Sports Education. Thought Internationally.

By taking into consideration differences between practical sports education at Landstede and more theoretical education at HHK, we aimed to exchange pedagogical and didactic techniques and an impa...

By taking into consideration differences between practical sports education at Landstede and more theoretical education at HHK, we aimed to exchange pedagogical and didactic techniques and an impact on teaching approaches and structural arrangements. By spending a short period in another EU country and interacting with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds, both teachers and students were expected to become more open to participation in similar international initiatives in the future. Furthermore, we aimed to be inclusive. By involving all students of the 5th year of the sports studies at HHK and all candidates from Level 4 at Landstede, we wanted to enhance team spirit and the relationship between students and teachers.

In both project years a teachers’ exchange took place first. During these mobilities, there were brainstorm sessions about the program of the students’ exchange. Additionally, at HHK, workshops were conducted by Jeroen Caers, a sports lecturer at Thomas More College who is an expert in digital (evaluation) tools for sports education. Student exchanges took place in February-March each year with a varied program including theory classes, sports activities, team-building and cultural events. HHK emphasized theoretical knowledge with a study visit to Bike Valley for scientific experiments in the first project year and to Sparx Sportainment Park to explore the CLUSK principle (a technique for developing sports exercises) in the second year. At Landstede, the emphasis was on the joy of doing sports and on peer teaching. Between the two project years, the International Coordinator at HHK visited Landstede for project evaluation of year 1 and the set up of project year 2 with the necessary adjustments.

During the implementation of the project, we managed to address all five needs and the additional research question outlined in the application. Need 1 : adaptations at the sports curriculum We conducted a SWOT-analysis on both sports education programs and provided a list of recommendations for the directors of both schools in order to improve the sports curriculum. Need 2: professionalisation of teachers During the mobilities, teachers gained insights for adjusting their teaching practices. Furthermore, at return, they noticed to be more motivated for their jobs. Need 3: insight in the intrinsic motivation of students Need 4: an international mindset for the students Students expressed enthusiasm and increased motivation after their international experiences, indicating a positive approach towards future international opportunities. Need 5 : inclusion In terms of inclusion, we ensured the participation of all students of the 5th year at HHK and all Level 4 candidates at Landstede. Additional research question We also examined the study and employment opportunities in the sports sector in Belgium and in the Netherlands. We took our findings into consideration while writing our recommendations to the management.