HOW CRITICAL SPORT PEDAGOGY CONTRIBUTES TO PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN GERMANY

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to substantiate the educational potential of sport in PE programs at school and to explore how critical sport pedagogy can contribute to these programs. To this end, the main ideas behind critical-emancipatory movements in Germany over the past 40 years are investigated and outlined. Due to the absence of a holistic approach, the focus of the current concept of educative PE in Germany is twofold: to educate toward sport and to educate through sport. In line with this concept, sport in society needs to be addressed without simply being adopted as a model. Following these core assumptions, this paper puts forward the thesis that sport has the potential to empower children to deal with their increasingly complex and contingent lifeworlds, which is important when facing future challenges such as social issues and, thus, provides pedagogical legitimization of PE as a school subject.