The demographic composition of Europe has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, and migration within and from outside the EU has significantly increased. This sharp increase in migration and cultural diversity presents new challenges and opportunities in host countries for both the so-called majority and minority populations.
Physical education teachers and coaches are often at the forefront of these diversifying societies, and work with culturally, ethnically, and linguistically heterogeneous groups. Despite this, teachers and coaches have not been well prepared for the task of intercultural education through sport.
Against this background, the EDU:PACT project has aimed to improve the quality of pre-service and in-service education to prepare physical education teachers and coaches for inclusive intercultural education. Now, after nearly three years of work, we are proud to announce that we have taken a significant step towards achieving that goal through the release of the EDU:PACT Handbook.
The EDU:PACT Handbook presents the fundamental thematic and theoretical building blocks for successful intercultural education in sport. As such, its contents can be used flexibly and adapted according to different groups and local needs. The content from this handbook is divided into four distinct units and can be used as the basis for modules or individual courses meant to train physical education teachers or coaches on the different components of intercultural education. A selection of practical activities complements each unit in an interactive and hands-on fashion.
The handbook can be downloaded in English or German, other translations will be ready soon.
An online companion toolkit will be released in the coming weeks. We also welcome continued feedback on the handbook, and we would appreciate if you could take five minutes to provide your input in this short survey.
To find out more about the project, visit https://edupact.eu