Responses of Chinese university students and their teacher to a season of sport education

Abstract

There is limited literature from the voices of participants in the Sport Education model in China, whether student or teacher. The purpose of this study therefore, was to provide a comprehensive descriptive account of one basketball class’s lived experiences as they completed a physical education course based on Sport Education. Data were collected from 48 university students and their physical education teacher as they participated in a sixteen weeks long basketball season. Students’ voices were measured using the 12-item `Sport Education Season Survey’, while the teacher completed a weekly journal and participated in a series of interviews at the end of the course. The results indicated that the students strongly agreed that they enjoyed and valued each of the Sport Education elements. They also reported higher perceived competence, literacy, and enthusiastic engagement from their experience. Four themes were generated from the teacher’s weekly reflective journals and interviews which referred consistently to high levels of student motivation, a higher intensity of student engagement, the development of skill competency, and a deeper understanding of tactical knowledge. In addition, the teacher also saw Sport Education as providing a legitimate source of professional renewal for Chinese university physical educators.