STUDYING SPORT AND PHYSICAL
EDUCATION IN COLOGNE AND LJUBLJANA
(An intercultural comparison)
[TUDIJ [PORTA IN TELESNE ([PORTNE)
VZGOJE V KÖLNU IN LJUBLJANI
(Medkulturna primerjava)
Mojca Doupona Topi~*
Joachim Mrazek**
12 Doupona-Topi~, M., & Mrazek, J. (2000).  Studying Sport and Physical Education… KinSI 6(1–2), 12–18
Abstract
The article has been based on an intercultural re-
search project comparing the university education of
specialists in sport and physical education in Germany
and Slovenia. 400 German students and 200 Slove-
ne students were questioned concerning the percep-
tion and evaluation of the study and their living con-
ditions and their professional future expectations. We
applied Chi
²
and t-test. Results of our study shows pa-
rallels between the situation of the German and Slo-
vene students as well as differences. The established
quantitative differences are discussed in the light of
more complex qualitative differences. Some conclu-
sions concerning the idea of unified curriculum and
equal job perspectives in united Europe are drawn. At
the same time, however, the importance and the va-
lue of national cultural identity should not be neglec-
ted.
Keywords: studying sport, international comparison,
students, perception, evaluation, expectations, living
conditions
Izvle~ek
^lanek je plod mednarodne raziskave, ki obravnava
in medsebojno primerja univerzitetni {tudij {porta in
telesne ({portne) vzgoje v Nem~iji in v Sloveniji. V
vzorec je bilo vklju~enih 400 nem{kih in 200 sloven-
skih {tudentov. Spra{evali smo jih o zaznavanju in
vrednotenju njihovega {tudija, njihovih `ivljenjskih
pogojih in o njihovih poklicnih pri~akovanjih. Za ugo-
tavljanje razlik smo uporabili Chi
²
in t–test. Rezultati
raziskave ka`ejo tako podobnosti kot tudi razlike v
polo`aju nem{kih in slovenskih {tudentov. Ugotovlje-
ne kvantitativne razlike so obravnavane v lu~i bolj
kompleksnih kvalitativnih razlik. Podani so tudi neka-
teri zaklju~ki glede ideje poenotenega kurikuluma in
enakih poklicnih perspektiv v zdru`eni Evropi. Kljub
temu je izpostavljena pomembnost in vrednost na-
cionalne kulturne identitete.
Klju~ne besede: {tudij {porta, mednarodna primer-
java, {tudenti, zaznavanje, vrednotenje, pri~akova-
nja, `ivljenjski pogoji
(Received: 7. 11. 2000 – Accepted: 12. 12. 2000)
*University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Sport, Ljubljana, Slovenia
**Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln, Germany
Contact address
Mojca DOUPONA TOPI^
Univerza v Ljubljani – Fakulteta za {port, Gortanova 22, 
SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Tel: +386 1 540-10-77
Fax: +386 1 540-22-33
E-mail: mojca.doupona@sp.uni-lj.si

INTRODUCTION  
The actual situation of most western industrialized so-
cieties is characterized by social changes, which show
an increasing speed. Central aspects of these changes
are processes of differenciation and individualization
(Beck, 1986). Sport as a subsystem of societies is inf-
luenced by these changes too and influences also ot-
her subsystems. Compared with the traditional sport
system today we have a lot of new kinds of sport and
new organizational frames - beneath the sport clubs
there are commercial offers like fitness centers and,
quantitatively much more important, privately orga-
nized activities like jogging. These changes are caused
or accompanied by new motivational structures of the
active people, especially fun and health in a preven-
tive perspective attract more and more persons. Whe-
reas the traditional sport system attracted mainly
young male people, nowadays the percentage of fe-
males and elder age groups has increased. On the
whole sport nowadays has become more complex,
the former monolithic sport system was relieved by
various sport systems which are more and more inde-
pendent of each other. Many new professions emer-
ge, professions that combine physical activity with
health, leisure time, economy, mass media etc. The-
se developments must be understood and taken into
account in the education of specialists in physical edu-
cation and sport. Traditional university curricula cover
only few aspects of the actual sport reality.
