Duration: 04/2026–03/2029
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
Funding reference number: 01JR2507A–D
Funding total: approximately 1.9 million euros for the consortium, of which approximately 720,000 euros is for the Oldenburg sub-project
Consortium partners: University of Oldenburg, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, European University of Flensburg and University of Osnabrück
Consortium coordination and management of the Oldenburg sub-project: Prof. Dr Jan Erhorn
Project staff for the Oldenburg sub-project: Anna Kinze and N. N.

QiS-Transfer investigates how a scientifically sound and empirically tested concept for training in inclusive physical education can be transferred to different higher education, continuing professional development and school settings and sustainably embedded there. The core of the project consists of competence profiles, video-recorded teaching cases, structured case-study methods and video-vignette-based assessment tools, which were developed in the preceding QiS project.

The teaching and learning formats are being further developed within regional transfer partnerships in collaboration with higher education lecturers, PE teachers, continuing professional development trainers and other practice partners. The transfer is understood not as the handing over of a ready-made ‘package’, but as a co-constructive and iterative development process. Design-based research cycles combine adaptation to local conditions with a systematic investigation of the resulting solutions.

The Oldenburg sub-project is responsible for coordinating the consortium and leads the transfer and transformation hub. In addition, it supports the regional transfer alliances in Lower Saxony, participates in subject-specific accompanying research and evaluation, and is responsible for the consortium’s digital media strategy and science communication. Complementary interdisciplinary research into implementation and governance examines which institutional conditions, forms of cooperation and steering processes support or hinder sustainable transfer.

Selected scientific foundations and preparatory work

• Meister, A., Erhorn, J., Brandes, B. & Buntjer, L. (2026). Competently Mastering Practising Phases in Inclusive Physical Education: Development of a Draft Sub-Competency Profile for Physical Education Teachers. Education Sciences, 16(9), 1390. DOI
• Erhorn, J., Langer, W., Meister, A., Pöppel, K. & Wirzing, D. (2025). Effects of a school placement on situation-specific skills for inclusive PE. Education Sciences, 15(5), 540. DOI
• Meister, A., Brandes, B. & Erhorn, J. (2024). Reflecting with pupils on the dimensions of challenge in inclusive physical education. QfI – Qualification for Inclusion, 5(3). Publication
• Erhorn, J., Wirzing, D. & Langer, W. (2023). Qualification of Prospective PE Teachers for Inclusive Physical Education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. DOI

Further information is available on the QiS-Transfer website

Young female elite athletes show a comparatively high prevalence of self-medicating with painkillers, thereby running the risk of causing long-term damage to their health and sporting performance. It should be borne in mind that, due to the symptoms associated with the menstrual cycle, young female athletes experience more instances of pain unrelated to sport than their male counterparts. The research project therefore involves the theory- and evidence-based development and evaluation of a painkiller prevention programme specifically tailored to female athletes in junior competitive sport.

The aim of this project, funded by the Federal Institute of Sports Science (running from July 2024 to June 2026), is to support young female elite athletes in making informed, independent decisions regarding painkiller use, to reduce excessive consumption and to strengthen their health literacy. The project is being carried out in co-operation with the elite sports schools at the Olympic Training Centres in Lower Saxony and Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein, as well as the Oberschule an der Ronzelenstraße (Bremen).

Project partners:

• Lower Saxony Olympic Training Centre, Hanover Elite Sports School
• Hamburg-Schleswig-Holstein Olympic Training Centre, Hamburg Elite Sports School
• Ronzelenstraße Secondary School, Bremen

Scientific Advisory Board:

• Prof. Anne-Marie Elbe (University of Leipzig)
• Prof. Jochen Mayer (Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Education)
• PD Dr Carsten Bantel (Oldenburg University Hospital AöR)

Project management:

• Department of ‘Sport and Education’ (Dr Katharina Pöppel)
• ‘Sport and Training’ Department (Prof. Dr Dirk Büsch)

Project funding provided by the Federal Institute for Sports Science (FKZ 2524BI0302, reference number: 070302/24-26)

Contact persons: Dr Katharina Pöppel, Noelle Storck

PLACE: Physical Literacy and Children Enrichment (Dr Katharina Pöppel, Dr Johannes Carl, Louisa Schmittwilken)

Duration: 04/2022–03/2025
Funding: Friedel & Gisela Bohnenkamp Foundation
Reference number: Wi 1.227
Funding amount: 144,917 euros
Project leader: Prof. Dr Jan Erhorn (PI)
Co-project leader: Dr Björn Brandes
Project team: Maria Rücker; Dr André Meister for a period of six months

“Früh schwimmt sich” was based on the observation that differences in access to learning to swim emerge even before children start school. In particular, children whose families are rarely able to provide them with experiences in the water need early and institutionally supported access to water familiarisation and water mastery.

