New Publication: Beyond Silos – Professional Learning Across Boundaries in Physical Education and Teacher Education

A new publication by Dr Antonio Calderón, Deniz Hünük and colleagues explores professional learning across boundaries within an international physical education and teacher education project.

Reference

Hordvik, M., Castro-García, M., Beni, S., Calderón, A., Fernández-Río, J., Hünük, D., … Fletcher, T. (2026). Beyond silos: professional learning across boundaries in an international physical education and teacher education project. Sport, Education and Society, 1–17.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2026.2729825

Research Focus

The study examines professional learning across countries, institutions and professional roles within the PhysEd-Academy project.

The research highlights that realising the vision for collective action in teacher education requires more than structural collaboration. It depends on intentionally cultivating relational, reflective and boundary-crossing practices.

Working across different countries, institutions and professional roles is inherently complex and can be shaped by differences in language, culture and power. However, the study demonstrates how these differences can become generative when approached through porous boundaries, sustained dialogue and mutual recognition.

Key Findings

The research highlights the importance of creating safe and trusting spaces, embedding time for relational connection and designing flexible participation structures to enable learning through boundary crossing.

The study suggests that collective action is not simply a strategy for professional learning, but can provide a pathway for reimagining how learning, teaching and professional identities evolve within interconnected educational spaces.

The PhysEd-Academy project demonstrates how collective action can foster “continuity within diversity”, allowing teacher educators, in-service teachers and pre-service teachers to co-create knowledge and practices that are both locally grounded and internationally informed.

Read the Publication

Read the full article in Sport, Education and Society:

https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2026.2729825

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