Seminar presentation
Seminar Purpose

     For AIESEP, a Specialist Seminar is a meeting of experts with an interest in tackling questions or issues related to a specific research question dealing with the objectives of the association.

     The purpose of the 2014 AIESEP Specialist Seminar in Timisoara, Romania, is to bring together experts in sport pedagogy and other specialists involved in outdoor and leisure activities in order to create a space of reflection and discussion on how to adapt to the increasing interest of society in this area.

     One of the outcomes of the seminar will be an AIESEP position statement on the potential input of sport pedagogy and physical education teacher education to the development of a body of knowledge useful to practitioners in the outdoor and leisure fields. It is noteworthy that all around the world, a growing number of sport and physical education departments have opened new programmes preparing outdoor and leisure specialists. The seminar is expected to generate research projects and develop/reinforce networks for collaborations between AIESEP and other partners.

About AIESEP

     The Association Internationale des Écoles Supérieures d'Éducation Physique (AIESEP) - International Association of Physical Education in Higher Education - is an international, non-governmental, non-profit, professional association which aims to promote high quality research worldwide in the areas of physical education, physical activity and sport pedagogy across the lifespan. Through international co-operation, the association provides for the communication and dissemination of research and applied research related to the professional activity of sport and physical education specialists and the professional training programmes available to them. For more information see here: www.aiesep.org

About the Seminar Venue - West University of Timisoara, Celebrating 70 Years

     Timisoara, situated in the western part of the country, is the capital of Timis County, which borders Serbia and Hungary. About 350,000 people make their home in the Timisoara area. The 2014 AIESEP seminar, which will be organized by the Physical Education and Sport Faculty, will be located on the West University of Timisoara campus. The specialist seminar will be part of the programme for the West University of Timisoara's 2014 jubilee celebration and FEFSTIM - the International Congress of Physical Education and Sport Faculty. The West University of Timisoara celebrates its 70- year anniversary in 2014.

Seminar Structure

    The specialist seminar will consist of a mixture of lectures, workshops and poster sessions, with a focus on exchanges between experts of various fields. The final organization will be chosen in order to enhance participation and interactions. A concluding session will be arranged in order to  discuss the conclusions that will have been drawn during the three days.

Guiding Questions

Guiding questions for discussion will include, but not be limited to, the following:
- How do we define "outdoor and leisure physical activities"?
  • Where, what, when, for who, for what?
- What are the pedagogical competences needed to teach outdoor and leisure physical activities?
- What are the outcomes of effective outdoor and leisure physical activities?
- What is the place of outdoor and physical activities in the physical education setting?
- How best should we prepare educators for outdoor and physical activities?
  • What about physical education teachers?
  • What about physical education teachers' educators?
- What research data are available?

The provisional schedule for the 2014 Specialist Seminar is available here. More detailed information will be sent to registered delegates in due course.
    The seminar will be organized in parallel with the International Congress of Physical Education and Sport Faculty. Participants of the AIESEP Specialist Seminar will be permitted to attend the symposium which will open the congress, an overview of sport pedagogy research. Prof. Marcos ONOFRE (University of Lisbon, Portugal) and Prof. Mary O'SULLIVAN (University of Limerick, Ireland) will focus respectively on current research on teaching in physical education and on  advances of research on physical education teacher education.
Participation Package
During the registration process, depending on your accommodation needs, you may choose one of two participation packages:
-    Package including four nights' accommodation in a single room: €350
-    Package including four nights' accommodation in a shared, twin room: €290
If you wish to register without including accommodation, please forward your contact details and any dietary restrictions directly to http://www.sport.uvt.ro/aiesep/and we will forward you an invoice for your registration fee (€150).
All participation packages include seminar sessions, social events and meals and refreshments.
Please note: Your place will only be secure when your registration payment has been received.

Accommodation

     Seminar accommodation is provided at Hotel Timisoara, located in the city centre. The hotel is a short walk from the seminar venue. Accommodation is booked as part of the registration process and is included in the registration fee (Nov. 6th-9th, inclusive). For more information see: http://www.hoteltimisoara.ro. If you plan to arrive in Timisoara prior to Nov. 6th or to stay beyond Nov. 9th you are advised to contact the hotel directly to book extra accommodation.