Promoting Quality Physical Education

Interview with EUPEA President Claude Scheuer
10/03/2014 14:00

The Seminar, organised in association with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Association of Physical and Health Educators in France (SNEP), will bring together teachers and experts that will address the theme of Quality Physical Education.

 

In this regard, ICSSPE conducted an interview with EUPEA President and ICSSPE Executive Board member Claude Scheuer. 

 

What is EUPEA’s definition of Quality Physical Education ?

At the moment, there is no real EUPEA definition of Quality Physical Education, which is one of the reasons why we organise this Seminar on “Quality in Physical Education” in Paris in cooperation with SNEP and UNESCO. Generally, there is a need of having a more clear idea on Quality Physical Education or indicators of Quality Physical Education and, from a more practical point of view, to provide concrete practical examples of what Quality Physical Education can consist of.

 

At the moment, EUPEA is using some documents that raise the topic of Quality Physical Education, as e. g. the “Declaration of Madrid” from 1991 – the founding year of EUPEA –  amended in Brussels in 2011, the “EUPEA Guidelines for Physical Education” and, in a more developed way, the “EUPEA Code of Ethics & Good Practice Guide for Physical Education”. To sum up, these official documents elaborated by EUPEA and its member associations reflect the following issues, amongst others, in relation with Quality Physical Education:

 

• The need of sufficient curriculum time in schools for Physical Education at all levels

• A well balanced curriculum for Physical Education provided with the necessary resources to implement it.

• Professionally well qualified Physical Education teachers at all levels of the educational system with the theoretical, personal and practical skills and knowledge required from a good professional, having access to a compulsory offer of continuing professional development.

 

Besides these more structural issues, the focus in Quality Physical Education should lie on what is happening on classroom level. And here high quality Physical Education programmes – put in place by Physical Education teachers – should provide guidance to ensure that children are able to participate safely in all forms of school Physical Education with their best interests being of highest importance.

 

How can Quality Physical Education be implemented by the teachers?

Quality Physical Education implemented by Physical Education teachers should give consideration to principles like a clear structured teaching and learning processes; the optimal use of the allocated time with a maximum of time for physical activity; diverse methodical approaches; balanced aims, contents and methods; positive class climate; student-centered approach in teaching processes; adequate feedback or transparency of assessment.

To reach and monitor standards derived from these principles or others, Physical Education teachers should have support in form of tools they can use on school or classroom-level to be able to check or evaluate input, process and outcome quality of their Physical Education classes. The programme “qims” of the Swiss Federal Office for Sports (www.qims.ch) is an excellent example of such an instrument, which can be used by Physical Education departments or Physical Education teachers to analyse Quality Physical Education.

 

Which groups or organisations is the EUPEA Seminar targeting?

Primarily, the EUPEA Seminar targets the Member Associations of EUPEA, which are more than 30 Physical Education Teacher Associations all over Europe, and thus wants to bring together Physical Education teachers from all over Europe. Furthermore, the Seminar wants to attract experts from partner associations in the field of Physical Education, especially in Europe, but why not worldwide. Finally, it has to be said that the Seminar is open for any interested experts from the field of PE that want to contribute to a founded discussion around the main topic, which is Quality Physical Education.

 

What particular topics will be emphasised during the Seminar?

The Seminar will be structured in three parts:

1. Presentations about Quality Physical Education by experts in the field of Physical Education;

2. Round table with experts in Physical Education;

3. Discussions in working groups.

 

The aim is to provide the necessary input for the discussions in the working groups through these presentations and the round table. These discussions should turn around the main indicators for Quality Physical Education on different levels. On the structural level – mostly determined by policy makers – topics like Physical Education curriculum, time allocation, resources and PE teacher education are factors that influence the quality of Physical Education. On a more contextual level – mostly determined by school headmasters and/or Physical Education departments – we talk about topics like school-based curriculum, facilities and again resources and also time allocation. Finally, and this is most likely the level where Physical Education teachers have the most influence to implement Quality Physical Education, the classroom level, with teaching and learning processes that influence directly the process and product quality of Physical Education.

 

Following the seminar, EUPEA will be issuing a position statement. What will be its purpose and what are the expected next steps? 

This statement will reflect the view of EUPEA and its member associations, based on their expertise as Physical Education teachers in the frame of Quality Physical Education. It should express the view of the Physical Education teachers in Europe – represented by EUPEA – in the current discussions on Quality Physical Education, especially as a contribution to the follow-up of the MINEPS V conference with the implementation of the Declaration of Berlin and the UNESCO Quality Physical Education Guidelines that are on the way of being finalized.

 

The position statement will be finalised by the EUPEA Board members during the weeks following the Seminar, before it will finally be adopted by the EUPEA Forum, which brings together all EUPEA member associations. Once adopted, the position statement will be published on the EUPEA website and spread to the EUPEA network.

 

For more information and to subscribe to the Seminar (also possible on site): http://www.eupea.com/nl/x/389

 

Contact Claude Scheuer: claude.scheuereupea.com

 

Claude Scheuer short biography: Claude Scheuer, Physical Education teacher in primary and secondary schools for 13 years, now works at the University of Luxembourg for the research unit ECCS Education, Culture, Cognition and Society and teaches mainly in primary school teacher education. His research focuses on the basic motor qualifications of children and adolescents and the effects of physical education in school. In addition, he is responsible for several projects related to movement issues for the Luxembourgian Ministry of Education. He is a board member of the Luxembourgish Teacher Association (APEP) and has served since 2011 as the President of EUPEA (European Physical Education Association), which is the umbrella organization for more than 30 European PE teacher associations. Additionally, he is the vice delegate for Luxembourg for FIEP-Europe (Fédération Internationale de l’Education Physique) and has been an executive board member of ICSSPE since 2013.