At the same time the perspective of European integra-
tion becomes more and more important. Especially
inside the European Union there are many processes
of rapprochement, cooperation and integration. In
these countries, representing a lot of different langua-
ges, cultures and traditions, the need to understand
each other and to adapt social, economic and profes-
sional structures to each other, is increasing. This pers-
pective plays also a special role for those countries
which want to enter the European Union during the
next decade. Most of these countries were parts of
the former communist Europe, therefore the actual
changes for the societies are more dramatic for them.
On that basis we decided to do an intercultural re-
search project comparing the university education of
specialists in physical education and sport in Germany
and Slovenia. This research can be seen as an exten-
sion of a more extensive research project, comparing
sport activity, health and body concepts in Germany,
Russia and the Czech Republic (Mrazek, Fialová and
Bykhovskaya, 1998).
The central objectives are to compare the education
of students of physical activity and sport on the basis
of the curricula as well as on the basis of subjective da-
ta representing the students’ perception and evalua-
tion of the study, the professional future and the li-
ving situation. Furthermore data were collected (and
will be presented in another article) concerning sport
activities outside of the curriculum, health state,
health behavior and body concepts. 
Differences between the German and Slovenian stu-
dents are expected not only as a result of different
curricula, but also as a result of different cultures, dif-
ferent sport traditions and different economic situa-
tions.
METHODS
The surveys of students of physical education and
sport were not representative for the whole countries,
they were done at the German Sport University
(Deutsche Sporthochschule) in Cologne (Germany)
and the Faculty of Sport at the University of Ljublja-
na. Cologne is the biggest places for education in PE
and sport in Germany, while Ljubljana is also the on-
ly one in Slovenia. In Cologne 420 students were que-
stionned, in Ljubljana 200. The German sample was
surveyed in the frame of a previous cross-cultural re-
search project, comparing German, Russian and
Czech students (Mrazek, Fialová and Bykhovskaya,
1998).
The questionnaire developed for this research, inclu-
des subscales concerning fitness and sport activity,
health status and health behavior, risk behavior and
nutrition, physical appearance and the self, the actual
situation of the study, evaluation of the study and pro-
fessional plans. For the last topics some scales were
adapted from a questionnaire developed by Hart-
mann-Tews and Mrazek (1994).
In the following selected results of the students of PE
and sport are presented, concerning the perception
and evaluation of the study, the professional future
and the living situation. This group of students is of
special interest – not only because we are teaching
them, but also because it is a very homogeneous
group in age, education, socialization, actual interests
and professional plans. Therefore it can be assumed
that differences between cultures can be seen more
clearly in such a homogeneous population.
We applied Chi
²
and t-test. The computation was per-
formed using the SPSS statistical software. 
Study Programmes of Physical Education and Sport
in Cologne and Ljubljana
The German Sport University in Cologne educates
more than 7000 students, the Faculty of Sport in Ljub-
ljana about 600 students. Apart from the large diffe-
rence in the number of students, also their curricula
differ. The German Sport University in Cologne offers
their students two general programmes. The first one
is named ”Diploma Course Sport Science”. This is a
13 Doupona-Topi~, M., & Mrazek, J. (2000).  Studying Sport and Physical Education… KinSI 6(1–2), 12–18

sport science studies with the academic degree of a
”Diploma of Sport Science”. Period of the study lasts
8 semesters. This programme offers the following five
specialisation options after the 4
th
semester: Training
and Performance, Leisure and Creativity, Prevention
and Rehabilitation, Economy and Management, and
Media and Communication. The second programme
is ”Teachers’ Training Courses”, which educates
school teachers of physical education. Studies for
teachers of two primary school levels (classes 1-4 or
classes 5-10) lasts 6 semester, while studies for secon-
dary school level teachers (classes 11-13) lasts 8 seme-
sters. Finally, despite of a diploma thesis future teac-
hers must pass the First State Examination for teaching
to successfully finish their studies.