The project developed and tested a scientifically sound and practically applicable training programme for early years educators. The aim was to equip these professionals to provide children with playful, safe and developmentally appropriate experiences in the aquatic environment. In addition to various training formats, video-based case studies and supporting materials for educational practice were produced. The trials were scientifically monitored to investigate the conditions for successful implementation and different training pathways.

Practical resources produced

• Brandes, B., Meister, A. & Erhorn, J. (in press). Guidance on basic swimming instruction in early years settings.
• Meister, A., Brandes, B. & Erhorn, J. (in press). Water Treasure Chest. Practical cards for basic swimming instruction in nursery schools.

Duration of the funding phases listed: 10/2021–08/2022
Funding: Corona Education and Support Fund for Children and Young People and the Friedel & Gisela Bohnenkamp Foundation
Totalfunding: 29,380 euros
Project leader: Prof. Dr Jan Erhorn
Co-project leader: Dr Björn Brandes

‘Move on Sunday’ provided primary school children with free, low-threshold access to physical activity, play and sport on Sundays. The activities took place in local school sports halls and could be attended without prior registration. The aim was to reach, in particular, children who have limited access to organised sports programmes.

The centre was on adaptable activity areas, a wide range of play and exercise opportunities, and the children’s active involvement in shaping the activities. Sport students supervised the children, offered suggestions and supported them in developing their own ideas for physical activities. The initiative thus combined the promotion of physical activity, participation and the opening up of school sports facilities to the wider community. The various funding phases are presented on the website as a single, coherent project.

Duration: November 2020–August 2023
Funding: Osnabrück Community Foundation
Funding amount: 105,220 euros
Head of the practice-oriented sub-project: Marina Bauhaus
Head of the academic support: Prof. Dr Jan Erhorn

The project consisted of two interlinked sub-projects. The sub-project led by Marina Bauhaus focused on the practical development and implementation of health-promoting initiatives in childcare centres. The scientific support, led by Jan Erhorn, examined the development processes, supported the conceptual framework and prepared the findings for further use.

The focus was on physical activity, nutrition and health-promoting daily routines for children under the age of three. In collaboration with staff from three childcare centres in the Schinkel district of Osnabrück, low-threshold opportunities for physical activity, health-related micro-projects and suitable forms of cooperation with parents were developed and tested. Particular emphasis was placed not only on providing the centres and staff with individual programmes, but also on supporting them in the sustainable further development of their educational practice.

Practical resources produced

• Bauhaus, M., Erhorn, J. & Scherf, A. (2024). Resources for physical activity and health within your own setting. A guide for nursery staff. Osnabrück Community Foundation. Publication
• Bauhaus, M., Erhorn, J. & Scherf, A. (2024). A treasure trove of physical activity ideas for children under three. A collection of ideas to promote health and a love of physical activity from the very beginning. Osnabrück Community Foundation. Publication
• Bauhaus, M., Erhorn, J. & Scherf, A. (2024). A Treasure Trove of Movement Activities for Children Under Three. 50 tried-and-tested play ideas for nursery children. Osnabrück Community Foundation. Publication

Duration: 02/2017–07/2021
Funding body: Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Funding reference number: 01NV1712
Funding amount: 391,119.03 euros
Project leader: Prof. Dr Jan Erhorn
Project team members: Leonie Möller and Dr Wiebke Langer

The QiS project developed and evaluated a higher education teaching methodology to train trainee physical education teachers for inclusive physical education. The starting point was the question of what professional demands teachers face in typical situations within inclusive physical education, and how students can be specifically prepared to recognise, interpret and address these demands.

Based on 104 video-recorded lessons from 14 classes at six schools, as well as 70 video-stimulated interviews, typical situations involving these demands were reconstructed and systematised. Building on this, requirement-situation-specific competence profiles, video vignettes, structured case study methods, a progressive teaching sequence and video-vignette-based assessment tools were developed. The effectiveness of the teaching and learning concept was examined both during the degree programme and during school placements.

