External Evaluation of Hhigher Education Academic Units- Template for the External Evaluation Report Version 2.0 03.2010 1 EΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ Α .ΔΙ .Π . ΑΡΧΗ ΔΙΑΣΦΑΛΙΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΙΣΤΟΠΟΙΗΣΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΙΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΝΩΤΑΤΗ ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΣΗ HELLENIC REPUBLIC H .Q .A . HELLENIC QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ACCREDITATION AGENCY EXTERNAL EVALUATION REPORT SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS SCIENCE ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI November 2013
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External Evaluation of Hhigher Education Academic Units- Template for the External Evaluation Report Version 2.0 03.2010
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EΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ∆ΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ
Α .∆ Ι .Π . ΑΡΧΗ ∆ΙΑΣΦΑΛΙΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ
ΠΙΣΤΟΠΟΙΗΣΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΙΟΤΗΤΑΣ
ΣΤΗΝ ΑΝΩΤΑΤΗ ΕΚΠΑΙ∆ΕΥΣΗ
HELLENIC REPUBLIC
H .Q .A . HELLENIC QUALITY ASSURANCE AND
ACCREDITATION AGENCY
EXTERNAL EVALUATION REPORT
SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS SCIENCE
ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI
November 2013
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The External Evaluation Committee
Introduction
I. The External Evaluation Procedure
• Brief account of documents examined, of the Site Visit, meetings and facilities
visited.
II. The Internal Evaluation Procedure
• Comments on the quality and completeness of the documentation provided and
on the overall acceptance of and participation in the Quality Assurance
procedures by the Department .
Α. Curriculum
APPROACH
• Goals and objectives of the Curriculum, structure and content, intended learning
outcomes.
IMPLEMENTATION
• Rationality, functionality, effectiveness of the Curriculum.
RESULTS
• Maximizing success and dealing with potential inhibiting factors.
IMPROVEMENT
• Planned improvements.
B. Teaching
APPROACH:
• Pedagogic policy and methodology, means and resources.
IMPLEMENTATION
• Quality and evaluation of teaching procedures, teaching materials and resources,
mobility.
RESULTS
• Efficacy of teaching, understanding of positive or negative results.
IMPROVEMENT
• Proposed methods for improvement.
C. Research
APPROACH
• Research policy and main objectives.
IMPLEMENTATION
• Research promotion and assessment, quality of support and infrastructure.
RESULTS
• Research projects and collaborations, scientific publications and applied results.
IMPROVEMENT
• Proposed initiatives aiming at improvement.
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D. All Other Services
APPROACH
• Quality and effectiveness of services provided by the Department.
IMPLEMENTATION
• Organization and infrastructure of the Department’s administration (e.g. secretariat of
the Department).
RESULTS
• Adequateness and functionality of administrative and other services.
IMPROVEMENTS
• Proposed initiatives aiming at improvement.
Collaboration with social, cultural and production organizations
E. Strategic Planning, Perspectives for Improvement and Dealing with Potential
Inhibiting Factors
• Short-, medium- and long-term goals and plans of action proposed by the Department.
F. Final Conclusions and recommendations of the EEC on:
• The development and present situation of the Department, good practices and
weaknesses identified through the External Evaluation process, recommendations
for improvement.
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External Evaluation Committee
The Committee responsible for the External Evaluation of the School of Physical Education
and Sports Science, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Science of the Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki consisted of the following five (5) expert evaluators drawn from
the Registry constituted by the HQAA in accordance with Law 3374/2005:
1. Prof. Vasilios Baltzopoulos (Coordinator)
Brunel University, London, UK
2. Prof. Theodore Angelopoulos
University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA
3. Prof. Kyros Karamanidis
German Sports University, Cologne, Germany
4. Prof. George Karlis
University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
5. Prof. Panagiota Klentrou
Brock University, Ontario, Canada
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Introduction
I. The External Evaluation Procedure
• Dates and brief account of the site visit.
• Whom did the Committee meet ?
• List of Reports, documents, other data examined by the Committee.
• Groups of teaching and administrative staff and students interviewed
• Facilities visited by the External Evaluation Committee.
II. The Internal Evaluation Procedure
Please comment on:
• Appropriateness of sources and documentation used
• Quality and completeness of evidence reviewed and provided
• To what extent have the objectives of the internal evaluation process been met by
the Department?
