Life Skills Transfer Research Articles

Delivering project SCORE in competitive youth sport settings.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Project SCORE intervention in fostering Positive Youth Development (PYD) within competitive youth sport settings in Portugal. Project SCORE is an online PYD-focused tool developed to assist coaches in promoting the 4Cs-competence, confidence, connection, and character-within their coaching. The research involved 13 coaches and 70 youth athletes from football and rowing teams. Methodologically, this study analyzed the pre- and post- Project SCORE intervention data, assessing the perceptions of coaches and athletes towards the development of the 4Cs. Results indicated significant improvements in athletes' perceptions of 4Cs post-intervention, and among coaches' perceptions, there was a significant improvement in the practice and transfer of life skills. Particularly, coaches showed enhanced abilities in fostering life skills and facilitating the transfer of these skills to competitive environments, although some dimensions like sport climate did not sustain positive changes. The findings highlight the benefits of customized PYD-based programs in competitive youth sports and suggest the need for further research to enhance their widespread and consistent implementation.

Supporting Collegiate Students in the United States Through Athletic and Career Transitions

The purpose of this paper is to explore the athletic and career transitions that student-athletes navigate and to present examples of providing ongoing psychological support for student-athletes through these transitions. Guided by frameworks for understanding athlete change-events, a series of evidence-based propositions are presented to conceptualize how to understand and support collegiate student-athletes through transitions. A specific educational program is explained to provide an example of supporting student-athletes’ goal setting, identity, and life skills transfer during the transition out of college sports and college life. Future opportunities for supporting student-athlete transitions are then identified, along with reflections and lessons learned on how to provide ongoing psychological support to collegiate student-athletes.

Storying surfing coaches’ experiences of life skills development

In the present manuscript we explore three Portuguese surfing coaches’ understandings and experiences of their roles and responsibilities concerning life skills development across youth, high-performance and master sport contexts. To achieve this aim, coaches and researchers forged a meaningful partnership over a two-year period, sharing experiences in an open and sincere manner, as well as embracing diversity of thought while rethinking life skills development across coaching contexts. Data collection was conducted through interviews (n = 12) and reflexive journalling. This partnership between researchers and coaches gave voice to coaches concerning athletes’ life skills development throughout a range of coaching contexts. These coaches, independent of the coaching context, were influenced by social and cultural forces that made them disregard life skills development and transfer. They were also pressured to value winning and performance development, and positioned the development of life skills as unrealistic coaching pursuits. An interconnected portrait of coaches’ roles and responsibilities across coaching contexts may help inform coach development and education programs that consider the diversity of sport programs being delivered in Portugal and elsewhere. Moving forward, more attention may need to be paid towards understanding how cultural, political and social variables influence coaching life skills.

Examining the Relationship Between Perceived Coaching Approaches for Life Skills Development and Life Skills Outcomes for High School Athletes

Promoting life skills is a prominent focus of the mission of high school sports. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived coaching approaches for life skills development and life skills outcomes for high school athletes. A total of 346 athletes participating in high school sports from the United States completed the athlete-reported version of the Coaching Life Skills in Sport Questionnaire (perceived implicit and explicit coaching approaches) and the Life Skills Scale for Sport. Findings from hierarchical and stepwise regression models revealed that perceived implicit and explicit levels of coaching were differentially associated with each of the eight life skills outcomes, with the most consistent and significant predictor of life skills outcomes being structuring and facilitating a positive climate. Findings are discussed in relation to the conceptual and practical utility of the implicit–explicit continuum of life skills development and transfer, the importance of coach and athlete awareness of coaching approaches for life skills development, and recognition of the strengths and limitations of a variety of ontological and epistemological approaches to studying life skills in sport.

The role of sport coaches on student-athletes’ life skills development and transfer: Using multilevel model analysis

A structured sport environment is known to provide adequate conditions for the development and transfer of student-athletes’ life skills. However, recent research not only emphasizes the environment but also argues that the intentional effort of coaches such as life skills coaching is important. This study examines the role of coaches’ life skills coaching on the development and transfer of athletes’ life skills using a multilevel model. A total of 28 high school athletic teams (28 coaches, 291 student-athletes) were recruited to participate in the study, using cluster sampling. The life skills coaching of Level 2 (coaches) in sports were measured using the Korean version of the Coaching Life Skills in Sport Questionnaire (CLSS-Q). The life skills of the student-athletes at Level 1 were measured using the Life Skills Scale for Student-Athletes (LSSSA) and Korean version of Life Skills Transfer Survey (LSTS). Multilevel model analysis was conducted to analyze dyadic data. The result of analysis showed that three hypotheses were supported. Specifically, life skills development of student-athletes affected life skills transfer (Hypothesis 1), life skills coaching affected student-athletes’ life skills transfer (Hypothesis 2), and the interaction effect between life skills coaching and development affected life skills transfer of student-athletes (Hypothesis 3). We conclude that coaches should use intentional life skills coaching strategies to maximize student-athlete life skills development and transfer to daily life.