The Faculty of Sport in Ljubljana has a single general
study programme »Diploma Course«, which lasts 8
semesters and students obtain a bachelor degree. Af-
ter the 4
th
semester students may choose among the
following specialisation options: Sport Coaching (in
one sport branch), Sport Recreation or Special Physi-
cal Education. On the Slovene diploma certificate the
chosen specialisation is also declared (e.g. coach of
handball). Despite of differences in organisation of
programmes, both universities predominantly educa-
te specialists in Sport Science and Physical Education. 
RESULTS
Actual study situation among respondents is establis-
hed first, followed by the respondents evaluation of
their studies. Furthermore, personal expectations for
their future career are analysed and mutually compa-
red. Finally, their living conditions are analysed and
correlated to the existing differences between both
societies.
Actual study situation
German students are in average two years older than
the Slovene students, although children in Germany
start to attend the primary school sooner (after the
completed age of 6 years). Examined population of
Germans students has finished in average five seme-
sters, while Slovene ones only four. Regardless of this
large difference in actual semesters, students from
both places expect the same length to finish the stu-
dies, i.e. just less than 5 semesters. The expectations
predict that German students on the whole need 10
semesters to take their degree, Slovene students 9 se-
mesters.
Educational systems in both countries differ in seve-
ral aspects. An important difference is that Slovene
students role in for each year (and not for each seme-
ster like in Germany) and they are allowed to repeat
the year only once – afterwards he looses the student
status. In this way the expected average length of Slo-
vene students to finish the studies in 5 semesters is
realistic with regard to the study program, since it ac-
tually means the period to finish with the lectures. In
this light, a question arises how much time do they re-
ally need to take their degree. Especially taken into ac-
count that they relatively quickly finish their lectures,
but usually several exams have to be passed. These
last exams they are allowed to take later, even when
their student status runs out. 
German students are allowed to organize their study
courses individually, therefore the number of seme-
sters needed to finish the study varies broadly. Only
few German students finish their study in the formally
given time of 6 or 8 semesters, in average they need
six to seven years to graduate. But Slovene students
are not much quicker. Therefore the reasons for in
average two years older German students should not
be looked for only in longer study period. Slovene
students in average lose one year so that their period
of lectures lasts 5,1 years in average (Jarnovi~, 1998).
More credible reason for older population among
German students of sports is to be found in different
secondary educational systems. Primary and secon-
dary school together lasts 13 years, while in Slovenia
12 years. Furthermore, German boys serve the army
before they enter the university studies, while Slove-
ne boys serve the army after the studies.
Slovene students are present at the faculty one day
more per week than the German ones and accor-
dingly they spend more hours at the faculty. Slovene
students spend 22 hours a week at the faculty; from
this time they spend 14 hours for attending the theo-
retical lectures (tutorial classes or exercises), and 7.9
hours for attending the practical subjects. Their Ger-
man colleagues have approximately 10 hours of the-
14 Doupona-Topi~, M., & Mrazek, J. (2000).  Studying Sport and Physical Education… KinSI 6(1–2), 12–18
Table 1: Length of study and age
Means
G SLO t
Actual number of semesters 5.32 3.98 5.65***
How many semesters more 4.62 4.80 –0.92 ns
Age 23.90 21.70 8.98***
G = Germany SLO = Slovenia
Table 2: Time spent for study
Means
G SLO t
Days per week at University 3.74 4.73 –14.48***
Hours per week at University 15.63 21.94 –10.33***
– of these: practice 5.29 7.85 –6.74***
– of these theory 9.81 13.99 –8.26***
at home (studying) 5.86 6.51 –1.32 ns
in libraries 1.32 1.55 –1.31 ns
– Studying a second subject 44.4% 4.0% Chi²
= 101.84***
G = Germany SLO = Slovenia

ory and 5.3 hours in the practical part of the study
programme. The two groups of students differ statisti-
cally significantly in the above mentioned variables.
