Physical education teacher cultivating system and curriculum planning for the 12-year basic education in Taiwan

This study evaluated the feasibility of the policy of merging the faculty of physical education into primary and secondary schools in Taiwan. Additionally, it explored the curriculum planning for training physical education teachers in primary and secondary schools following the recommendations of the 12-year basic education curriculum. The study was conducted through a questionnaire survey, with a total of 3,407 valid responses. The survey respondents were the heads of the sports teams of their schools. The survey was supplemented by 22 focus interviews conducted during five different occasions, and the quality was analyzed following a consistent method. The study presented the following ideas: (1) Taiwan’s primary and secondary school’s physical education faculty cultivation institutions are sufficient to meet the needs of the current education system; however, the system should be adjusted according to the student’s course scores. (2) The specialized curriculum should be combined with literacy’s development direction, especially in the field of communication. A method to integrate interpersonal literacy-related abilities into the physical education level is still required. (3) There are some differences between the direction of curriculum practices of primary and secondary school physical education teachers. (4) The training institutions should adjust their curriculum design and curriculum implementation.