Brief description of the field and directions of research:

The scope of activities of the SPORTS EDUCATIONAL CENTER fully corresponds to the mission and strategy of the University of Lodz and the strategy of the Faculty of Educational Sciences. The center is primarily responsible for modern education of physical culture and sports staff in the Łódź environment. Moreover, in its research and teaching endeavors, it refers to the educational and educating values of sport, which have a long history in the academic environment of Łódź.

The research efforts of the Center's academic teachers relate in particular to:

1) social, educational and personal-forming values of sport (participation in a sports event, fair play principle) using a number of variables such as: gender, age, educational environment (family, school environment, care and educational units);

3) the importance of exercise therapy in physical and health education;

4) socialization and education through sport.

Most important publications;

• §A. Kaźmierczak, A. Maszorek-Szymala, J. Kowalska, (ed.) Paradigms of contemporary physical and health culture, Publishing House of the University of Lodz 2011;
• §A. Kaźmierczak, J. Kowalska, A. Maszorek – Szymala, A. Makarczuk (eds.) Pedagogical dimension of physical and health culture in the life of modern man, Publishing House of the University of Lodz 2016;
• §A. Makarczuk, A. Maszorek – Szymala, J. Kowalska, A. Kaźmierczak (eds.), Biosocial determinants of participation in physical and health culture among people of different ages, Publishing House of the University of Lodz 2017;
• §P. Kędzia, Sport in interwar Poland. Educational activities of sports associations in Łódź, Publishing House of the University of Lodz 2020;
• §J. Kowalska, Educational significance of the "I am fair" project based on the idea of neo-Olympism, Publishing House of the University of Lodz 2020;
• §J. Kowalska, A. Makarczuk, A. Maszorek-Szymala, A. Kaźmierczak, Contemporary problems of physical and health culture, Publishing House of the University of Lodz 2020;
• §A. Kaźmierczak et al. J. Kowalska, P. Kędzia, P. Ławniczak, A. Makarczuk, A. Maszorek-Szymala, Outline of sports pedagogy, Ed. II supplemented, Publishing House of the University of Lodz 2022;
• §J. Kowalska, A. Kaźmierczak, Physical education, sport and Olympism in a pedagogical perspective, Publishing House of the University of Lodz 2023.

Most important research projects;

• •The educational project "I am fair", implemented in 2009 - 2015 in primary and secondary schools in Łódź. The project was conducted in cooperation with, among others, the University of Łódź and the City of Łódź Office and government units: the Ministry of Interior and Administration and the Ministry of Sport and Tourism. "I am fair" project was a continuation of the pilot program implemented in four primary schools in Łódź. The actual research was carried out in a group of 2,555 students (1,263 boys and 1,271 girls) in 28 Łódź junior high schools located in the following districts: Śródmieście, Bałuty, Polesie, Górna and Widzew. The universal goal of the research analysis was to indicate the social and educational values of sport (with an emphasis on the principle of fair play) in the school environment. The research results were presented at several scientific conferences and published in scientific journals and peer-reviewed monographs.
• •The "Global Health Professional Students (GHPSS)" project concerning tobacco use by students of Polish medical faculties. The research was conducted at the request of the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of the global World Health Organization program. The partners in the project were the Department of Experimental Medicine Sapienza University of Rome, Institute of Hygiene Catholic University of the Sacred Heart - Rome, Department of Public Health - University of Turin, Chair of Hygiene - University of Chieti. In the years 2010-2013, the second stage of the actual research took place, during which a representative group of 1,833 students from five medical universities (Warsaw, Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław, Łódź) in Poland were examined. The aim of the research was (using a standardized survey questionnaire) to analyze knowledge, availability and attitudes towards tobacco in relation to medical communities, which, according to accepted standards, should constitute an opinion-forming group in the field of health promotion. The answer sheets along with the results were sent to Atlanta (USA) for publication in an international monograph.
• •Educational project "Health and physical activity creator. Short forms of training for primary school teachers" co-financed by the European Social Fund, implemented under Priority IX Development of education and competences in the regions, Measure 9.4 Highly qualified staff of the education system under Agreement No. UDA-POKL.09.04.00-10-030/13- 00 of December 9, 2013 for co-financing of project no. POKL.09.04.00-10-030 concluded with the Łódź Voivodeship - Marshal's Office in Łódź. Completion date: 09/2013 – 06/2015.

The most important awards and distinctions of employees of a given Unit.

• •Fair play distinction of the Polish Olympic Committee (2010) for the team of the Sports Pedagog Training Center (manager: A. Kaźmierczak) for promoting the values of fair play in sports and youth education in schools in Łódź. The justification for the distinction clearly emphasized the significant participation of students in research and the process of implementing the educational research project "I am fair" in junior high schools in Łódź (participation of 2,555 students).
• •Nomination of the Ministry of Interior and Administration for the European Award in the Field of Crime Prevention for the team of the Sports Pedagog Training Center and representing Poland together with students participating in the "I am fair" project at the International Conference of Good Practices in Warsaw in 2011.
• •For the implementation of the "I am fair" project, the team of the Sports Educators Training Center and its students were awarded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the title of "Leader" of the government program "Safer Together", relating to the reduction of crime and antisocial behavior (2011).
• •Honorable Mention for Ph.D. Jolanta Kowalska, prof. UL, awarded by the European Fair Play Movement in 2017 with the European Fair Play Diploma for the promotion of fair play values.
• •Awards of the Rector of the University of Lodz, 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree awarded many times to teachers of the Academic Center for the Education of Sports Pedagogues for research, teaching and organizational achievements (dr Arkadiusz Kaźmierczak, prof. UL, PhD. Jolanta Kowalska, prof. UL, dr Piotr Kędzia, dr Paweł Ławniczak, dr Anna Makarczuk, dr Anna Maszorek-Szymala).