Implementing the Physical Literacy Component of the 2015 Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum: Is the Stage Set?

Introduction: Current physical activity levels among children and youth are alarmingly low; a mere 7% of children and youth are meeting the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (Colley et al., 2011), which means that the vast majority of this population is at risk of developing major health problems in adulthood (Janssen & Leblanc, 2010). These high inactivity rates may be related to suboptimal experiences in sport and physical activity stemming from a lack of competence and confidence (Lubans, Morgan, Cliff, Barnett, & Okely, 2010). Developing a foundation of physical literacy can encourage and maintain lifelong physical activity, yet this does not always occur naturally as a part of human growth (Hardman, 2011). An ideal setting to foster the growth and development of physical literacy is physical education class. Physical education class can offer all children and youth an equal opportunity to learn and practice the skills needed to be active for life (Hardman, 2011). Elementary school teachers are responsible for delivering the physical education curriculum, and it is important to understand their will and capacity as the implementing agents of physical literacy development curriculum (McLaughlin, 1987). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the physical literacy component of the 2015 Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum policy through the eyes of key informants, and to explore the resources available for the implementation of this new policy. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with seven key informants of the curriculum policy development, including two teachers. In tandem with the interviews, a resource inventory and curriculum review were conducted to assess the content and availability of physical literacy resources. All data were analyzed through the lens of Hogwood and Gunn’s (1984) 10 preconditions for policy implementation. Results: Participants discussed how implementation is affected by: accountability, external capacity, internal capacity, awareness and understanding of physical literacy, implementation expertise, and policy climate. Discussion: Participants voiced similar opinions on most issues, and the overall lack of attention given to physical education programs in schools will continue to be a major dilemma when trying to combat such high physical inactivity levels.

Analysis of Non-Stationary Flows Using Eulerian and Lagrangian Frameworks

Recent developments have made researchers to reconsider Lagrangian measurement techniques as an alternative to their Eulerian counterpart when investigating non-stationary flows. This thesis advances the state-of-the-art of Lagrangian measurement techniques by pursuing three different objectives: (i) developing new Lagrangian measurement techniques for difficult-to-measure, in situ flow environments; (ii) developing new post-processing strategies designed for unstructured Lagrangian data, as well as providing guidelines towards their use; and (iii) presenting the advantages that the Lagrangian framework has over their Eulerian counterpart in various non-stationary flow problems. Towards the first objective, a large-scale particle tracking velocimetry apparatus is designed for atmospheric surface layer measurements. Towards the second objective, two techniques, one for identifying Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS) and the other for characterizing entrainment directly from unstructured Lagrangian data, are developed. Finally, towards the third objective, the advantages of Lagrangian-based measurements are showcased in two unsteady flow problems: the atmospheric surface layer, and entrainment in a non-stationary turbulent flow. Through developing new experimental and post-processing strategies for Lagrangian data, and through showcasing the advantages of Lagrangian data in various non-stationary flows, the thesis works to help investigators to more easily adopt Lagrangian-based measurement techniques.