Beyond silos: professional learning across boundaries in an international physical education and teacher education project

This study was developed in direct response to MacPhail and Lawson’s [MacPhail, A., & Lawson, H. A., Eds. (2021). School physical education and teacher education. Routledge] call for collective action to address the grand challenges facing the field of physical education (PE), spanning both school PE and PE teacher education, which have contributed to fragmentation and siloed practices. Boundary crossing [Akkerman, S. F., & Bakker, A. (2011). Boundary crossing and boundary objects. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 132–169. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654311404435] was employed as an analytical lens to explore the influence of three interconnected collective actions on participating teachers’ professional learning. Situated within the three-year international PhysEd-Academy project, this study involved 35 teacher educators, 43 in-service teachers and 17 pre-service teachers from seven countries, one PE association, and two international experts. The project’s three-layered collective action was organised through communities of practice and practitioner inquiry: (i) one large international community, (ii) three small international communities and (iii) six small local communities. Data generation included focus group interviews, artefacts, audio recordings of online and in-person meetings, and non-participant observations of workshops. Data were analysed using the six recursive phases of reflexive thematic analysis [Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589–597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806], through which two main themes were developed: ‘Messy, complex, and inspiring: learning through cross-border collective action’ and ‘An (un)shared language: naming, diverging, and reaffirming practices’. This study highlights that realising MacPhail and Lawson’s vision for collective action requires more than just structural collaboration; it depends on intentionally cultivating relational, reflective and boundary-crossing practices. Working across countries, institutions and professional roles is inherently complex, shaped by differences in language, culture and power. Creating safe, trusting spaces, embedding time for relational connection and designing flexible participation structures are crucial for enabling learning through boundary crossing. In this way, collective action is not merely a strategy for professional learning; rather, it is a pathway to reimagining how learning, teaching and professional identities evolve within interconnected educational systems.