Implementation of a values training program in physical education and sport: perspectives from teachers, coaches, students, and athletes

Abstract

Background: Past research has shown that under the right conditions, youth can learn values through physical education and sport (PES). Although some programs have been developed using PES as a means to foster positive development, a limited amount of research has specifically addressed how stakeholders believe this type of material can be promoted.Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the perspectives of physical education (PE) teachers, sport coaches, PE students, and athletes from a Singaporean school taking part in an instructional program designed to teach values through PES. The study was guided by the four research questions: (a) What were the perceived benefits of the values training program? (b) How did the participants believe that PE students and athletes were able to transfer the values learned in PES to daily applications? (c) What did the participants believe were factors that facilitated and/or hindered the transfer of values? and (d) What do the participants believe could improve future values training programs?Participants: A total of 38 participants (3 PE teachers, 3 sport coaches, 16 PE students, and 16 athletes) were purposefully selected for the present study. The PE teachers and sport coaches ranged in age from 26 to 38 years (M = 32; SD = 2.2), had an average of 7 years of teaching experience (SD = 1.6), and had an average of 2.5 years of coaching experience (SD = 1.2). The PE students and athletes ranged in age from 10 to 12 years (M = 11.7; SD = 0.99).Data collection: Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with PE teachers and sport coaches while focus-group interviews were used for PE students and athletes.Data analysis: The interview transcripts were analyzed using a thematic analysis that was driven by both the data and the research questions.Findings: The results revealed that: (a) PE teachers and sport coaches believed that the training program helped them acquire pedagogical strategies and increased their motivation for teaching values, (b) PE students and athletes believed that they were able to apply some of the values learnt through PES in non-sport settings, (c) purposefully designed activities by PE teachers and sport coaches facilitated the transfer of values, and (d) time constraints were the key challenge that hindered the learning and transfer of values.Conclusion: The current study indicated that for PES to be a context conducive to the learning of values, adult leaders must be trained appropriately, guided by established theories, such as Kolb's theory of experiential learning. PE teachers and sport coaches indicated how they believe that they have benefited from the training program by being better equipped to teach values through PES. Nevertheless, more interventions and more theory-based research are needed to ensure that PES is deliberately designed to provide youth with opportunities to improve as sportspersons and also citizens.