Institute of Sport and Movement Sciences

The focus of research at the Institute of Sport and Movement Sciences (ISBW) is on promoting childhood and adolescent development in and through exercise, play and sports in different settings. The highlight of the research year in 2018 was organising the 2nd Essen Congress on Childrens’ and Youth Sports (funded by organisations including the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation and the NRW State Chancellery). The event offered experts from schools, clubs, associations, local authorities and academia the opportunity to discuss current developments in sports and physical exercise and learn more about innovative concepts.

The focus of work in “Social Sciences of Sport” (Prof. Ulf Gebken) is on externally-funded projects such as “Kicking Girls – social integration for girls through Soccer” (2009–2020, funded by the Laureus Foundation), “Language-sensitive school sport with refugees” (2016–2020), “Play, exercise and language with young refugees (SPUR)” (2016–2018, funded by the NRW State Ministry for Family, Children, Youth, Culture and Sport), “Open and Mini Sunday” on weekend sports and exercise for children and young people (2015–2019, funded by the RAG Foundation, Anneliese Brost Foundation and the NRW State sports federation, among others), and participation in “Diversity and Inclusion” under ProViel (2016–2019, funded by the BMBF). “KommSport” (2014–2019, funded by the NRW State Ministry of Family, Children, Young People, Cultural Affairs and Sport) is another project that sets out to offer all children in the community sports and physical exercise – wherever possible in a sports club – that meets their individual needs.

Two projects were conducted in “Movement and Training Sciences/Biomechanics of Sport” (Prof. Thomas Mühlbauer). One concerned the development, implementation and evaluation of user behaviour in relation to e-learning resources in the sports teaching BA programme. In the other, an outcomes-oriented teaching project was developed and evaluated in “Training Lab: Researching and understanding human movement”.

“Sports Pedagogy and Didactics”, led by Prof. Michael Pfitzner, began its work on 1st of April 2018 and is currently chiefly concerned with issues relating to promoting executive functions and professionalisation processes among prospective sports teachers. Project proposals have been submitted in both areas. On the subject of teaching staff, this particular research area is part of a (research) consortium of four sports teacher training universities in NRW that works closely with the German Association of Sports Teachers (NRW branch).