The Reinforcement of Physical Education Teachers Intercultural Competences (PETIC)

The PETIC project (Reinforcement of physical education teachers’ intercultural competences) aims to equip primary and secondary Physical Education (PE) teachers with the appropriate knowledge and skills to improve their own and their pupils’ intercultural competence levels. The project idea is based on current needs in education and the understanding of the importance of intercultural competences of teachers not only in terms of education but also in terms of social inclusion, democracy, prevention of conflicts, peacebuilding, and other issues related to multicultural societies. In this context, teachers and their competences are identified as key factors for change toward multicultural education and social inclusion. In this regard, Physical Education (PE) is recognized as a setting that can support intercultural learning and development of intercultural competences. The PETIC project has the following objectives: • to enhance the learning and teaching competences of PE teachers to design and implement competence-based didactic scenarios tailored to the needs of their multicultural pupils, • to ensure equal opportunities for all, • to encourage and involve schools and teachers without experience to work in schools with a high percentage of migrant and refugee students in remote and urban areas, • to transform PE into an intercultural environment open for learning, research, and expression, and • to guide all students, regardless of their cultural background, towards intercultural understanding, communication and sensitivity. Project outcomes include: Development of an eGuide for Intercultural Competences in Physical Education; Design of an ePlatform for Intercultural Competences in Physical Education; Design of didactic scenarios for the implementation of intercultural learning in PE classes; Training for teachers for intercultural competences and intercultural learning through PE in all project countries; Development of an Intercultural Competence Evaluation Instrument; and Establishment of a network of teachers from different countries to share best practices and experiences.