Professional competence(s) of physical education teachers: terms, traditions, modelling and perspectives

Abstract

The effectiveness of (physical education [PE]) teachers on students’ school performance (as well as the effectiveness of PE teacher education [PETE]) has been studied within different research paradigms. The evidence shows that the quality of students’ school performance is strongly dependent on the (PE) teacher and the quality of their teaching. Consequently, research into the effectiveness of PE teachers and the effectiveness of PETE has become a central subject of PE research. In this regard, there has been a competence-orientated shift in research on the effectiveness of PE teachers and PETE over the past 15 years. Focusing on competence-oriented PE teacher research, it becomes apparent that this is in a consolidation phase and that the advantages of the competence construct is not fully understood. In addition, the term ‘competence’ is used differently within PE teacher research. Accordingly, this theoretical article aims to clarify the concepts within competence-oriented PE teacher research, to present the different competence-oriented PE teacher research traditions, and to generate a typology and topology model of Professional Competence of Physical Education Teachers (Compe-PET model). The model assumes that the improvement of real-world performance is achieved through the following three developmental components: (1) the qualitative improvement of the aspects of competency (e.g., professional knowledge); (2) the improvement of the situated perception, interpretation, and decision-making skills (P-I-D); (3) through the deliberative practice of implementation of the quality criteria in one’s own teaching practice. Results are discussed with implications focusing on PETE and PE teacher research.