Violence Prevention Through Physical Education
The concept of the workshop was elaborated by the involved partners in 2018, set up and adjusted to the needs of the Egyptian school system. Aiming for the reduction and prevention of violence and bullying in Egyptian society, 21 P.E. teachers from 11 governorates and two representatives of the Egyptian Ministry of Education took part in this year’s workshop. The two lecturers, Dr. Petra Guardiera, professor for school sports and development, as well as Dr. Monika Thomas, professor for sport didactics and school sports, were joined virtually to lead the workshop.
The workshop encompassed theoretical lessons, reflection tasks as well as practical exercises. Being one of the main challenges in Egyptian schools, the participants discussed the definition of violence, which occurs between students, between teachers and students or in the form of vandalism. The P.E. teachers also exchanged opinions regarding different violence phenomena, which can be seen in various verbal, physical or sexual forms.
It is important to state that physical activities do play a significant role in preventing violence and bullying. “Physical Education isn’t only meant to promote movement, but it also supports personality development since students learn positive values, such as teamwork and respect, which influence their behavior outside of class as well”, emphasized Thomas. The practical exercises that the lecturers performed with the participants showed how certain activities in P.E. lessons can create opportunities for conveying important values. By playing the game the magic stick, participants recognized for instance that both leadership and teamwork are necessary – values from which children and young people benefit.
Moreover, the lecturers explained how P.E. lessons can help target the educational needs of students, such as a sense of belonging, a sense of autonomy as well as skill development. In this context, the participants watched a video of an exemplary P.E. lesson in Germany, through which they were able to see its structure and the theoretical basics behind its planning. The participants found it particularly interesting that students were seen writing and developing game strategies together and in cases of infringements were referred to the set of rules they had created in the event of rule violations.
As a result, the group widely discussed possible penalties for students. The lecturers emphasized that penalties are not meant to embarrass students in front of the entire class. “It’s not about saying ‘you’re bad’, rather ‘your behavior wasn’t OK’. Penalties refer only to the behavior and the student must have an opportunity to get out of this situation”, explained Guardiera. In addition to that, it is important for the teacher to remain calm and not exert any aggression, since they are considered to be the students’ role model. Teachers should communicate with students on equal terms, especially with those who frequently show aggressive and difficult behavior. They should try to identify the triggers for this behavior since these are often connected to peer pressure or domestic violence.
All in all, the active participation of the P.E teachers and their eagerness to engage in discussions left an extremely positive impression. The participants stated that they benefited immensely from the intense exchange of experiences, the discussions on new theoretical knowledge as well as the practical activities. The P.E. teacher Asmaa Aslsayed from Ismailiyya said she would apply the newly learned methods during her sports lessons “to promote positive values for my students, such as opinion expression, leadership and strategy”. Nermin Al-Adawy from North-Sinai agreeably added that she has learned “the most effective methods to reduce violence in the school context, especially in P.E. lessons.”
The workshop also contained a train the trainer component, enabling participants to organize workshops and transfer their newly learned knowledge to their colleagues. The participant Islam Anwar from Alexandria reported that he is planning “a workshop on physical education in different schools in Alexandria”. Ahmed Ahmed from Al-Ismaileya suggested organizing workshops not only for teachers but also for students, with the primary goal of “raising awareness against bullying”. Concerned with sustainable outcomes, Mai Almasri from Damietta suggested “promoting scientific research on violence in educational institutions and finding scientifically based solutions.”