Methods: The twenty-five rugby instructors (IAC) attended the 25 h course and the children of their teams (n = 109, Ch-IAC) participated in this study as experimental groups. Twenty-five rugby instructors who were not attending the course (I-CON) and their pupils (n = 111, Ch-CON) acted as control groups. Changes in instructors’ teaching competence (by the Instrument for Identifying the Teaching Style and the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time) and children’s motor conduct (by the Körperkoordinationtest für Kinder test, the Game Performance Assessment Instrument, the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale, and the physical self-efficacy scale for children) were assessed. Results: Thanks to the education received, IAC improved in didactics and methodological competence. They learned to use more production teaching styles than CON (10.5 ± 9.3% vs. 0% of the lesson time, p < 0.05), reduce children’s inactive lesson time for management (−5.1 ± 3.3% vs. 1.1 ± 3.1%, p < 0.05) and promote more outside lesson topics (4.4 ± 3.2% vs. 0%, p < 0.05). In addition, compared to Ch-CON, Ch-IAC significantly improved motor coordination, game performance, enjoyment, and self-efficacy (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Children’s enjoyment and self-efficacy acted as mediators that amplified the effects of the multisport training course. At the same time, the instructor’s didactical and methodological competence were moderators directly favoring or worsening children’s motor competence. Such an integrated multisport model is applicable and suggested for improving sports performance and education processes. Full article
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