Quality of Teaching in Physical Education (QualiTePE)
Quality of Teaching in Physical Education (QualiTePE)
Teaching quality as the key factor for student success in physical education
This research project investigates the various understandings of high-quality physical education (Quality of Teaching in Physical Education) in ten European countries. The overall objective is the development of a common QualiTePE conceptual framework that defines core criteria of effective teaching in physical education as well as a digital QualiTePE evaluation tool that facilitates practice-based evaluation of teaching quality. To implement the framework and tool, QualiTePE resources are designed to further professionalise physical education teacher training programmes at higher education institutions.
Teaching quality has a clear impact on student success, but how can good teaching be defined? The pan-European QualiTePe research project aims to answer this question specifically for physical education. In order to systematically assess teaching and learning processes, it is necessary to determine what characterises good teaching. Numerous international empirical studies of the past two decades have consolidated teaching quality criteria into three generic dimensions: (1) classroom management that is clear, well-structured and designed to prevent disruptions; (2) a socio-emotional climate that promotes supportive, student-centred lessons; and (3) the potential for cognitive activation. These three dimensions form an empirical model of interdisciplinary pedagogical principles.
The first project phase explores the extent to which these pedagogical principles also apply to physical education lessons and how experts from various European countries understand what constitutes good teaching in the subject of physical education. These findings provide the basis for the QualiTePE conceptual framework.
In the next phase, the conceptual framework is used to develop the digital QualiTePE evaluation tool for teaching practice. The tool is intended for use in teacher training and professional development to enable criteria-based observation and assessment of the quality of physical education lessons.
The long-term introduction of the QualiTePE conceptual framework and evaluation tool into teacher training and professional development programmes is the focus of the third phase, in which QualiTePE resources (including handouts, presentations, video examples) are developed. These resources support instructors at higher education institutions in imparting the theoretical content of the framework to future teachers and in equipping them with the ability to put this knowledge into practice. The project thus makes a substantial contribution to enhancing teaching quality in physical education in Europe.
These objectives form the basis for the project’s three main questions:
1. How can dimensions and criteria of high-quality physical education be structured in a conceptual framework that is accepted throughout the whole of Europe?
2. How can quality criteria of effective physical education be digitally evaluated in teaching practice?
3. How can the QualiTePE conceptual framework and the QualiTePE evaluation tool be implemented in teacher training programmes in Europe?
Eleven partner organisations are collaborating in the project, which receives Erasmus+ funding; the various research partners focus on different aspects over the course of the project (January 2022 to June 2024). The University of Hamburg (UHH) is responsible for the development and validation of the QualiTePE evaluation tool, a core element of the research project. Open dialogue and collaboration among the European partners strengthens Hamburg’s standing as a place of research, thus generating an impact that extends beyond this project.
Contact
Lead
Prof. Dr. Erin Gerlach erin.gerlach@uni-hamburg.de
Coordination
Dr. Wiebke Langer wiebke.langer@uni-hamburg.de
Phase
ongoing
Period
1/1/2022–30/6/2024
Participating Institutions
Principal Investigator
Université du Luxembourg (Luxembourg, PI)
Universität Hamburg (Germany, PI)
Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich (Switzerland, PI)
Project Partners:
European Physical Education Association (Luxembourg)
Masarykova Univerzita (Czech Republic)
National University of Ireland, Cork (Ireland)
Université de Strasbourg (France)
Stichting Fontys (Netherland)
Univerza V Ljubliani (Slovenia)
Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)
Goeteborgs Universitet (Sweden)
Associated Partners:
CEREPS partners (Conseil Européen de la Recherche en Éducation Physique et Sportive – The European Council of Research in Physical Education and School Sport):
Pädagogische Hochschule Salzburg (Austria)
Universität Wien (Austria)
Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (Germany)
University of Jyväskylää (Finland)
Université de Lille (France)
Tranva University (Slovakia)
Universität Basel (Switzerland)
Funding Institutions
UHH, Erasmus+ 2021-1-LU01-KA220-HED-000032228 (335,388 €)