Analysis of teachers’ cooperative learning strategies and practices in physical education

Abstract

ABSTRACT Teachers as implementers of the curriculum have a vital role in delivering (Casey et al., 2009) reflecting teaching approaches in physical education classes. Cooperative learning is a teaching approach that meets the curricular requirements in Germany as well as considers the increasing heterogeneity of students. However, there is limited research about strategies and practices, which teachers use to implement cooperative learning successfully in physical education. To bridge this gap, our study examines teachers’ perspectives on implementation strategies and application approaches of cooperative learning lessons. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 German physical education teachers based on the principle of contrasting. The interviews were conducted from October to November 2022 as problem-related interviews, guided by a theory-based semi-structured guideline. We used qualitative content analysis to analyse the interview data. Analysis was expanded to identify different types of practicing cooperative learning in physical education. The findings reveal that teachers address and implement forms of cooperative learning quite heterogeneously. Teachers’ implementation strategies were bottom-up, top-down or hybrid. Reactions to difficulties were avoidance, flexibility, implementing rules, training social skills or restructuring. In addition, five different types of cooperative learning practices were determined (‘the avoider’, ‘the quitter’, ‘the student-centred’, ‘the theory-led’ and ‘the flexible one’). While ‘the avoider’ and ‘the quitter’ type teachers stopped using cooperative learning, the other types used this teaching approach often in their physical education classes. ‘The flexible one’ used the hybrid implementation of cooperative learning and reported the lowest difficulties. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of teachers’ strategies and practices to depict how cooperative learning processes in physical education are implemented. Findings can be used to further develop concepts for cooperative learning in physical education. At the same time, this may help to better prepare teachers to realise cooperative learning arrangements and to deal successfully with corresponding challenges.