The ups and downs of CLIL lessons: a qualitative study on 21st century skills promotion in physical education

Abstract

The promotion of 21st century key skills is crucial to build 21st century citizenship. The purpose of this research was to examine teachers’ and students’ views on the use of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach in Physical Education regarding the development of 21st century skills and the syllabus covered in lessons. In-depth open-ended interviews were carried out with 25 participants, who shared their understandings based on their experiences when using CLIL. The findings give an in-depth insight into what 21st century skills are more used and the extent to which they are developed. While creativity and collaboration were promoted thanks to CLIL, interest and engagement depended on each student, and self-reflection was barely fostered. In addition, the lessons developed both linguistic and Physical Education knowledge, including body language, a specific content of the subject that has often been neglected. Some practical implications are inferred, highlighting the need to promote high-quality CLIL teacher training in order to ensure that CLIL is adequately applied and students can develop all the 21st century skills.