Current issues in sports pedagogy in the context of the training of future physical education professionals

The article provides a theoretical analysis of current issues in sports pedagogy in the context of the professional training of future physical culture specialists. It is substantiated that the transformation of the social functions of physical culture, the digitalisation of the educational process, the expansion of inclusive practices, the personalisation of physical activity, and changing requirements for specialists’ professional competence necessitate a reconsideration of the conceptual and technological foundations of sports pedagogical education. It is emphasised that sports pedagogy constitutes an interdisciplinary field of educational science concerned with the regularities of teaching, education, development, and personality formation in physical culture and sports activities. This perspective is particularly relevant in the context of the transition from a technocratic model focused on the transmission of sports knowledge and motor skills to a learner-centred, reflective, and subject-activity paradigm of education. Based on an analysis of contemporary scholarly literature, the key problematic areas of sports pedagogy are identified: the contradiction between the traditional sports training model and the competence-based paradigm of professional education; insufficient integration of digital technologies and digital health tools; fragmented preparation for professional activity in an inclusive educational environment; limited use of reflective and self-regulatory mechanisms for professional development; insufficient individualisation of the educational process; and the gap between the theoretical, methodological, and practical components of professional training. It is concluded that the modernisation of sports pedagogy should focus on transforming the logic of professional training: from mastering normatively prescribed algorithms to developing future specialists’ ability to analyse professional situations, design pedagogical solutions, implement them, and reflectively evaluate the outcomes achieved.