Fitness testing in schools

Schools today face increased pressures to be accountable and to publicly report on their achievements. If one of the aims of PDHPE is to improve student levels of physical fitness, schools will want to assess their progress toward achieving this aim. How fit are the students in your school? Are they getting fitter as a result of your school programs? How do your students compare with others? In this section, we explore the reasons why fitness tests are used in schools, examine some of the issues related to fitness testing, and suggest the more appropriate ways in which fitness tests and the results of fitness tests should be used in schools.

Before we start?

What is physical fitness and how do we test it?
What is the purpose of fitness testing?

Assessing student achievement

To test or not to test? This is the question.
Choosing an appropriate means of comparision.
Some key messages.

Program evaluation

Suggestions for gathering information

Strategies for teaching and learning

Many teachers incorporate fitness tests and test results in their teaching about the concepts of fitness. Having practical experience of the tests helps students to understand broader concepts, such as the nature of fitness, how it is developed, its links to health and how progress can be monitored.

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