Disentangling Inclusion in Primary Physical Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Disentangling Inclusion in Primary Physical Education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Pedagogy and didactics; Cooperation between educational institutions and business; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

Context/background
Inclusion requires teachers to develop methods and ways to fully include young people including those with additional needs (AN) in school, but which also benefit everybody. Physical Education (PE) has holistic benefits for all in physical, social and cognitive domains. There are additional benefits for children with AN including the development of motor skills, the reduction of the risk for secondary medical conditions, the promotion of cognitive development, and the promotion of language and communication. In the interest of the holistic development of young children, generalist primary school teachers teach all subjects of the curriculum in many countries while other countries have specialists PE teachers or both. Literature highlights the challenges teachers experience teaching PE, particularly as non-specialist teachers. The practices adopted by PE teachers are critical to the success of true inclusion policies. As teacher educators we believe from our work that it is challenging for teachers to find information and resources related to inclusion in PE in one specific platform.
Objectives
• To map the current situation with regard to accessing information and resources on inclusion in primary PE;
• To develop teacher training toolkit/resource to disentangle each of the above-mentioned challenges in primary PE;
• To make the toolkit/resource available in a free open educational platform (web application);
• To develop a teacher training toolkit for the implementation of this toolkit/resource.
Number and profile of participants
The consortium consists of the main partners University of Luxembourg (project coordinator), Dublin City University, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, University of Trnava, University of Edinburgh, University of Valladolid, Munster Technological University, European Physical Education Association (EUPEA). The project partners were represented in total by more than teacher educators, researches and teachers. They all have an expertise in primary PE as well as inclusion in educational settings.
Description of activities
Through this strategic partnership, the consortium developed a central platform for a toolkit/resource, made available as a free open educational resource (web application), consisting of inclusive PE strategies. The toolkit/resource assists teachers to easily access information, resources and tools to assist their teaching of PE to include all children in PE lessons, with a focus on children with the following additional needs: obesity, physical disabilities, motor differences, cultural differences (migrants, refugees), social and emotional challenges, chronical diseases (diabetes, asthma, …), gender challenges, language challenges.
Activities
Three transnational project meetings, one learning, teaching, training activity and eight multiplier events were implemented and five intellectual outputs were developed during the three-years project lifetime.
Results
• A free open educational resource (web application) for teachers to access information, pedagogical tools and resources to include all children in Primary Physical Education lessons to allow quality learning to support children’s well-being, physical literacy and lifelong physical activity.
• A teacher training resource/toolkit to facilitate the implementation of the educational resource.
• Strengthening of primary school teachers in the delivering of inclusive PE.
• Access for teacher educators in initial, induction and in-service teacher training to new, innovative resources allowing them to disentangle inclusion in primary PE in the training of student teachers.
Impact attained
The pedagogical skills and competences of a large number of teachers and student teachers were enhanced through the development of thematic modules on inclusion challenges in primary PE and the free open educational resource. By using these resources, they were enabled to diversify their pedagogies in related with issues related to inclusion in primary PE. Furthermore, a large pool of teacher educators took benefit from these resources, as well as of the teacher training resource/toolkit.
Longer term benefits
The project outcomes and results are available on the project website as a free download. As project coordinator and leader, the University of Luxembourg ensures that each partner keeps the information visible on and/or via their respective websites and webpages beyond the project lifetime.

Project Website

https://www.dippe.lu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 246326,75 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITE DU LUXEMBOURG & Country: LU

Project Partners

• THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
• EUROPEAN PHYSICAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
• TRNAVSKA UNIVERZITA V TRNAVE
• DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY
• STICHTING HOGER BEROEPSONDERWIJS HAAGLANDEN
• UNIVERSIDAD DE VALLADOLID
• Munster Technological University