The effects of a sport education season on empathy and assertiveness
Background: One of the objectives of the new Spanish Education Act is for students to develop a series of social skills, largely derived from the ability variables of assertiveness and empathy. Sport Education is an instructional model that is deemed useful in the development of personal and social...
| Authors: | , |
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| Format: | article |
| Publication Date: | 2013 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha |
| Repository: | RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ruidera.uclm.es:10578/9052 |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2013.780592 http://hdl.handle.net/10578/9052 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Physical Education Sport Education Empathy Assertiveness Social relations |
| Summary: | Background: One of the objectives of the new Spanish Education Act is for students to develop a series of social skills, largely derived from the ability variables of assertiveness and empathy. Sport Education is an instructional model that is deemed useful in the development of personal and social responsibility and social values. It requires interaction among students during group activities as there are many roles and responsibilities involved. Previous research on Sport Education reveals links between certain results and empathy and assertiveness, although no specific studies have been conducted. Purpose: The aim of this research study is to analyse the effect of a Sport Education season on student empathy and assertiveness. Participants and setting: Sport Education was implemented in seven intact groups at five different schools in central Spain. 154 subjects (76 boys and 78 girls) participated in this study, 34 of whom were in primary education year five (11 years), 98 in primary education year six (12 years) and 22 in secondary education year two (14 years). Research design: A single treatment pre-post test design was applied, in which the tests for measuring the dependent variables (empathy, assertiveness) influenced by the independent variable (the Sport Education season) were applied before, during and at the end of the programme. Data collection: The Empathy Questionnaire (Mehrabian and Epstein, 1972), and the Children?s Assertiveness Behaviour Scale (Michelson and Wood, 1982) were used to measure dependent variables. Data analysis: Analysis of variance was conducted to ascertain the influence of Sport Education on groups and teams. Student t tests were conducted to establish individual differences between pre-test and post-test, and analysis of variance was conducted to measure the influence of factors such as gender and role on each variable. Repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted to establish differences between the various points at which the programme was applied. Findings: Positive results were obtained in assertiveness, where differences were significant between pre-test and post-test, although effect size differed from case to case. Group and team were a key aspect when differences were significant. Conclusions and implications: Sport Education was shown to be a useful instructional model for improving a variable(assertiveness) directly related to personal and social responsibility. Nevertheless, teachers need to design and apply pedagogical strategies routinely, and pay very close attention to the dynamics created in the classroom, in order to achieve these results. Further research involving more specific testing of classroom situations in general and Physical Education situations in particular is also required. Keywords: physical education, sport education, empathy, assertiveness, social relations. |
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