The External Evaluation Committee (EEC) received the relevant electronic documentation
from HQAA in advance of the visit. The EEC met on Sunday 3 November in Thessaloniki and
was briefed by a member of the HQAA on the purpose of the External Evaluation process and
the function of HQAA. There was also an opportunity to discuss any questions and issues
raised by the EEC members. On Monday 4 November the EEC went to the Rector’s Office in
the main campus of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and met with the Vice-Rector for
Academic Affairs and Personnel and Chair of the Quality Assurance Unit of the University,
the Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Science and the Chairs of the two
(Thessaloniki and Serres) Schools of Physical Education and Sports Science.
The EEC then visited the School of Physical Education and Sports Science between 7th and 8th
November 2013. Comprehensive presentations on the history, structure and development of
the School, its undergraduate and postgraduate curricula and research funding were followed
by discussions with the EEC in an open forum with the Head of the School, the Quality
Assurance team, as well as faculty members representing various academic disciplines and
academic ranks. The EEC also met and discussed with the committee for the review of the
undergraduate program of studies and a group of external stakeholders and employers of
School graduates from both the public and private sectors. There were also meetings with
representative groups of undergraduate and postgraduate (Master and Doctoral level)
students, as well as administrative and technical support staff. The Committee also visited
the laboratories, computer teaching rooms, library and some of the sports facilities in the
Thermi campus as well as the University Sports Centre in the central University campus.
The visit was very well organised and the School provided additional material and
information during the visit, including electronic copies of the presentations. The EE
Committee’s view was that we had access to any material and additional information that
was required for the external evaluation process and we would like to thank all the members
of staff, students and external stakeholders for their hospitality, contributions and
cooperation.
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Α. Curriculum
To be filled separately for each undergraduate, graduate and doctoral program.
APPROACH
• What are the goals and objectives of the Curriculum? What is the plan for achieving
them?
• How were the objectives decided? Which factors were taken into account? Were they
set against appropriate standards? Did the unit consult other stakeholders?
• Is the curriculum consistent with the objectives of the Curriculum and the
requirements of the society?
• How was the curriculum decided? Were all constituents of the Department, including
students and other stakeholders, consulted ?
• Has the unit set a procedure for the revision of the curriculum?
Undergraduate Program
The mission of the School of Physical Education and Sports Science in Thessaloniki is the
optimal physical development and functional capacity as well as the promotion of
physiological, mental and psychological health of humans of all ages. The School offers the
means for a contemporary education in a variety of sub-disciplines of physical education
including human performance, sport psychology, and therapeutic recreation. In accordance
with the other sister Schools in Greece, the objectives of TEFAA in Thessaloniki include: the
promotion and advancement of physical education and sport science through basic research,
applied science, and high quality teaching, the professional preparation of students as future
physical education teachers, the advancement of sports in Greece, and the promotion of the
Olympic values Worldwide, as well as the promotion of physical activity in improving health
and quality of life in the society. To achieve these goals, the curriculum of the School is meant
to attune to the needs of society, the present and the future, and to have a direct connection
with the labour market and the related problems and prospects.
The objectives of the School are decided collectively by faculty members who take into
consideration the needs and aspirations of the students, the policies and regulations of the
State, the research strengths of faculty members, and the international standards of research
and higher education. The School has an Internal Review Committee with the mandate to
evaluate the undergraduate program and make suggestions for improvement. Most
importantly, with the current committee there is a clear attempt to highlight all the strengths
and weaknesses of the operation of the School and the curriculum. It is not clear if the
students are part of this internal review process.
Our impression from the visit is that the curriculum is consistent with some of the the set
objectives. In its current structure, however, the curriculum does not seem to respond fully to
the modern professional needs of students neither as future teachers of Physical Education
nor sports coaches. Although there is plethora of activity (sports) courses focused on
teaching, the curriculum as a whole seems disconnected from both the elementary and high
school curriculum and is more focused on high performance coaching. As an example, there
is more than one course in sports like artistic gymnastics and swimming with minimal
applicability to the school system due to the lack of appropriate infrastructure. A second
example is courses in highly specialized, individual sports such as tennis, sailing, fencing etc.
that are not part of the school curriculum. In terms of coaching education the opposite seems
to be the case; the curriculum is not at high enough technical standards to develop the core
competences of a professional coach because most of the students lack the required motor
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skills and experience. In other words, for highly technical sports such as artistic gymnastics,
rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, sailing, skiing, etc. the technical curriculum is somewhere
in the middle, excessive for physical education teachers and limited for coach education.
