|  | Resources | No.55 January 2009 |
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Book Information: Olympic Education |
Roland Naul Oxford: Meyer & Meyer 189 pages In July, 2008, Roland Naul`s book on “Olympic Education” was published by Meyer & Meyer international publishing house. The book comprises five parts, with 15 chapters, informing about the history and promotion of Olympic education as well as on teaching approaches and evaluation studies: Part I: Olympic Games – Olympic Education – Olympic Pedagogy; Part II: The History of Olympic Education; Part III: The Promotion of Olympic Education; Part IV: Pedagogical Concepts and Teaching Approaches of Olympic Education; Part V: Evaluation Studies on Olympic Education. In this book, the “five steps of the promotion of Olympic education“ are reviewed, which include as a step the forthcoming Youth Olympic Games of 2010. In addition, the activities of the different International Olympic Committee (IOC) sub-committees (e.g. Education and Culture; Solidarity) and other partners (e.g. Olympic Truce), which also promote Olympic education, are reported on, along with the many National Olympic Academies and their Olympic education programs. The historical efforts of the International Olympic Academy (IOA) are highlighted. The IOA has disseminated Olympic ideals of education in sport activities since 1961 with annual sessions at ancient Olympia. Furthermore, some Olympic Study Centres (Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Spain, UK) around the world are reviewed and an outline of what extent they are involved in Olympic education matters within their university-based activities in teaching and research is commented on (cf. Part I: “Olympic Games – Olympic Education – Olympic Pedagogy“ and Part III: “The Promotion of Olympic Education“). In Part III of the book, 20 National Olympic Academies, from Australia through to Ukraine, are introduced with their different programs, including their national and continental networks of activities. All internationally leading sport nations are discussed also here. Another valuable information source contained within the book is a secondary analysis of a world-wide physical education audit of 35 countries. This shows that in only 5 of these countries, Olympic education has officially become a part of the national curriculum e.g. particularly in New Zealand and also in eastern parts of Europe (e.g. Poland, Czech Republic). Theoretical discussion on the purpose, structure and content of physical education concepts and Olympic education concepts are discussed in a special chapter (chapter 10.2, Part IV) as well. The book was launched on the occasion of the 6th International Olympic Forum of the Renmin University of China, Beijing. Contact Prof. Dr. Roland Naul Willibald Gebhardt Research Institute Essen, Germany Email: roland.naul@uni-essen.de http://www.icsspe.org/portal/index.php?w=1&z=5 Book Information: Olympic Education