The evaluations demonstrate significant improvements in situation-specific skills for the university teaching sequence. In contrast, no consistent additional increase in competence was observed for the subsequent school placement. Learning progress varied depending on the learning opportunities and support conditions within the respective placement context (Erhorn, Wirzing & Langer, 2023; Erhorn et al., 2025). The findings thus underscore both the potential of systematically guided video-based case work and the need to specifically align university and school-based practical learning opportunities. The competence profiles, teaching and learning formats and assessment tools developed in the project form the subject-specific and methodological basis of QiS-Transfer.

Selected publications and project results

• Erhorn, J., Langer, W., Meister, A., Pöppel, K. & Wirzing, D. (2025). Effects of a school placement on situation-specific skills for inclusive PE. Education Sciences, 15(5), 540. DOI
• Meister, A., Brandes, B. & Erhorn, J. (2024). Reflecting with pupils on the dimensions of challenge in inclusive physical education. QfI – Qualification for Inclusion, 5(3). Publication
• Langer, W., Bruns, J. & Erhorn, J. (2024). Development and validation of a test to measure situation-specific skills with regard to facilitating participation in inclusive physical education. In R. Stahnke & A. Gegenfurtner (Eds.), Teacher Professional Vision: Empirical Perspectives (pp. 232–248). Routledge. DOI
• Erhorn, J., Wirzing, D. & Langer, W. (2023). Training Prospective PE Teachers for Inclusive Physical Education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. DOI
• Langer, W., Bruns, J. & Erhorn, J. (2023). Development and Validation of a Video-based Test Instrument to Measure Noticing with Regard to Providing Individual Learning Support. Journal for Educational Research Online, 15(1), 51–73. DOI
• Langer, W. & Erhorn, J. (2023). Training prospective teachers for inclusive physical education. A university-level teaching sequence. HLZ – Challenges in Teacher Education, 6(1), 500–518. DOI
• Langer, W., Bruns, J. & Erhorn, J. (2022). Development and validation of a video-based assessment tool focusing on recognition processes. German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research. DOI
• Erhorn, J. & Langer, W. (2022). Training prospective PE teachers for inclusive physical education – development and evaluation of a university-level teaching concept. Final report. Project report
• Erhorn, J., Langer, W. & Möller, L. (2020). Preparing trainee physical education teachers for inclusive physical education? German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, 50(3). DOI
• Erhorn, J., Langer, W. & Möller, L. (2020). Promoting and evaluation of situation-specific skills for inclusive physical education. QfI – Qualification for Inclusion, 2(1). Publication

Funding period for the sub-project: 07/2019–06/2022
Funding: Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and the Presidential Board of the University of Osnabrück
Total funding for the Research Training Group: 800,000 euros
Share allocated to the sports education project area: 130,000 euros
Head of the sports education sub-project: Prof. Dr Jan Erhorn
Project staff: Dr Catrin Wehrmann

This interdisciplinary Research Training Group investigated how domain-specific educational and learning processes develop in early childhood and how they can be supported pedagogically. The sports education sub-project focused on pedagogical interaction in physical activity programmes.

Based on video observations, the study examined how early years professionals engage with movement situations, how they support children’s activities, and which forms of interaction support children’s independent exploration as well as their movement-related educational and learning processes. The centre was therefore not on individual physical activity programmes, but on the quality of interaction between the professional and the child.

Selected publications

• Wehrmann, C. A. (2026). Educational interaction in physical activity situations in the context of early years settings. A video-based study. PhD thesis, University of Osnabrück. OsnaDocs
• Wehrmann, C. (2020). Moments of interaction between staff and children in physical activity situations. An exploratory study of three- to six-year-old children in early years settings. In J. Erhorn, J. Schwier & B. Brandes (Eds.), Movement – A Space for Learning. Transcript. DOI
• Erhorn, J., Schwier, J. & Brandes, B. (eds.) (2020). Movement – A Space for Learning. Opportunities for domain-specific learning in early childhood. Transcript.

