Didactics concepts used in physical education and sports in Belgium (Wallonia-Brussels Federation)

Through the national and international investment of several scholars, the French speaking part of Belgium contributed to the development of the field of pedagogy and didactics applied to physical education (PE) and sports. However, on the same time, the definition of the pedagogical concepts did not necessary represent an important center of interest among the PE and sport community. Most of the time, the different concepts have been seen as relatively synonymous. Such pragmatism could be linked to the medical roots of the discipline and the secondary role initially given to the educational sciences in PE teacher education. Across the years, terminology changed along with the development of the human sciences and the influence of international inputs. Successive reforms of the education system brought new objectives and updated teaching approaches. PE had to adapt itself to respect the general educational guidelines and the specific characteristics of PE and sports contexts fostered the development of specific scientific approaches based on the educational sciences. Research findings on PE teaching and on PE teacher education provided relevant resources to improve teacher training as well as the quality of teaching. The enactment of requirements for teacher training necessitated strengthening alignment between PE teaching, PE teacher education and research in these areas. Nowadays, such alignment can be considered under the umbrella of the ‘intervention in sport’ that covers the ‘pedagogical encounter’ in all contexts where one can physical and sports activities.