Exploring critical incidents in children’s learning through physical education in Ireland and Switzerland

Abstract

Exploring critical incidents in how children learned during physical education lessons was the theme of an exchange programme involving teacher education students (n=8) and university lecturers (n=2) from Switzerland (HEP Vaud) and Ireland (Institute of Education, DCU) as part of the PEERS Project whose aim is to enhance collaboration on educational themes. They examined literature on observing lessons for critical incidents around learning and literature on teaching quality physical education to children (4-15 years). The project involved observation of teachers in Dublin (Ireland- n=5) schools and in schools in Vaud (Switzerland n=4) as they taught physical education. A key emphasis was on reflecting together on how critical learning incidents effected children’s learning during the provision of quality physical education lessons while students also shared cultural experiences. The students documented their learning as part of their final year coursework in both the Irish and Swiss universities. A final interview was conducted by the university lecturers investigating the students’ perceptions of their learning from the PEERS project underpinned by the concept of becoming global teachers.