The shy girl who became national team captain: a bioecological narrative of an Olympian’s life skills development

Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory scrutinized how the complex relationship between person and environment leads to human ­development. Although the concept of life skills is influenced by Bronfenbrenner’s work, exploration of the bioecological theory in sport psychology is limited. The bioecological theory was used to explore the life skills development of Júlia, a 38-year-old woman who competed nationally in track and field and internationally in rugby. Júlia completed a timeline and engaged in four interviews, and four social agents were interviewed to nuance her developmental journey. Inductive dialogic narrative analysis was conducted to present Júlia’s journey through creative nonfiction. Júlia developed life skills (e.g. communication, teamwork) from progressively more complex interactions through interpersonal relationships, experiences, and challenges in different contexts (e.g. school, work). Insights concerning the bidirectional nature of life skills development and transfer are discussed, as well as the influence sustained by the person’s biopsychosocial characteristics, culture, and time.

O.6.2-6 Life skills development and transfer in community sports programs

Abstract Purpose Participating in community sports programs can contribute to positive developmental outcomes, such as the development and transfer of life skills. However, studies specifically focusing on which life skills are developed and whether these skills are indeed transferred to other life domains among socially vulnerable adults, are still lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate life skills development and transfer among socially vulnerable adults as a result of pariticpating in in community sports programs. Methods This study builds on a life-course approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a total of 13 program participants and three social sports coaches. Additionally, four focus group discussions were organized in which a total of four program coordinators, five social sports coaches and six social workers participated. By employing multiple methods and data sources, data triangulation was achieved. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results We found that program participants developed cognitive, emotional, and social life skills. Examples of cognitive life skills were planning and time management, taking initiative, critical thinking, self-awareness, and self-direction. Examples of emotional life skills were coping skills, empathy, and staying mentally positive. Examples of social skills were expressing feelings, assertiveness, leadership, respect, and teamwork. Although the views of the program participants, their coaches and the results from the focus group discussions showed overlap, differences in which life skills were developed and/or transferred by program participants were also found. For example, the development and transfer of planning and time management was mentioned by several social sports coaches and during the focus group discussions, however, this was not always mentioned by the program participants. Conclusions Adults in a socially vulnerable position (can) develop cognitive, emotional and social life skills by participating in community sports programs. Moreover, the transfer of these life skills to other life domains like home and work was demonstrated. These findings are an important step towards better understanding the societal impact of community sports programs serving socially vulnerable adults.

A Qualitative Investigation of Teachers’ Experiences of Life Skills Development in Physical Education

ABSTRACT Recent studies have highlighted physical education (PE) as a setting for life skills development, yet little is known about how teachers can promote the development and transfer of life skills through PE. Therefore, the broad objectives of this study were to explore teacher’s perceptions of what life skills are developed through PE, how these life skills are developed in practice, and whether these life skills transfer to other life domains. A qualitative methodological design consisting of in-depth semi-structured interviews was employed to obtain detailed insights from PE teachers. Audio-recorded interviews lasting an average of 43 minutes were conducted with 11 teachers (Mage = 37.9 years; teaching experience = 14.1 years) from the northwest of England. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Five key themes were constructed during data analysis: 1) key life skills developed through PE (e.g., teamwork, communication, leadership, & resilience), 2) why life skills are needed and taught, 3) considering students’ individual needs when teaching life skills, 4) strategies for life skills development (e.g., explicit & implicit learning, teachable moments, & role modelling), and 5) the transferability of life skills to other domains (e.g., schoolwork & home life). The findings provide key insights into how teachers value life skills, support their development, and enable transfer to other areas of students’ lives.

Life Skills Oriented Natural Schools

A key characteristic of positive youth development (PYD) programs is the opportunity to develop life skills, such as social, behavioral, and moral competencies, which can be generalized to domains beyond hands-on activities. The purpose of our study was to examine whether life skills-oriented nature schools have been integrated into their students. Population and sample of 29 students of Qurani Al-Hikmah Nature School. Method: quantitative descriptive with survey approach. The life skills instrument used the Life Skills Transfer Survey (LSTS), a measure of perceived life skills transfer. The results revealed that Qurani Al-Hikmah natural school oriented life skills have been integrated into the school curriculum and given daily to students bringing changes in attitudes, thoughts and behaviors by providing a pleasant school environment .

