Systematic Observation in Recreation: The Role of the Instructor in Program Delivery

Canadian children and youth are not meeting recommended physical activity guidelines. Recreation centers offer a valuable opportunity to enhance social development, motivation, and lifelong engagement in physical activity. This study investigated the effect of recreation instructor training on the delivery of physical activity experiences to primary-aged children. We hypothesized that the type of instructor training influences physical activity engagement, lesson type, and instructor behavior. Using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT), we assessed 208 sessions over four months across three instructor categories: Physical Literacy Expert (PLE), Physical Literacy Trained (PLT), and Traditional Recreation Instructor (TRA). A Linear Discriminant Analysis model effectively classified instructors, distinguishing Physical Literacy (PL) Instructors (PLE + PLT) from TRA Instructors and comparing individual instructor types. The study found that physical literacy-trained instructors promoted more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than traditionally trained recreation instructors, while no differences were observed in gameplay or skill development. These findings suggest that instructor training has the potential to influence instructional behaviors rather than activity structure, therefore suggesting that PL training may encourage physical activity among children in recreation centers.