Case-based teaching analysis in sports science

Duration: 07/2016–06/2019
Funding: Rector’s Programme at Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel
Funding amount: 96,000 euros
Project leaders: Prof. Dr Jan Erhorn, Dr Johannes Wohlers and Prof. Dr Manfred Wegner
Project team member: Dr Mareike Setzer

The project developed a systematically structured concept for case-based teaching within sports science degree programmes. The starting point was the question of how video-recorded classroom situations could be used to foster a professional perspective on sports pedagogy among students and to link theoretical course content more closely to the demands of school-based practice.

To this end, video-recorded lessons were analysed, typical challenge scenarios were identified and adapted for university teaching. The case work followed a progression in complexity: from more highly structured external cases, through ambiguous situations, to the analysis of students’ own teaching experiences. The cases were incorporated into a systematic case database and linked to analytical questions and subject-specific reference points.

Selected publications

• Setzer, M. (2020). Casuistic analysis of challenging situations in physical education. A qualitative study on the systematisation of video-recorded lessons. Dr Kovač Publishers. Publisher’s website
• Erhorn, J., Setzer, M. & Wohlers, J. (2019). Assessing the professional competences of physical education teachers? A proposal for an integrative and subject-based approach. Leipzig Sports Science Contributions, 60(2), 154–178. Publication
• Setzer, M., Wohlers, J. & Erhorn, J. (2018). Opportunities offered by an analysis of teaching challenge situations. In B. Brouër et al. (Eds.), LeaP – Networking in Teacher Education (pp. 195–209). Waxmann.
• Erhorn, J., Setzer, M. & Wohlers, J. (2018). Identifying and evaluating demanding situations faced by teachers in physical education. In E. Balz & D. Kuhlmann (Eds.), Sports Science in the Context of Education (pp. 74–76). Feldhaus.
• Erhorn, J. (2016). Observing physical education. Developing a professional perspective on sports pedagogy through the analysis of classroom situations. Die Grundschulzeitschrift, 30(2), 51–54.

Duration of the combined funding phases: 02/2014–03/2017
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research, programme ‘Culture Builds Strength. Alliances for Education’
Totalfunding: 277,242.60 euros
Project leader: Prof. Dr Jan Erhorn

Under the umbrella of ‘Sport: Alliances!’, twelve interrelated local projects were carried out. These were aimed in particular at children and young people whose opportunities to participate in sport, physical activity and cultural education were restricted by social, geographical or institutional barriers.

In collaboration with childcare centres, schools, sports clubs and other local partners, a variety of spaces for physical activity were developed: indoor and outdoor areas at childcare centres, the local neighbourhood, sports clubs, swimming pools, unconventional venues for physical activity and open-access sports halls. The aim was for children and young people not only to use these spaces, but also to explore them, help shape them and experience themselves as active participants in their social environment.

The various funding phases are presented on the website as a coherent programme-based project framework. This makes it clear that this was not a series of twelve independent small-scale projects, but rather the systematic development and testing of a socio-spatially oriented physical education approach.

Selected publications

• Erhorn, J., Axt, K. & Brandes, B. (2019). Language support through movement. A videographic study of interactions between caregivers and children with German as a second language. Early Education, 8(2), 81–88. Publication
• Erhorn, J. (2018). The open movement hall. Language development through movement for children with refugee backgrounds. In E. Balz & D. Kuhlmann (Eds.), Sports Science in the Context of Education (pp. 116–118). Feldhaus.
• Erhorn, J. & Faltinat, J. (2017). Cultural education and socio-spatial networking in the context of physical activity, play and sport. In K. Hübner et al. (Eds.), Participation. A Promise?! (pp. 259–265). kopaed.
• Erhorn, J. & Schwier, J. (eds.) (2015). Conquering urban spaces for physical activity. Sport alliances for children and young people. Transcript. Publisher’s website

Funding: Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation
Total funding: 8,000 euros, of which 4,000 euros were allocated to the part of the project led by Jan Erhorn
Project leaders: Prof. Dr Jürgen Schwier and Prof. Dr Jan Erhorn

This research project examined the significance of new sports and physical activity cultures for children and young people. The focus was on the appropriation of informal spaces for physical activity, the role of media portrayals, and the question of how physical activity practices within youth culture differ from traditional club and school sports programmes. The findings were incorporated into the Third German Report on Children’s and Young People’s Sport.

publication

• Schwier, J. & Erhorn, J. (2015). Trendy sports in childhood and adolescence. Physical activity cultures, spaces and media portrayals. In W. Schmidt (ed.), Third German Report on Children’s and Young People’s Sport (pp. 179–200). Hofmann.

