ERIC Number: EJ1458287
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1357-3322
EISSN: EISSN-1470-1243
Analysis of Teachers' Cooperative Learning Strategies and Practices in Physical Education
Carolin Schulze; Marcus von Huth; Torsten Schlesinger
Sport, Education and Society, v30 n1 p121-136 2025
Teachers as implementers of the curriculum have a vital role in delivering (Casey et al., 2009) reflecting teaching approaches in physical education classes. Cooperative learning is a teaching approach that meets the curricular requirements in Germany as well as considers the increasing heterogeneity of students. However, there is limited research about strategies and practices, which teachers use to implement cooperative learning successfully in physical education. To bridge this gap, our study examines teachers' perspectives on implementation strategies and application approaches of cooperative learning lessons. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 German physical education teachers based on the principle of contrasting. The interviews were conducted from October to November 2022 as problem-related interviews, guided by a theory-based semi-structured guideline. We used qualitative content analysis to analyse the interview data. Analysis was expanded to identify different types of practicing cooperative learning in physical education. The findings reveal that teachers address and implement forms of cooperative learning quite heterogeneously. Teachers' implementation strategies were bottom-up, top-down or hybrid. Reactions to difficulties were avoidance, flexibility, implementing rules, training social skills or restructuring. In addition, five different types of cooperative learning practices were determined ('the avoider', 'the quitter', 'the student-centred', 'the theory-led' and 'the flexible one'). While 'the avoider' and 'the quitter' type teachers stopped using cooperative learning, the other types used this teaching approach often in their physical education classes. 'The flexible one' used the hybrid implementation of cooperative learning and reported the lowest difficulties. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of teachers' strategies and practices to depict how cooperative learning processes in physical education are implemented. Findings can be used to further develop concepts for cooperative learning in physical education. At the same time, this may help to better prepare teachers to realise cooperative learning arrangements and to deal successfully with corresponding challenges.
Descriptors: Teaching Styles, Cooperative Learning, Learning Strategies, Physical Education, Physical Education Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Program Implementation, Educational Strategies, Barriers, Foreign Countries
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A