The overall purpose of this thesis is to investigate, discuss and problematise different aspects of movement ability. The four sub-studies of the thesis deal with various issues concerning assessment of movement ability. First, the focus is on how the concept of physical literacy has influenced the steering document of the subject physical education and health (PEH) in Sweden. The question is: What kind of tensions and conflicts arise when different approaches and interpretations of movement ability are used in an educational context? Second, a structural validation is conducted of the NyTid test, an assessment tool developed to assess basic and complex movement skills at the ages of 12-16 years. The question is: Which categories of movement skills are identified through the validation of the NyTid test? Third, the study examines how ‘ability’ is conceptualised, configured and produced in movement tests and movement assessment tools. Finally, an investigation of how or whether an assessed low or high movement ability at the age of 15 matters for developing an interest in, or taste for, sport and physical activities nine years later, in young adulthood. Movement ability is studied from different perspectives, including a multidisciplinary sport science approach using mixed methods. The theoretical standpoint in the sociocultural analyses is inspired by Bourdieu’s theories and concepts of habitus, capital, field and doxa, which are used as analytical tools. Different theories relating to the evaluation of movement abilities as product- or process oriented assessment are also made use of. Movement abilities tests and assessment tools are also found to construct a specific and narrow form of physical capital strongly related to traditional sports. Accordingly, the social construction of movement ability through assessment tools is far from neutral and could affect how children see themselves and their sense of ‘ability’. Furthermore, the assumption that an acquired high level of movement ability plays a central role for being physically active is challenged in the thesis. Even though pupils at the age of 15 had a low level of assessed movement ability, it did not prevent them from acquiring a taste for sport and physical activity later in life. However, more studies on movement ability and the underlining mechanisms and factors for engaging in physical activities are necessary. / Forskningslinjen Utbildning

The graduation thesis is focused on the evaluation in motoric skills of sports gymnasts (n=18) aged between 7 to 10 years. The whole study took place in České Budějovice in the Merkur center with the support of a gymnastic team. For this experiment was used the methody called "MABC-2 formula" (Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2nd edition). The MABC-2 test is a standardized test that verifies a level of the motor function while indicating motor difficulties and difficulty in coordination. It consists of eight test items that are divided into three components. Individual components focus on testing fine motor skills (manual skill), gross motor skills (aiming and catching) and balance. After performing the MABC-2 test and obtaining gross scores for each item, we created tables and graphs of component and total test scores (TTS). We compared the results to the standardization norms this test battery and with other researches in this field that deal with motor testing using the MABC-2 test battery. At the basis of this comparison, we evaluated the level of motor skills in the tested group of gymnasts. This thesis confirmed that gymnasts achieved in all components above-average results. For evaluation of the gymnasts balance skills the MABC-2 wasn´t sensitive enought.