Given the increased workload of students with the existing plethora of courses,
specializations and electives an appropriate suggestion could be to develop separate
curriculum pathways (or even separate degrees altogether) for physical education or
coaching, for example. This will allow students that have the necessary expertise to become
coaches in their speciality sports by concentrating in detail on technical and theoretical
aspects and students that want to concentrate on physical education to study in depth only
activities and sports that are relevant to the elementary and secondary schools’ curriculum.
The current curriculum is still not entirely consistent with the needs of the society in terms of
exercise therapy and fitness. However, there is evidence for a positive curricular turn towards
“clinical” applications and exercise prescription, which we appreciate and encourage. This
repositioning of the field towards exercise as medicine has been successfully implemented in
many institutions in Europe and North America, where professional accreditation was also
made possible. We propose that the School keeps an open line of communication with its
stakeholders including: a) the Ministry of Education in regards to the nature and direction of
the school curriculum, and b) the local and national health and fitness organizations, of both
the public and private sector, regarding the new professional trends. This will guide a
targeted revision of the applied and practical course offerings.
Graduate Program
The School offers a trans-institutional graduate program in “Human Performance and
Health” both at Masters and doctoral level, and a departmental graduate program in
“Physical Activity and Quality of Life” also at the Masters and doctoral levels. In our view,
this is an overkill that creates duplications and unnecessary overlaps in provision (as in the
case of research methods courses). In the end, resources are spread thinly. The two programs
cover the same disciplinary space, and should be amalgamated. Otherwise, the aim and
structure of the programs are in line with current policies adopted by modern Western
Universities.
The trans-institutional program was first introduced in 1998 by four TEFAA departments
across the country. In 2006, two of these departments pulled out and the program was
discontinued. The program was revitalized in 2012 only by the Schools of Thessaloniki and
Serres, in which case the program is no longer trans-institutional. This graduate program is
self-funded and students pay fees. The aim of the Masters Program is to develop and
promote evidence-based practices in physical education and exercise science and offers 4
fields of study: Exercise and Health, Training Theory of Team Sports, Physical Education for
Schools and Physical Education for Special Populations. The Masters program’s length is 4
semesters and includes 11 courses and the completion of a thesis. The doctoral program’s
length is 8 semesters including the 4 terms of the Masters degree. It is unclear what is the
length of the program for students who did not complete their Masters degree in the Aristotle
University. The program requirements include 1 required statistics course, 2 elective
courses, 2 independent studies, a collective learning module, and the thesis. The
requirements do not include a comprehensive examination but there seems to be a thesis
proposal according to international standards. Students are also expected to publish two
peer-reviewed papers, one in an International Journal and one in a Greek Journal. The
program has many students that have not completed their studies (102 Masters and 12
doctoral) from the period of 2001-2006. This is something that is common amongst Greek
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Universities and must be dealt with immediately. A clearly communicated deadline and
process of withdrawal must be established and implemented. There should be no reason to
expect that these “stagnated students” will complete the degree in the future.
The length of the inter-departmental graduate program is 3 semesters for Masters and 4
additional semesters for the completion of the doctoral program. Although of a slightly
shorter duration, the program has similar structure with the other graduate program. The
focus of this program is the prevention and management of chronic conditions. However, it
is still possible to integrate the two graduate programs within the fields of study instead of
having separate but similar graduate programs.
IMPLEMENTATION
• How effectively is the Department’s goal implemented by the curriculum?
• How does the curriculum compare with appropriate, universally accepted standards
for the specific area of study?
• Is the structure of the curriculum rational and clearly articulated?
• Is the curriculum coherent and functional?
• Is the material for each course appropriate and the time offered sufficient?
• Does the Department have the necessary resources and appropriately qualified and
trained staff to implement the curriculum?
Undergraduate Program
Overall, the structure of the program is well defined and relatively flexible. The number of
required theory courses increases progressively from 4 in the first two semesters to two in
the 6th semester, whereas there are no required theory courses in the last two semesters.
Such progression is actually a good program design. The number of core practical and
applied courses is 3 for the first two semesters, 4 for 3rd to 6th semesters and only 2 in the 7th
and 8th semesters. This amounts to a very large total number of required core courses (43
across 6 semesters). In addition, the students must also take a total of 14 elective courses
from a wide variety of elective and optional courses. The choice is dependent on the
theoretical field of study chosen (either Competitive Sports or Physical Activity and Health).