Such large differences are most likely attributable to
different programmes of studies. At the German Sport
University of Cologne (DSHS) students can choose
between two different levels of education, e.g., Diplo-
ma and Teacher’s Training Courses, while in Slovenia
all who conclude their studies at the Faculty of Sport
attain the same level of education – diploma degree.
Those who decide to teach sports education in Ger-
many can pass only the first state examination and do
not need a diploma; however, they must combine
their studies at the DSHS with the study of a second
subject, usually at the University of Cologne. This is al-
so one of the main reasons why even 44.4% of the
German students study a second subject in parallel.
Among the students attending the Faculty of Sport
there are only 4% such students since at schools in
Slovenia it is usual practice that the teachers at schools
teach solely sports education. As for the rest, Slovene
students as well as German ones have the same (bad)
study habits. Slovene students study at home only 6.5
hours a week, and German students study 5.9 hours
a week. It is interesting that despite the fact that Ger-
man students have incomparably better study possi-
bilities in the faculty library than Slovene students,
they study even less (1.3 hours) in the library than
their colleagues in Slovenia (1.5 hours).
Evaluation of the study
In order to establish to what extent they are satisfied
with their studies at the both universities, students
were asked to rate a list of special aspects of the study
situation on a scale from 1 (very bad) to 5 (very good).
All aspects were rated between average and very
good. In general, all students are satisfied with their
studies as 88% of Cologne students and almost 92%
of Ljubljana students would choose the same studies
again. Students at both universities are the most satis-
fied with contacts with other students; to this fact al-
so point the highest values assigned by them to this as-
pect (G = 4.1 and SLO = 3.9). However, they
assigned the lowest values to the contacts with their
professors. Slovene students are even less satisfied
with the contacts with their professors (3.0) than their
German counterparts (3.1). Statistically significant dif-
ferences between the groups occur in the variable
»spatial situation«, in which students at the FS express
greater dissatisfaction with the lecture rooms, halls,
playgrounds, etc., than the students at the DSHS. Cor-
relation between theory and practice, forms of teac-
hing and learning, and contents of study are rated by
Slovene students slightly higher than by the German
ones; however, statistically significant differences do
not occur.
Students were asked to rate, how important are dif-
ferent subjects for their job future on a scale from 1
(very unimportant) to 5 (very important). The students
attending the FS rated all contents of study, except
economy (management), higher than the students of
the DSHS. For all, the most important contents of
study is sports practice. They also attribute greater im-
portance than to other subjects to psychology, peda-
gogy, didactics, and medicine. They rate the lowest
philosophy and history. The results of rating of indivi-
dual subjects must be taken with a certain degree of
caution since some students at the DSHS never liste-
ned for instance to philosophy or history, etc., becau-
se they can choose partly individual subjects accor-
ding to the system of credit studies. The students at
the FS, however, do not have philosophy, journalism,
and also not economy (management) in their pro-
gramme of studies. Despite that, they are to some ex-
tent already aware of the importance of economics in
sports, of course, in accordance with the develop-
ment of market economy in Slovene society, which is
certainly at a lower level of development than in Ger-
many.
15 Doupona-Topi~, M., & Mrazek, J. (2000).  Studying Sport and Physical Education… KinSI 6(1–2), 12–18
Table 3: Satisfaction with the study
Means
G SLO t
Rating of study situation*:
-correlation between theory 
and practice 3.23 3.34 -1.46 ns
-forms of teaching and learning 3.23 3.34 -1.62 ns
-contents of study 3.35 3.38 -0.32 ns
-spatial situation.