Duration: 07/2011–09/2013
Funding: International Building Exhibition Hamburg
Funding amount: 73,000 euros
Project leaders: Prof. Dr Ingrid Bähr, Prof. Dr Claus Krieger and Dr Jan Erhorn
Content management and coordination of the academic support: Dr Jan Erhorn

The scientific support facilitated the development of the Language and Movement Centre in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg as an integral part of the local educational landscape. It was not limited to a retrospective evaluation, but provided process- and development-oriented support throughout the centre’s establishment.

Areas of work included analysing the needs of different target groups, describing and connecting local educational partners, developing an impact framework and criteria for the use of the premises, as well as workshops with the participating organisations. In addition, video-based sub-studies were carried out and practice-oriented materials were developed for childcare centres, schools and out-of-school educational programmes. The final evaluation consolidated the findings and derived recommendations for the centre’s future work.

Selected publications and materials

• Erhorn, J., Moormann, S. & Singhoff, R. F. (2015). Language development through movement within a local educational landscape. Motorik, 38(3), 171–180. Publication
• Erhorn, J. (2014). Language development in physical education. An exploratory study on the language-promoting potential of physical education in primary schools. Spectrum of Sports Sciences, 26(1), 25–47. Publication
• Erhorn, J. & Bähr, I. (2013). Report on the accompanying scientific research conducted by the Language and Movement Centre on the Elbe Islands. Project report
• Erhorn, J. (2013). Accompanying scientific research on the Language and Movement Centre on the Elbe Islands. In A. Gogoll & R. Messmer (Eds.), Sports Education: Between Stagnation and Arbitrariness (pp. 126–131).
• Arzberger, C. & Erhorn, J. (2013). Language development through movement. Movement activities for toddlers and pre-school children. Guidance note
• Arzberger, C. & Erhorn, J. (2013). Language development through movement. Language-conscious physical education and active German lessons. Teaching resource
• Arzberger, C. & Erhorn, J. (2013). Language Development in Motion. Language-Aware PE Lessons and Active German Lessons. Teaching resource
• Erhorn, J. (2012). The Educational Network of the Language and Movement Centre. First interim report on the accompanying scientific research.

Scientific support for the ‘Fit through School’ project in Hamburg

Duration: 09/2010–08/2011
Funding: AOK Rheinland/Hamburg
Funding amount: 12,500 euros
Project leaders: Prof. Dr Claus Krieger, Prof. Dr Ingrid Bähr and Prof. Dr Jan Erhorn
Coordination of the scientific support: Dr Jan Erhorn

The scientific support assisted schools in Hamburg in developing and sustainably embedding initiatives that promote physical activity and health. It combined a systematic analysis of the schools’ initial situations with advice, ideas for development and an examination of specific implementation experiences.

One key focus was on organising active break times. To this end, existing concepts were examined, schools with tried-and-tested practices were visited, and solutions were developed regarding the selection of equipment, storage, lending arrangements and pupil participation. Other areas of work included the training of pupil helpers, forms of cooperation within schools and the conditions under which physical activity programmes can be sustained beyond individual project phases.

Publications and materials

• Erhorn, J. & Krieger, C. (2011). Scientific support for the ‘Fit through School’ project in Hamburg. Final report. Project report
• Erhorn, J. & Krieger, C. (2011). Scientific monitoring of the ‘Fit through School’ project in Hamburg. Interim report.
• Erhorn, J. & Krieger, C. (2011). Active Break. Practical appendix to the final report with guidance on the selection of equipment and materials, on loan procedures and on pupil participation.

Introduction

In discourses on sports pedagogy and didactics, the concept of reflection emerges as a central element of an approach aimed at fostering agency (Serwe-Pandrick, 2013), education (Beckers, 2013) and competence-oriented (Messmer, 2014) or good physical education (Wolters et al., 2009), although it is neither uniformly defined nor operationalised. This makes it difficult to draw a clear distinction between it and other terms and conceptual approaches (Bates, Ramirez & Drits, 2009). Nevertheless, physical education teachers face a wide range of demands regarding the guidance and support of reflective phases in physical education, which, according to the findings of empirical studies (Hapke, 2018; Lüsebrink & Wolters, 2017), they rarely manage to meet. Serwe-Pandrick et al. (2019) highlight that there is a gap in the literature regarding how reflective practices in physical education manifest differently or similarly under varying conditions. Against the backdrop of the thesis’s research question – namely, how and for what purpose reflective discussions are conducted in everyday physical education – this dissertation aims to identify the forms and functions of reflective processes in discussions within lower secondary school physical education. The findings are intended, on the one hand, to enable a more precise use of the term ‘reflection discussion’ and, on the other hand, to serve as an empirically grounded counterpoint to the predominantly normative discourses on the legitimation and methodological implementation of reflection phases in physical education.

