Collaborative continuing professional development in physical education: an introduction

Collaborative practices in Physical Education continuing professional development (PE-CPD) have been increasingly recognized due to evident benefits for teachers and students. In introducing this special issue, this paper aims to extend and deepen conversations among scholars about the collaborative practices in PE-CPD. Co-designed as a two-year project about collaborative practices, this special issue pursued collaboration through solidarity, knowledge sharing, and negotiation of challenges in internationalised research. Researchers from Brazil, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Portugal, New Zealand, the U.S., and Turkey worked in six groups to explore four themes: (a) types of collaborative PE-CPD, (b) facilitation of PE-CPD, (c) innovative methodologies and, (d) the development of collaborative experiences. In this special issue, we highlight the opportunities and inputs that might improve the research and experiences of those who form, conceive, and participate in collaborative PE-CPD programs around the world.