Date of Award

2012

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

Schools and Centres

Education

First Supervisor

Beth Hands

Second Supervisor

Shane Lavery

Third Supervisor

Gregory Hine

Abstract

Current levels of physical activity in Western Australian children and adolescents do not meet national physical activity recommendations. Insufficient physical activity and increasing levels of sedentary behaviours endanger the physical, mental and social health of young Western Australians. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a Report Card to monitor Western Australia’s status in delivering the 10 Key Rights (identified and articulated in the

Charter for Active Kids and developed by the Children’s Physical Activity Coalition) which aim to guide current and future physical activity interventions for Western Australian children and adolescents. The Report Card targeted multiple levels within a local community and was implemented in both a rural and metropolitan trial community. The study was carried out in three phases; 1) Development of a Report Card Template and Implementation Tools, 2) Evaluation Trials and 3) Report Card Evaluation and Report Card Process Feedback. Other international examples of child physical activity Report Cards guided the research design and an action learning methodology allowed for learning and improvements to be implemented along the way. First, indicators representing all the Key Rights of the Report Card and which were significant for all levels and sectors of the Western Australian community were identified. Next, to validate the tool, evidence to evaluate each indicator within each community was sourced and grades allocated overall and for each Key Right. Both communities were challenged to participate in improved delivery of these Key Rights. Areas identified as lacking sufficient data (for reporting purposes) hold particular significance for researchers in the Western Australian community; they will highlight future research needed to adequately monitor a common vision of improving physical activity opportunities for our Western Australian children and adolescents.

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