Latest News from the Institute

Workshop on “The Benefits of Text-Generating AI in the Context of Lesson Planning for Physical Education Teachers.”

We are delighted to welcome Amelie Sörries as a new member of our institute. She will be covering for Daniel Klein during his parental leave, taking on the role of program coordinator for the Teacher Education in Educational Sciences program as well as teaching the corresponding courses. In addition, she is working at the Institute of Movement and Neurosciences, where she is also taking over teaching duties. Previously, she was employed there as a research assistant on the ComeSport project and was active in teaching. We wish Amelie a successful start!

On January 30, 2026, student teachers from the German Sport University Cologne organized a sports festival for approximately 60 seventh-grade students from the Heliosschule Cologne. From 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the classes moved through various activity stations in the hall of the Hockey-Judo Center Cologne, which had been developed beforehand by the students. This was the first time the sports festival was held in a gymnasium. The spatial conditions provided ideal conditions for multiple stations to take place simultaneously. This allowed the students to try out different athletic challenges while also completing cooperative tasks. The sports festival is part of the bachelor’s seminar “Special Topics in Subject Didactics” in the teacher training program, led by Katrin Strub. In the seminar, the students independently planned differentiated physical activity programs and addressed issues of instruction, individualization, and inclusive design. The goal was to combine subject-specific content with a motivating and fun physical experience. During the event, the students took charge of organizing, instructing, and adapting the activities. The project gave them the opportunity to apply and reflect on key course content under real-world school conditions. For the students, this created a structured physical education program outside of regular classes that combined physical activity, collaboration, and positive experiences of being active.

In the QUA-LiS NRW podcast “Subject-Specific Pedagogy for Practice,” subject experts offer fascinating insights into their work.

What defines modern school physical education?

On November 12, 2024, the team from the Department of Sports Pedagogy at the University of Wuppertal, led by Prof. Frohn, hosted the 17th Wuppertal School Sports Symposium at the Unihalle.

On 17th March, 2026, this year’s 26 graduates of the supplementary certification programme in physical education were honored. Lena Brack (Institute of Sport Didactics and Physical Education) and Anke Raabe-Oetker ( Institute for Movement Therapy and Movement-oriented Prevention and Rehabilitation) presented the certificates in a formal ceremony. Elmar Kugel, department head at the Cologne District Government, also sent his congratulations. In sports enrichment classes, students are to be holistically supported in small groups and without the pressure of grades, through a variety of physical activity programmes that supplement mandatory physical education classes. This additional programme is thus a key component in fulfilling the dual mission of school physical education: fostering a culture of physical activity, play, and sports, as well as promoting development through physical activity, play, and sports. As part of the two-semester, additional qualification, the students were prepared to holistically support students with diverse emotional, social, and motor needs in heterogeneous learning groups. The focus was on the possibilities for differentiating and individualizing physical activity programmes. In addition, various diagnostic methods were taught to analyse students’ initial learning levels and plan support measures accordingly. A central component of the certification was the practical phase at cooperating inclusive schools. Here, students had the opportunity to independently plan, implement, and reflect on movement activities designed to support student development. Among other things, psychomotor approaches were tested in practice and applied in real classroom situations. Participants highlighted this close integration of theory and practice as particularly beneficial. The students’ feedback made it clear that the sports support classes were not perceived as a “remedial programme,” but rather as a positive and appreciative opportunity. “The children seemed grateful and viewed participation as a privilege,” says graduate Maximilian Krischer. Graduate Sarah Rabe reflects: “‘Good’ physical education for students with special needs means, above all, providing guidance, recognizing individual strengths, valuing small progress, and creating an atmosphere in which all children feel accepted.” The additional qualification is offered in cooperation with the district government and inclusive schools and will be available once per semester under the direction of Lena Brack, Anke Raabe-Oetker, and Andrea Kurth. For more information, visit the website for the additional qualification in sports enrichment classes .

On March 17, 2026, this year’s 26 graduates of the supplementary qualification in sports promotion were honored at a certificate ceremony. Elmar Kugel, a department head at the Cologne District Government, also sent his congratulations. As part of the two-semester, free supplementary qualification program, students were prepared to holistically support students with diverse emotional, social, and motor needs in heterogeneous learning groups. The program focused on the possibilities for differentiating and individualizing physical activity programs. In addition, various diagnostic methods were taught to analyze students’ initial learning levels and plan support measures accordingly. A central component of the program was the practical phase at cooperating inclusive schools. Here, students had the opportunity to independently plan, implement, and reflect on support-oriented physical activity programs. Among other things, psychomotor approaches were tested in practice and implemented in real classroom situations. Participants particularly highlighted the close integration of theory and practice as a valuable aspect. The students’ feedback also made it clear that the sports support classes were not perceived as a “remedial program,” but rather as a positive and appreciative offering: “The children seemed grateful and viewed participation as a privilege,” says graduate Max Kirscher. Graduate Sarah Rabe reflects: “For me, good sports enrichment classes mean above all providing guidance, recognizing individual strengths, valuing small progress, and creating an atmosphere in which all children feel accepted.” The additional qualification is offered in cooperation with the district government and inclusive schools and will be available once per semester under the direction of Lena Brack, Anke Raabe-Oetker, and Andrea Kurth. Further information on the additional qualification

We are very pleased to welcome Lena Brack as a new member of our institute.

We warmly welcome Alina Kulüke and are delighted to have her join our institute as a new staff member. As a project researcher on the “ReLePro – Diversity in School Sports” project, she will be conducting research on current issues related to reflective learning support in physical education, working alongside student researchers Rosanna Stotko and Fee Lieber. The goal of her work is to promote effective and diversity-sensitive physical education. Previously, Alina worked as a research assistant in the Diversity Research Department of the Institute for Sociology and Gender Studies. We wish Alina a successful start and hope she enjoys her work on the project!