Education and Physical Activity in Childhood: Current Challenges and Perspectives Proceedings of the 4th CIAPSE Congress

Like most school subjects and their respective mother sciences and research areas, physical education faces severe challenges caused by recent political and social developments. Due to the implementation of international guidelines and increased immigration, inclusion and intercultural learning, as well as corresponding teacher training, will be critical issues for the educational sciences in general and for physical education in particular. This applies also to the use of new information and communication technology. How, how often, under what conditions and for what purpose should tools such as tablets, software apps and activity trackers be used by physical education teachers and other physical activity educators and practitioners? What are the benefits and the risks? However, the most relevant problem the field of physical education and physical activity is currently confronted with is the changing physical activity behaviour of children and youth, particularly in developed countries. A joint effort of researchers, educationalists, politicians, and teachers is needed to determine the causes of young people’s physical inactivity and develop effective strategies and programmes that can be implemented in school as well as community settings in general. At the 4th CIAPSE Congress in Luxembourg, leading researchers and educationalists from all over Europe addressed these challenges and developments and presented innovative concepts. The main topics and sub-themes were: - The Promotion of Physical Activity and Play in Children - Physical Literacy in Children - Physical Education in Early Childhood and Primary Education - Physical Education Teacher Education in Early Childhood and Primary Education - Physical Activity in Active School Settings - Physical Activity for Health Promotion and Active Community in a Sustainable and Healthy World - Intercultural Learning, Diversity and Inclusion in Physical Education and Physical Activity - Physical Education, Physical Activity and New Technologies