Theoretical framework

Across disciplines, reflection and reflexivity are attributed a mediating function. Through reflection, ‘insight’ (Ehni, 1979, p. 191), a ‘deeper understanding’ (Wolters et al., 2009, p. 70) or ‘competence’ (Reis, 2009, p. 100) can be attained. Reflection following motor activity is therefore linked to the expectation of being able to achieve the general educational objectives of physical education, in that pupils become capable of acting in society not only operationally but also reflectively (Schierz & Thiele, 2013). Here, points of reference to philosophy and general pedagogy become apparent, where a wide range of definitions and concepts relating to reflection exist (Lenske & Lohse-Bossenz, 2023). However, these are often fundamentally based on the approaches of John Dewey (‘reflective thinking’, 1910) and Donald Schön (‘reflective practitioner’, 1983). Irritating – that is, unsettling, surprising or disturbing – experiences can serve as a starting point for reflective thinking (Dewey, 1910). The subsequent mental engagement with these experiences is often depicted in models of reflection as a series of sequential phases. The EDAMA model developed by Aeppli and Lötscher (2016), which is used as a heuristic for identifying reflection processes within the data, divides reflection processes into five phases (experience, representation, analysis, development of measures, application), which draw on various prominent models of reflection cycles and involve different operations (Aeppli & Lötscher, 2016, 83). Within these phases, different perspectives can be adopted and various aspects of thinking addressed. Furthermore, the model is considered sufficiently open, as it is intended as a framework model that can vary under specific conditions.

One reason for examining conversational sequences is that teaching is situationally generated by the participants through conversations, understood as language in interactive contributions (Imo, 2023). A further justification is the assumption that reflective processes can be verbalised in conversation and (co-)constructed by teachers and pupils (Vogel, 2022). Following a typological approach to classroom conversations (Hundsnurscher, 1989), the focus is placed on the forms and functions of different types of classroom conversation in which processes of reflection can be reconstructed. To narrow down the scope of the study, the following working definition was developed for the term ‘reflection conversation’:

‘A reflective conversation is defined as a conversation between at least two people, held in response to a disconcerting incident, to which a conscious reference is made in the ensuing conversation’ (Meister, 2024, p. 55)

Methodology

The data for this study comprises 23 double lessons in physical education (in lower secondary education across six classes at Hamburg district schools), which were video-recorded as part of the QiS project (Erhorn, Langer & Möller, 2019). The choice of this field is justified, on the one hand, by the broad scope of the data corpus for lower secondary education and, on the other hand, by the observation that the governing curricula for this field explicitly require reflection phases at this level. During participant observation, one camera was focused on the teacher (including a wireless microphone) and another on the entire sports facility. In order to identify reflective discussions, the data material was first reviewed in the light of the working definition. Relevant scenes, which were also of sufficient recording quality for analysis, were processed using the GAT2 conversation analysis transcription system (Selting et al., 2009). As part of the case-by-case analyses, the scenes were first evaluated sequentially and then interpretatively, using an adapted form of the Grounded Theory coding paradigm (Strauss & Corbin, 1990/1996). In order to systematise the conversations across cases, they were compared in terms of conversation- and reflection-related features and categorised according to interpretatively identified characteristics (Kelle & Kluge, 2010).

Results

The four or five conversation types identified (proprio-operative problem-solving reflective monologue; semi-cooperative and cooperative problem-solving reflective dialogue; Cooperative-reflective and Cooperative-evaluative reflective dialogue) differ in terms of the characteristics of the occasions for reflection with regard to the teachers’ degree of certainty and the extent to which they problematise issues, in terms of the characteristics of the conversations with regard to the degree of openness towards the pupils, and in terms of the characteristics of the consequences with regard to the pupils’ degree of (co-)determination in subsequent measures.

