School sports - some hate it, others love it. Few subjects polarize pupils as much as physical education, particularly swimming lessons. The challenges of this school subject have become increasingly apparent in recent years: a lack of teachers, outdated facilities, limited diversity, and inequalities are just some of the difficulties that must be overcome in everyday school life. However, the question now arises about how the subject's future can and should be shaped.
Prof. Dr. Filip Mess, Head of the Associate Professorship of Didactics in Sport and Health, was invited by Deutschlandfunk to talk to presenter Maximilian Rieger about "Education - What the ideal school sport could look like." In the 50-minute program broadcast on May Day, 01.05.2024, the experienced educationalist discussed challenges and potential solutions for the school sports of tomorrow.
What are the pupils' needs?
Mess emphasizes that a more excellent balance needs to be found in PE lessons to cater to the individual needs of the pupils: "There are children and young people who do sport for performance reasons, to be able to compare themselves with others, whereas others do sport for social or health reasons. This diversity must be considered in PE lessons to ensure that no part of the student body is neglected."
However, grading must also be taken into consideration. There is still "room for improvement here, as grading has been heavily geared towards sports motor criteria such as measurable height or distance. However, other criteria, such as personal, social, and technical aspects, should be included in the area of sports theory in order to enable a fairer assessment. For example, how do the pupils behave in sports games, or how do they help to set up the exercises? My wish for the future is that these additional criteria are integrated into the grading," says Mess.
Policy failures regarding school sport in Germany
The educationalist also criticized political failings. There has been no comprehensive study on school sports in Germany since 2006. We are "flying blind because we don't even know what the levers are," said Mess. He explains that some education politicians shy away from empirical studies because they could reveal serious problem areas in PE lessons. "That doesn't look good for education and health policy. We want to carry out empirical studies but are often thwarted by the education ministries."
Nevertheless, he naturally has precise ideas about ideal teaching. Mess, who describes sport as his former favorite subject, explains that, at best, daily sports lessons should be integrated into the school day: "However, the implementation of concepts for an active and healthy school, where the architecture of the facilities also encourages children to exercise, has so far remained a utopia. Scandinavian countries serve as a model here, where movement is an integral part of everyday school life, and the design of the buildings encourages activity."
The theoretical teaching of health literacy in PE lessons is also crucial. "It enables students to carry out health-oriented training and understand the effects of exercises, increasing their exercise-related health literacy and motivating them to do more sport. However, it is important to emphasize that the physical activity field of sport should not be exclusively theorized, but that practical experience should also be provided," adds Mess.
School sport of the future
There are fundamentally different views regarding the discussion about performance debates in PE lessons. Filip Mess sums this up: "There are always two camps here. I think it's crucial to find a good balance. I still think performance comparisons are important." However, individual performance should also be encouraged in lessons without making comparisons and causing frustration among pupils.
Ultimately, physical education in schools has a dual objective, which should be brought back into focus in the future, as Filip Mess explains: "The mission of physical education is to get as many children and young people as possible excited about sport and to experience their sense of sport." Sports should promote physical fitness and convey critical educational goals such as fair play, cooperation, and tolerance. This requires modern, high-quality sports lessons that address pupils holistically and support their personal development.
To the homepage of the Associate Professorship of Didactics in Sport and Health
To the article "Education - What the ideal school sport could look like" on Deutschlandfunk radio
Kontakt:
Prof. Dr. Filip Mess
Associate Professorship of Didactics in Sport and Health
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
Phone: 089 289 24520
E-Mail: filip.mess(at)tum.de
Text: Bastian Daneyko
Photos: Private