(rooms gyms. fields) 3.74 3.49 2.87***
-contacts with lectures/professors 3.08 3.03 0.56 ns
-contact with other students 4.12 3.94 2.24*
I would choose this study again 88.1% 91.6% Chi² = 
1.34 ns
* scale from 1 = very bad to 5 = very good
G = Germany SLO = Slovenia
Table 4: Importance of study subjects
Means
G SLO t
medicine/natural science 3.89 4.08 -2.56***
rehabilitation 3.08 3.55 -4.48***
pedagogy 3.40 4.21 -10.04***
psychology 3.63 4.28 -9.29***
sociology 3.14 3.64 -5.69***
philosophy 1.99 2.67 -7.59***
history 2.19 2.40 -2.75***
economy/management 3.48 3.32 1.69 ns
didactics3.583.84-3.22***
sport practice 4.14 4.63 -7.60***
journalism 2.66 3.26 -6.71***
G = Germany SLO = Slovenia

Professional future expectations
Students of the FS are more confident than students
of the DSHS that after concluding their studies they
will be able to get a job in the field of sports. The most
desirable professions among the Ljubljana students
are the coach and the teacher of PE. These are also
the two professions which can (at least in Slovenia)
often be pursued side by side. Because the personal
income of an individual increases accordingly, it is not
surprising that about 60% of the Ljubljana students
wish to work as a coach or teacher of PE. German stu-
dents do not express so frequently the wish to pursue
a certain profession than Slovene students. Their wis-
hes concerning employment in individual sports fields
are much more equally distributed. About 30% of the
students of the DSHS wish to work as a coach, a teac-
her, a manager, or to get a job in the field of rehabi-
litation. 
Professional wishes of the students are in compliance
with the programme of studies at the two institutions.
Thus, it is not surprising than only a few Slovene stu-
dents (3%) wish to work as a sports journalist since
they cannot become qualified for this kind of work at
the Ljubljana FS. On the other hand, 17% of the Co-
logne students, who have all the conditions necessary
to work well in the profession of a sports journalist,
wish to pursue such work in the future because they
have in the Diploma Studies the possibility to choose
the field of Media and Communications. However, it
is surprising that even 25% of Slovene students and
16% of German students wish to become sport scien-
tists. Their wishes are even more incredible if we take
into account that on average they study relatively
long, spend little time for studying in the library and
place the greatest emphasis on sports practice.
16 Doupona-Topi~, M., & Mrazek, J. (2000). Studying Sport and Physical Education… KinSI 6(1–2), 12–18
Graph 1: Importance of study subjects (G)
Graph 2: Importance of study subjects (SLO)
Table 5: Professional future
Means
G SLO
Estimated probability to get a 3.17 3.69 t = 
job in the area of sport –6.55***
(scale from 1 = very low
to 5 = very high)
Chi²
Wanted profession
(multiple ratings possible)
– coach 29.2% 60.1% 53.01***
– teacher of P.E. 32.6% 58.1% 35.62***
– manager in sport 30.4% 29.6% 0.02 ns
– rehabilitation/health sport 27.8% 18.7% 5.60*
– leisure time sport 16.5% 9.4% 5.10*
– sport journalist 16.7% 3.0% 22.71***
– sport scientist 15.7% 25.1% 7.24**
– top level athlete 7.7% 19.2% 16.53***
G = Germany SLO = Slovenia
Table 6: Important aspects of the future job
Means
G SLO t
high income 3.45 3.71 -3.70***
pleasure in job 4.78 4.72 0.92 ns
active doing sport 3.71 4.14 -5.29***
to teach sport 3.52 4.17 -7.89***
to mediate fun in sport 4.07 4.44 -4.95***
multiple tasks 4.24 3.80 6.24***
good climate in work 4.60 4.39 3.04***
high social status 2.87 3.36 -6.01***
self determination 4.09 4.15 -0.84 ns
contacts to other people 4.24 4.20 0.59 ns
scale from 1 = very unimportant to 5 = very important  
G = Germany SLO = Slovenia  
scale (1=very unimportant, 5=very important)
scale (1=very unimportant, 5=very important)

For the both groups of students, the enjoyment they
derive from the profession is the most important rea-
son for their professional orientation. Good working
environment and contacts with other people seem
equally important to them. For Slovene students, a
challenge in professional life means also that they can
impart the enjoyment in sports to other people. This
is even more important to them that good working
environment. It is also important to them that they
can teach other people different sports. Larger orien-
tation towards fellow men in the students of the FS is
very obviously associated with their professional wis-
hes to become a coach or a teacher. The students of
the DSHS are much more than the Ljubljana students
attracted in their future profession by the various tasks
the profession offers to them in the field of sports. Pro-
fessional orientation of the students of the both facul-
ties is to the least extent affected by prestige in so-
ciety and high income. We expected that Slovene
students would rate the wishes for good payment and
prestige in society higher than German students; ho-
wever, only the values of the rates are higher in the
Ljubljana students (high income: Slo = 3.7 and G =
3.5). It is obvious that Slovene students, despite the
fact that they live in a less prosperous society than
German students, have also reached that stage of un-
derstanding of the meaning of the profession and hen-
ce the meaning of life, at which work does not mean
struggling for money, but above all enjoyment and sa-
tisfaction.
