Submitted by: Brent Bradford, Professor of Education, Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE)
Preamble
First, I would like to thank HPEC for supporting my recent ‘Friends of HPEC Grant’ application. I have been an educator for 25+ years, and since the time I began my teaching career in a Grade 3 classroom during the 1999-2000 school year, I have enjoyed teaching at both the K-12 and post-secondary levels. For several years, during my school teaching career, I was so lucky to have been offered a Physical Education Specialist position in a K-9 school. My wonderful PHE-related memories from those years remain close to my heart; I am so thankful for the teaching, coaching, and leadership opportunities I have had throughout my career. Currently, as part of my teaching assignment in the Faculty of Education at Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE), I teach pre-service teachers (BEd After Degree), as well as PHErelated courses in the Department of Physical Education and Wellness. Although I’ve been teaching at the post-secondary level for 15+ years, as part of my faculty work—Teaching, Research, Service—I have continued to focus on developing and nurturing symbiotic partnerships with schools across Alberta (e.g., working alongside teachers, educational assistants, students, community members). Ultimately, discovering ways to fuse my teaching, research, and service has continued to help motivate me as a Professor of Education; my primary goals continue to focus on promoting quality Physical Education and Wellness and healthy school communities. And it is for this reason that I am contributing this blog pertaining to my ‘Friends of HPEC Grant’ project, which will focus on ‘Cooperative Learning Activities’ (CLA) in K-6 Physical Education and Wellness programs. Throughout the 2025-26 school year, I will be partnering with three schools in Alberta and their K-6 classes. Below is a brief description of the project—entitled, CUE-CLA Project—followed by some initial thoughts pertaining to the teaching of cooperative learning activities.
• CUE-CLA Project Blog Series: As part of the CUE-CLA Project throughout the 2025-26 school year, I plan to contribute a blog series (here) aimed to share the project’s progress. I hope you enjoy Part 1 (below)!
CUE-CLA PROJECT: A BRIEF DESCRIPTION
‘Cooperative Learning Activities’ assist greatly in K-6 student learning and development (e.g., fundamental movement skills, dimensions of wellness, physical literacy). Throughout my career, as a school teacher and teacher educator, I have presented and published extensively on K-6 cooperative learning activities. And, purposefully, I have done so in a collaborative environment (e.g., working alongside colleagues, pre-service teachers, school teachers, K-6 students). For this CUE-CLA Project, I plan to develop an updated K-6 cooperative learning activities in-class workshop and supporting resource.
CUE-CLA Project Team. Two CUE pre-service teachers will assist in the development, facilitation, and publication process, providing future HPEC members (as future teachers/PHE champions!) with an opportunity to engage in a meaningful PHErelated project aimed to have a direct impact on student learning in Physical Education and Wellness (while also becoming more aware of the countless benefits HPEC membership can offer throughout their careers in education). Also, an experienced PHE teacher/champion will take part throughout the project with various teaching- and research-related tasks (e.g., in-class workshop development).
COOPERATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES: TEACHING CONSIDERATIONS FOR K-6 STUDENT LEARNING
Cooperative learning activities are well-suited for K-6 students to experience physical activity, enjoyment, and success. Alongside a focus on inclusion and maximum participation, cooperative learning activities have been found to support innovation, problem-solving, communication, learning transference, fundamental movement skill development, peer-topeer relationships, and many other important life skills (e.g., understanding different roles, encouraging others, empathy). While considering positive learning outcomes that arise from cooperative learning activities (e.g., cognitive, physical, emotional, social), this CUE-CLA Project Blog Series, throughout the 2025-26 school year, will aim to offer gentle reminders in regard to planning, teaching, and evaluating cooperative learning activities for K-6 student learning (e.g., key elements, modifications, activity examples; for additional information, see Bradford, 2025; Bradford, 2023 & Bradford et al., 2014).
COOPERATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES: KEY ELEMENTS. When students are engaged in genuinely structured cooperative learning activities, a number of key elements emerge, such as: participation, trust, and success—all leading to an immeasurable amount of cognitive, physical, emotional, and social benefits for all learners.
Participation: Each group member will be fully engaged by fulfilling assigned roles and responsibilities associated with completing a group task; input from each group member will fuse into group success.
• Related Question (Participation): How can teachers ensure each group member is fully engaged and fulfilling assigned roles and responsibilities, and in what ways can all group members encourage full group participation?
Trust: Each group member will be provided with several opportunities to nurture trust amongst the group by fulfilling assigned roles and responsibilities, encouraging both verbal and non-verbal communication, and supporting the group while striving to complete a group task.
• Related Question (Trust): How can teachers ensure each group member helps with the trust-building throughout the group, and in what ways can all group members promote trust when striving to complete a group task?
Success: Each group member will contribute to group success in a number of ways; by fulfilling assigned roles and responsibilities and encouraging group members to do the same, each group member will feel a sense of recognition upon group success (recognition that would not occur without ‘whole group buy-in’ while striving to complete a group task).
• Related Question (Success): How can teachers ensure each group member feels a sense of recognition alongside other group members, and in what ways can all group members promote this collective sense of recognition leading to group success?
COOPERATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES: MODIFICATIONS. When considering cooperative learning activities, there are numerous modification strategies to help ensure effective learning experiences for all students. As it is important to plan developmentally appropriate learning activities that promote inclusion and maximum participation, one way to help modify cooperative learning activities is the REPS Model.
R – Rules: modify the rules to simplify or add a level of complexity
E – Equipment: modify the amount, colour, size, type, and/or weight of the equipment
P – Participants: modify the size of the groups (e.g., pairs/group, 3-4/group, half class/group)
S – Space: modify the size and/or location of the space (e.g., small or large spaces, gymnasium space, outdoor space, classroom space)
COOPERATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES: EXAMPLES & POTENTIAL MODIFCATIONS (REPS) Borrowed from a recent CATCA presentation (see Bradford, 2025), a few simple and commonly-taught cooperative learning activities for K-6 teachers to consider employing and modifying (REPS) in their Physical Education and Wellness programs include the following:
CLA 1. Alphabet/Number Soup: In groups, students create letters, words, or numbers using only their bodies.
• R: Create capital or lower-case letters
• E: Add equipment
• P: Allow more or less students
• S: Letters/numbers must take up a set space (e.g., “In groups., create the largest ‘B’ possible.”)
CLA 2. Ball Balance: In pairs, students raise and balance a ball between them in unique ways (e.g., stationary, while moving around the provided space).
• R: Select different body parts to balance the ball
• E: Use different sized balls and/or lighter/heavier balls
• P: Allow for groups of 3
CLA 3. Group Juggle: Divide students into groups of 5-7; provide each group with an object that can be passed; ask students to stand in a circle facing each other; one person passes the object to someone across the circle; the person receiving the object then passes it to another group member until everyone has received and passed the object once (*ask students to try not to pass to the person beside them); the object should return back to the person who started; the passing sequence will remain the same in all future attempts.
• R: Pass with one hand, roll the ball
• E: Use a bean bag, larger/smaller objects, add objects
• P: Allow more or less students
• S: Take a step back or move closer together
CLA 4. Hoop Circle: In small groups (e.g., 4-6), students stand in a circle holding hands; a hula hoop will be rested between two students’ clasped hands; without releasing their hands, students will pass the hula hoop around the circle.
• R: Change the hula hoop direction
• E: Use multiple hula hoops, different sized hula hoops
• P: Allow more or less students
CLA 5. Triangle Tag: In groups of 4, three students form a triangle holding hands, with the 4th person assigned to be “It”; one student in the triangle is designated as the person to be caught; “It” has to run around the triangle trying to tag the designated person on their back; “It” cannot reach across the triangle; the two other students act as “blockers” trying to save their group member from being tagged (*change roles frequently to offer students a chance at each role).
• E: “It” tries to tag an implement (e.g., tail)
• S: The “triangle” must stay within a set boundary
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Cooperative learning activities can play an effective role in student learning; benefits are immeasurable. Moving forward, as part of the CUE-CLA Project, I plan to contribute a series of blogs for the HPEC Community. Throughout the 2025-26 school year, I am excited to work alongside three schools in Alberta, and I am looking forward to sharing my work with you—the HPEC Community—as the CUE-CLA Project aims to support quality Physical Education and Wellness and healthy school communities. To help me begin, my intention for this first CUE-CLA Project blog has been to share a brief description of my teaching background and the CUE-CLA Project, along with a few considerations related to teaching cooperative learning activities in K-6 Physical Education and Wellness (e.g., key elements, activity examples). Lastly, the ‘Resource Corner’ lists a few selected articles, etc. related to my work pertaining to the teaching of cooperative learning activities for K-6 student learning. Feel free to have a look, and if you would like me to share any additional information, simply email me: brent.bradford@concordia.ab.ca. I am always glad to set up a virtual conversation to discuss this work with you!
Once again, “Thank You” to HPEC for supporting the CUE-CLA Project (Friends of HPEC Grant).
RESOURCE CORNER
A Couple CLA-related Articles:
Bradford, B. (2023). Cooperative learning activities: A new school year is an ideal time for cooperative skill development. Canadian Teacher Magazine. (Fall 2023), 30-31. https://canadianteachermagazine.com/2023/09/24/cooperativelearning-activities-a-new-school-year-is-an-ideal-time-for-cooperative-skill-development/
Bradford, B.D., Hickson, C.N., & Evaniew, A.K. (2014). The cooperative learning equation: An effective approach in elementary school physical education. Physical and Health Education Journal, 80(3), 6-13.
A Recent CLA-related Presentation:
Bradford, B. (2025, February 20). Cooperative learning activities for K-6 students. Central Alberta Teachers' Convention Association (CATCA). Red Deer, AB.
A Couple CLA-related Articles (I am planning to review this summer):
Schulze, C., von Huth, M., & Schlesinger, T. (2025) Analysis of teachers’ cooperative learning strategies and practices in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 30(1), 121-136.
• Link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2023.2277750
Kim, M. & Park, S. (2024) Better together: Promoting cooperative learning in physical education. Strategies, 37(2), 38-40.
• Link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/08924562.2024.2304177
