Survey Responses from Slovak and North Macedonian Physical Education Teachers on Tandem Teaching

Quality physical education is vital for developing physically literate young people, but its delivery in primary schools is often challenged by generalist classroom teachers' lack of adequate training and confidence. Tandem teaching, a collaborative professional development strategy, can address these limitations. This study investigated how generalist teachers' perceived preparedness for teaching physical education evolved after participating in different long-term tandem teaching models. A total of 618 generalist teachers from Slovakia and North Macedonia participated in a cross-sectional study, completing a questionnaire on their self-perceived preparedness. The study compared two distinct models: generalist teachers co-teaching with external sports coaches in Slovakia and with internal PE specialists in North Macedonia. Teachers in both countries reported a high degree of preparedness, except for working with children with special needs, which was a shared weakness. However, North Macedonian teachers consistently reported feeling more prepared than their Slovakian counterparts. The study found that longer-term experience and sustained collaboration with an internal PE specialist in North Macedonia contributed to higher levels of perceived preparedness. These findings suggest that the structure and duration of a tandem teaching partnership significantly influence its effectiveness as a professional development strategy