In other words, to graduate with a degree in Physical Education and Sports Science the
students must complete in 4 years an average of 58 (57 and 59 for male and female students,
respectively). This means that students must take an average of 14 courses per year. They
must also choose one of 26 available practical specializations. This results in a heavy student
workload since some courses are focused on direct instruction that does not encourage self-
directed learning, creativity and critical thinking. It is also surprising that within 43 required
courses there is no course introducing students to the basic principles of Research. A
combined Research Methods and Statistics course is in the bank of the 15 advanced elective
courses, of which students must take 4. This means that students may complete a University
degree without a basic understanding and appreciation of the academic enquiry process and
scientific research. This program structure is similar to that of the sister programs within
Greece but does not comply with international higher education standards and philosophy.
In terms of appropriateness and functionality, faculty members and students expressed
concern about the heavy student workload induced by the large curriculum and the required
weekly hours. Students must take many courses that are spread throughout the city without
an easy transit system. They all recognize that the School’s move to Thermi was positive and
necessary but due to the lack of a systematic plan in the initial design stage there are no
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adequate large lecture halls or classrooms in the new location. Only the first year students
can be accommodated in Thermi. The students of the upper 3 years must take the theory
classes in the old location, which is far from where they take the practical courses. The
timetable adds to the problem by having all theory courses scheduled in the afternoon and in
another location. This is one of the reasons for students not attending theory classes.
A weakness of the program is that there is a large number of activity courses and areas of
specialization that are taught by non-permanent instructors posted to the University from
the primary and secondary schools. Although financially this is an effective way to resource
the program it is an unstable and unpredictable situation that has become more and more
unsustainable in recent years. Therefore, it is unreasonable to design courses and areas of
specialization without appropriate expertise within the regular faculty compliment of
expertise.
Graduate Program
Given the establishment of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, the trans-
institutional program is by default a program within the same Faculty so can no longer exist
in isolation. Thus, the graduate programs need to be discussed in combination under a new
Faculty administrative structure.
Based on the data in the self-study and our meeting with approximately 10 graduate students
(mostly PhD students), students appear to be satisfied with their program, and the quality of
supervision. There is considerable evidence that the graduate degree outcomes are being
achieved. Some tensions were detected, however, especially in relation to funding. There is
luck of financial support for equipment maintenance, and students must pay from own funds
to attend scientific conferences or in some cases conduct research for their dissertations.
We think that the 8 semesters of the doctoral program should not include 4 semesters of the
masters but should be rather independent. Consistent with this extension in the duration of
studies, the requirements should also include a comprehensive examination and should
allow a multi publication thesis format (sandwich type), which will require 4 published or
submitted papers (including the 2 already required independently of the thesis). This will
raise the quality of the doctoral candidates and the reputation of the program.
Teaching assistantships are not available to graduate students, which is inconsistent with
international standards. Teaching assistantships are a useful way to provide financial
support to graduate students and effectively cover laboratory and marking hours. It is also a
very valuable and useful learning experience for the students and their future careers. It is a
common practice with multiple advantages and should be considered. Furthermore, no office
space is provided to graduate students. Students working in labs have an advantage but
students working in non-lab based areas of study do not have study space. Concerns about
access to electronic and paper sources of literature were also raised.
RESULTS
• How well is the implementation achieving the Department’s predefined goals and
objectives?
• If not, why is it so? How is this problem dealt with?
• Does the Department understand why and how it achieved or failed to achieve these
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results?
There is evidence that the School has already achieved a number of goals and objectives and
has the willingness and energy for curricular review and improvement. The undergraduate
program is strengthened by the implementation of the fields of study in the upper years, and
the teaching skills of the majority faculty members. The graduate programs are of good
quality and have adequate numbers of core faculty to support them. Overall, the availability
of research space and equipment is the strength of the graduate program. The overall
weakness of the curriculum is the heavy student workload, the societal and professional
relevance of the program, the non-standardized course outline and student evaluation
practices, and the absence of a professional orientation program that will enable students to
gain valuable working experience in the community in the form of internship or work
placement opportunities.
IMPROVEMENT
• Does the Department know how the Curriculum should be improved?
• Which improvements does the Department plan to introduce?
The School’s strategy for the future involves the revision of the undergraduate curriculum
and their differentiation from the other School within the Faculty with the same title. We
strongly support this initiative as one that will strengthen the position and reputation of the
program as a distinct entity. The emphasis on sport sciences or physical activity and health is
in line with contemporary developments in the curricula of leading North American and
European institutions and can attract students with diverse professional aspirations.
Recommendations (Undergraduate Program):
1. Consider reducing the number of sport specific required courses. The basic
principles of sports education can be developed in the context of 4 or 5 basic,