In a world of cultural, economic and social change, physical education (PE) as a curriculum subject has remained something of a constant (e.g., Penney, 2008; Tinning, 2012). That is, at its core, PE remains a subject focused on the development of sports skills and/or an opportunity to engage in physical activity for the development of lifelong physical activity habits. These forms of PE have been criticised by some for being narrow (Gray et al., 2015), neoliberal (Evans, 2014), gendered (Camacho-Miñano et al., 2021) and ableist (Evans and Penney, 2008), working more for the benefit of some than others.

However, such views perhaps do not tell the whole story. For example, our recent work analysing PE curricula, and working with PE teachers from across the four nations of the UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), demonstrated that whilst recurrent features of PE were evident, there were also notable differences in how PE was conceptualised and enacted across country contexts (Gray et al., 2022).

What we learned from talking across borders

Reflecting on these differences – in conversation with others – afforded opportunities for critical thinking, learning and innovation. Our analyses of the teachers’ discussions revealed that, in sharing and analysing curriculum experiences across jurisdictions, practitioners began to generate critical questions and discussions about the nature and purpose of PE in general, and in their own context specifically (Gray et al., 2022).

Such learning has been valuable within our own contexts, but we were keen to extend this conversation across European borders and therefore sought opportunities for further discussions through which we might learn more with/from European colleagues.

This resulted in the creation of the EERA-funded seminar series – ‘Physical Education Curriculum Learning across European Borders’.

Introducing the EERA Network 18 seminar series

This blog serves as an introduction to the seminar series, which is being led by Dr Shirley Gray and Dr Oliver Hooper (Link Convenor of Network 18 – Research in Sport Pedagogy) and supported by the UKPE Collaborative as well as members of NW18. The aim of the year-long project – commencing in October 2025 and running until August 2026 – is to facilitate cross-border dialogue among PE researchers and practitioners (e.g., teachers and student teachers) from across Europe, to support critical and creative thinking and to allow participants to begin to re-imagine PE for a more socially just future.

The series comprises seven online seminars and covers, in addition to the UK, 12 different country contexts (namely, Austria, Spain, Finland, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, Turkey, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the Netherlands), allowing researchers from across Europe to share their research and/or their critical perspectives on their local PE curricula. During each seminar, presenters and audience members explain and explore the different PE curricula and consider the value of cross-border dialogue to facilitate critical thinking and professional learning. The series culminates at ECER 2026, with a pre-conference, in-person workshop that looks to:

• Synthesise the issues/discussions raised during the seminar series and consider the implications for PE across European borders,
• Critically reflect on these issues, identifying key areas of learning around PE curriculum,
• Co-create new ideas/principles for future PE curricula across Europe, and
• Reflect on the value(s) of cross-border curriculum dialogue and learning.

After each seminar, speakers are invited to write a short blog post summarising their presentation and reflecting on their cross-border learning. Collectively, these blogs will help sustain and extend the conversations beyond the seminar series, as well as generate ideas for future research in this area.

What to expect from this blog series

This blog serves as an introduction to the seminar series, which is being led by Dr Shirley Gray and Dr Oliver Hooper (Link Convenor of Network 18 – Research in Sport Pedagogy) and supported by the UKPE Collaborative as well as members of NW18. The aim of the year-long project – commencing in October 2025 and running until August 2026 – is to facilitate cross-border dialogue among PE researchers and practitioners (e.g., teachers and student teachers) from across Europe, to support critical and creative thinking and to allow participants to begin to re-imagine PE for a more socially just future.

The series comprises seven online seminars and covers, in addition to the UK, 12 different country contexts (namely, Austria, Spain, Finland, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, Turkey, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the Netherlands), allowing researchers from across Europe to share their research and/or their critical perspectives on their local PE curricula. During each seminar, presenters and audience members explain and explore the different PE curricula and consider the value of cross-border dialogue to facilitate critical thinking and professional learning. The series culminates at ECER 2026, with a pre-conference, in-person workshop that looks to:

• Synthesise the issues/discussions raised during the seminar series and consider the implications for PE across European borders,
• Critically reflect on these issues, identifying key areas of learning around PE curriculum,
• Co-create new ideas/principles for future PE curricula across Europe, and
• Reflect on the value(s) of cross-border curriculum dialogue and learning.

After each seminar, speakers are invited to write a short blog post summarising their presentation and reflecting on their cross-border learning. Collectively, these blogs will help sustain and extend the conversations beyond the seminar series, as well as generate ideas for future research in this area.

Key Messages

• Physical education (PE) as a curriculum subject often remains focused on the development of sport skills and lifelong physical activity habits.
• PE has therefore been critiqued for being narrow, neoliberal and ableist, working more for the benefit of some than others.
• Cross-border conversations about curriculum policy and enactment can support critical discussion, facilitate learning and shape more inclusive practice.
• An EERA-funded seminar series has been established to explore PE curricula across 12 European contexts and facilitate cross-border learning for a more socially just future.

Other blog posts on similar topics:

References and Further Reading

Camacho-Miñano, M. J., Gray, S., Sandford, R., & MacIsaac, S. (2022). Young women, health and physical activity: Tensions between the gendered fields of Physical Education and Instagram. Sport, Education and Society, 27(7), 803–815. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2021.1932455

Evans, J. (2014). Neoliberalism and the future for a socio-educative physical education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 19(5), 545–558. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2013.817010

Evans, J., & Penney, D. (2008). Levels on the playing field: The social construction of physical ‘ability’ in the physical education curriculum. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 13(1), 31–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408980701345576

Gray, S., Hooper, O., Hardley, S., Sandford, R., Aldous, D., Stirrup, J., Carse, N., & Bryant, A. S. (2022). A health(y) subject? Examining discourses of health in physical education curricula across the UK. British Educational Research Journal, 48(6), 1161–1182. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3820

Gray, S., MacIsaac, S., & Jess, M. (2015). Teaching ‘Health’ in Physical Education in a ‘Healthy’ Way. RETOS: Nuevas Tendenies En Educacion Fisica Deportes y Recreacion, 28, 165–172. https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/teaching-health-in-physical-education-in-a-healthy-way/

Gray, S., Sandford, R., Stirrup, J., Aldous, D., Hardley, S., Carse, N. R., Hooper, O., & Bryant, A. S. (2022). A comparative analysis of discourses shaping physical education provision within and across the UK. European Physical Education Review, 28(3), 575–593. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X211059440

Penney, D. (2008). Playing a political game and playing for position: Policy and curriculum development in health and physical education. European Physical Education Review, 14(1), 33–49. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X07085708

Tinning, R. (2012). The idea of physical education: A memetic perspective. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 17(2), 115–126. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2011.582488

UKPE Cross-border Learning and Innovation Collaborative – Making space for interdisciplinary research, dialogue, and collaboration in Physical Education and Health and Wellbeing. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2026, from https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/ukpe-collaborative/