Living conditions (accommodation and economic si-
tuation)
As the students of the both universities differ with re-
gard to their study habits and professional expecta-
tions, they also differ with regard to their living con-
ditions (accommodation and economic status). Even
46% students in Slovenia live during their studies at
the FS with their parents, while only 15 % of the DSHS
students do this. Without doubt, here we have to do
with cultural differences as well as economic differen-
ces which cause different life styles of the students. For
Slovene youth it is typical that they live with their pa-
rents during their studies and often also when they
have already their own families (extended family),
while in Germany, the young move away from their
parents even if their parents live in the same place
where they study to become independent. During
their studies, German students live more often in a
(rented) flat together with other students (26%) or alo-
ne (23%), while Slovene students, if they do not have
the possibility of living with their parents owing to di-
stance, most often live in students’ dormitories toget-
her with other students (34%), which is also the most
acceptable possibility of accommodation as regards
the costs.
Taking into account that almost a half of the Slovene
students live with their parents, they also need accor-
dingly less money per month than the German stu-
dents. Interesting cultural differences also show in that
Slovene students get 57% and German students 44%
of money they need per month from their parents.
This is also one of the reasons that even 95% of the
DSHS students (87% of the FS students) work during
their studies; among them even 79% of the DSHS stu-
dents (62% of the FS students) work during the term,
accepting various jobs, also such outside the field of
sport. The work of Slovene students is more often
connected with sport. The essential difference bet-
ween the two groups of students does not lie in the
number of hours, which they spend on average for
work per week, but in the height of payment, which
the students receive per hour of work. German stu-
dents earn 840 DEM a month for 12 hours of work
per week, while Slovene students get for 13 hours a
week only 386 DEM a month. In other words, stu-
dents in Germany earn on average 17 DEM per hour,
while in Slovenia they earn only 7.4 DEM per hour.
Approximately such a relationship is also between the
average gross salary in Germany and in Slovenia. We
could say that the results of our research reflect pro-
portionally the degree of development of the German
and Slovene society in the field of economy and also
in the field of education.
17 Doupona-Topi~, M., & Mrazek, J. (2000).  Studying Sport and Physical Education… KinSI 6(1–2), 12–18
Table 7: Wanted organizational context for future job
Means
G SLO Chi²
Rehabilitation centre 29.5 15.8 12.73***
Sport club 34.3 63.4 45.42***
School 30.2 58.9 45.61***
Sport federation 25.4 27.2 0.16 ns
Faculty (University) 26.6 31.7 1.51 ns
Sport facilities9.214.43.20 ns
Commercial sport centre 27.3 33.7 2.36 ns
Mass media 16.7 12.4 1.62 ns
Firm 7.5 12.9 4.03*
Tourism 27.5 30.7 0.52 ns
Sport industry 26.6 11.4 17.60***
Other 4.1 2.5 0.63 ns
G = Germany SLO = Slovenia
Table 8: Living conditions
Percent
G SLO Chi²
parents14.745.8152.42***
relatives0.22.5
Stud. dormitory – single room 17.1 12.8
Stud. dormitory – share a room 5.3 21.2
flat – alone 22.6 5.9
flat – partner 13.9 4.9
flat – others26.26.9
G = Germany SLO = Slovenia