In the proprio-operative problem-solving reflective monologue and in the semi-cooperative problem-solving reflective dialogue, measures are determined solely by the teacher, meaning that the pupils’ degree of (co-)determination regarding the measures to be taken was classified as low. The proprio-operative problem-solving reflective monologue is also characterised by the fact that, during the retrospective presentation phase, only the teacher expresses their view of the events. This form of ‘clarification’ (Kokemohr, 1985) is regarded as an indication that, whilst the conversation aims to encourage pupils to reflect on their own behaviour—for example, through ‘calling them out’—it does not involve them at the level of the conversation itself.

This is different in the (semi-)cooperative problem-solving reflection dialogues, in which the pupils are involved at the level of the conversation during phases in which reference is made to the troubling experiences. In the reflective dialogues described as ‘cooperative problem-solving’, pupils are also closely involved in the development of measures by the teacher.

The cooperative-evaluative reflective dialogue is characterised by the fact that, although an evaluation takes place during the retrospective phase of the presentation – for example, of a counter-argument that has been put forward – this is not subsequently pursued and therefore no measures are developed. The ‘cooperative-reflective’ dialogue is also characterised by a lack of action planning in a prospective phase. Here, however, it is assumed that the teacher deliberately and with confidence in their interpretation steers the conversation towards past events, which may be contextualised but are not associated with future action. In these latter two types, the course of everyday conversations in physical education deviates from the prototypical form of the retro- and prospective phases of the EDAMA model.

Discussion and Outlook

Although dialogical structures are also evident in the observed conversations, forms of ‘unambiguisation’ (Kokemohr, 1985) in the teachers’ conversational behaviour, which prove functional in maintaining or establishing patterns of interaction, but rarely allow for in-depth, interactive engagement with the content. Against the backdrop of normative models of levels of reflection (e.g. Korthagen & Vasalos, 2005), which, amongst other things, assume that the impact of reflection is influenced by its depth, it can be criticised, with regard to teachers’ conversational practices, that conversational phases are rarely initiated in which pupils are encouraged to engage in (self-)critical analysis, reasoned argumentation or the development of appropriate measures. This criticism is also formulated on the basis of findings from empirical learning research on the effectiveness of dialogue-oriented conversations (Lipowsky & Rzejak, 2022).

Limitations of this study can be identified both in the data collection phase, specifically regarding the sampling strategy (data collection having already been completed based on a re-analysis of an existing data corpus), and in the data analysis phase, specifically regarding operationalisation and the precision of categorisation. Further research should focus in particular on validating the interpretative analysis through research methods such as the stimulated recall interview (e.g. Messmer, 2015). There are also potential avenues for follow-up research in the area of modelling the reflective conversation skills of (prospective) teachers (Meister, Brandes & Erhorn, 2024), as well as in identifying moments of confusion from the pupils’ perspective. With regard to the professional development of teaching staff, it is becoming apparent that the acquisition of dialogue-oriented conversational skills, particularly in situations of personal uncertainty (Hinzke, Boldt & Damm, 2023), is by no means a ‘didactic sure-fire success’ (Lipowsky & Rzejak, 2022, p. 66). With regard to professional development, the typology developed can serve as a starting point for expanding reflective conversational competence by raising awareness of one’s own conversational practices and broadening the range of potential conversational actions.

References

Aeppli, J., & Lötscher, H. (2016). EDAMA – A framework model for reflection. Contributions to Teacher Education, 34(1), 78–97.

Bates, A. J., Ramirez, L., & Drits, D. (2009). Connecting University Supervision and Critical

Reflection: Mentoring and Modelling. The Teacher Educator, 44(2), 90–112.

Beckers, E. (2013). Principles of educational physical education. In H. Aschebrock & G. Stibbe (Eds.), Didactic Concepts for School Sport (pp. 178–196). Meyer & Meyer.

Dewey, J. (1910). How We Think. D.C. Heath & Company.

Döhring, V., & Gissel, N. (2016). Planning and evaluating physical education: A practical guide for teachers and students (4th revised ed.). Schneider-Verlag Hohengehren.

Ehni, H. W. (1979). Action-Oriented Physical Education Pedagogy. In S. Größing (Ed.), Spectrum of Physical Education Pedagogy (pp. 173–206). Limpert.

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