Sport Education and Traditional Teaching: Influence on Students’ Empowerment and Self-Confidence in High School Physical Education Classes

Abstract

Physical Education (PE) is recognized for its value in developing personal and social development. However, the instructional approach adopted by the teacher may affect the achievement of positive outcomes. This study aimed to examine the effects of two different teaching approaches, Traditional Teaching (TT) and the Sport Education (SE) model, on students’ empowerment and self-confidence in high school PE classes. A total of 430 high-school students (66.7% male), aged 14–21 years (M = 16.22, SD = 1.03) enrolled in 10th, 11th and 12th grades, participated in this study. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used across 18 classes. Classes met two times a week during a period of 8 weeks for a total of 1080 min. The Psychological Empowerment Instrument was used to measure empowerment. Students’ self-confidence was measured with the self-confidence sub-scale of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2. The findings of the research revealed that only SE was effective in improving high school students’ empowerment and self-confidence. In the TT group, no gains were found, even decreasing over time. These results reinforce the adequacy of SE in PE as a curricular model to be used by teachers, particularly for the development of students’ empowerment and self-confidence.

Impact of the MooN Physical Education Program on the Socio-Emotional Competencies of Preadolescents

“…The present study addressed the research problem by answering whether these programs (based on the SEM) effectively improve socio-emotional competencies in the school population, as stated by different authors in previous research [21,40]. This research aims to provide more empirical evidence of SEM-based interventions in the educational field, being congruent with recent critical and systematic reviews (e.g., [21]).…”

“…The educational system should emphasize students' personal and social development as a fundamental goal of current education [21,38]. Furthermore, in recent years, the scientific literature has been increasingly interested in teaching models that significantly impact students through high-quality learning environments [28].…”

“…Bessa et al [21] highlight that, within the school environment, physical education is recognized as a relevant academic discipline to promote students' personal and social development, encouraging cooperative methodologies and positive socio-emotional experiences for students. Likewise, these physical and sports activities within physical education are beneficial for students from the integral perspective of the child [22,23].…”

Teaching Methods Used by Tamil School Physical Education Teachers

“…They stated that most PE teachers in public and private schools in Turkey use a teacher-centered teaching approach. On the other hand, Bessa et al(2021) identified the effects of two different teaching strategies, such as Traditional Teaching and the Sport Education model, on students' empowerment and self-confidence in high school PE classes in Northern Portugal. The research findings revealed that the traditional approach was ineffective in improving high school students' empowerment and self-confidence.…”

Physical education curriculum model: Can FEM and SEM create participation in physical activity and enjoyment?

“…SEM becomes a learning curriculum that allows students to have more time to play and practice to improve skills, so that with the use of SEM, students feel comfortable and they do not feel bored in the learning process (Setiawan et al, 2020). The popularity of SEM is currently increasing, as evidenced by many countries, such as Australia, China, and Taiwan, which implement the SEM curriculum at school and at the university level (Kirk, 2013;Bessa, Hastie, Rosado, & Mesquita, 2021). The characteristics of the SEM curriculum require students to choose their respective roles, for example students can choose the role of coach, player, referee, manager, or medical team, where in the learning process they must be able to take responsibility for carrying out these roles (Setiawan et al, 2020).…”