An autoethnographic account and interpretation of sport related life skills and personal development

ABSTRACT An authoethnographic case study of the first author’s personal experience of psychosocial development and life skills transfer across his high school sport experience and over his four-decade career as a sport psychology researcher and consultant is presented. Adopting a story-analytic and teller-mode approach, the first author (Dan) conveys and interprets his own story of personal and life skill development via sport and integrates his experiences with findings from qualitative interviews he conducted with nine classmates who were also varsity athletes in 1969 at the same high school [Gould et al., under review. Former scholastic athletes views of sport-based life skills learning: A 50 year retrospective study. Manuscript Submitted for Review]. The interviews were designed to describe and systematically analyse how Dan and his former classmates’ experiences resonate with the sport-based life skills development literature. Dan’s sport-related personal and life skill development story centred on six overarching themes. These included: (1) openness to personal development because of his drive to excel and need to feel worthy; (2) “not a Tabula Rasa athlete”; (3) coaches as mentors but his mother was his greatest influence; (4) high school sport helping make him who he is; (5) high school sport serving as an incubator for self-regulation and personal growth; and (6) depositing and withdrawing from his “experience bank” to help himself and help others over the course of his life. Dan’s experiences are interpreted relative to the existing personal and life skill sport-based development research and theory.

청소년 태권도 수련생의 라이프스킬 개발과 전이에 대한 부모 양육태도와 동기 분위기의 역할

The purpose of this study wat to investigate the role of parenting attitude and motivational climate on the life skills development and transfer of adolescent Taekwondo trainees. Participants of this study were 302 middle and high school students in Pusan. After excluding eight student’s data, this study used 294 (male=191, female=103) data for analysis. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS and AMOS conducting descriptive statistics, correlation, and structural equation model. As a result, hypotheses 1, 4, 7, and 9 were supported by statistical significance, while the hypotheses 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 were not supported. Additionally, this study tested a modified model removing the path for positive and negative parenting attitudes and life skills transfer. Modified model showed that positive and negative parenting attitude had significant effect on motivational climate. Furthermore, motivational climate positively influenced life skills, and life skills predicted transfer. In conclusion, the structural model of this study support the the relationship of positive or negative parenting attitudes and motivation climate, life skills development and transfer of adolescent Taekwondo trainees.

The Effects of Sport Life Skills and Life Skills Transfer on Student-Athletes and Coaches: An Application of Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM)

PURPOSE This study examined the effect of sports life skills and life skills transfer of student-athletes and coaches, applying Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). METHODS Korean student-athletes and coaches from middle and high school sports teams participated in this study. There were 300 student-athletes (<i>M</i><sub>age</sub>=15.44, <i>SD</i>=1.64; male=218, female=82), with an average of 5.46 (<i>SD</i>=2.40) years of athletic career. Meanwhile, 33 coaches were (<i>M</i><sub>age</sub>=39.70, <i>SD</i>=8.36; male=26, female=7), with an average of 13.52 years of coaching career (<i>SD</i>=10.01). Measures included the Life Skills Scale for Student-Athletes (LSSSA; Jang et al., 2020) and Korean Life Skills Transfer Survey (KLSTS; Lim et al., 2018). Descriptive analysis, correlation, and APIM were undertaken by using the SPSS and AMOS programs. RESULTS First, the correlation between athletes’ and coaches’ life skills was not significant. Second, athletes’ life skills significantly affected their life skills transfer, similar to coaches’ life skills significantly affecting their life skills transfer. Fourth, coaches’ life skills did not significantly influence athletes’ life skills transfer, and the converse was not true either. CONCLUSIONS This study verified the effect of life skills development for two groups of athletes and coaches, on transfer in sports, and attempted statistical verification of whether it affects sports life skills and transfer between athletes and coaches. Although no statistically significant results were found in the partner effect, it is meaningful in that, it provided important implications for conducting a follow-up study on the relationship between athletes and coaches. In other words, it is expected to be a cornerstone for research on building a new model, along with investigating the interactive relations between athletes and coaches on life skills in the sports field.

A Case Study of Applying a Capacity Building Program to Sport Life Skill Leaders

PURPOSE This study aimed to apply a capacity building program to sport life skill leaders and to provide cases of this process. METHODS The study participants included four leaders (male=2, female= 2, <i>M</i><sub>age</sub>=37.5) who were managing a sport life skills program at a university. They participated in a capacity building program, which consisted of (a) understanding (leader seminar), (b) application (managing the sport life skills program), and (c) evaluation (leader’s self-reflection), which were conducted in eight sessions. Four leaders conducted self-evaluations using program quality assessment (PQA) during every session, and quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Qualitative data were derived using a cross-case analysis, and quantitative data were used for calculating the effect size after performing the paired t-test. RESULTS Analyzing the reported cases of sport life skill leaders, the use value of the capacity building program was identified. Furthermore, the cases reported by the four leaders enabled observation of how the leader’s capabilities were strengthened. In the paired t-test, the effect size of physical and psychological safety, appropriate structure, supportive relationship, opportunities to belong, support for efficacy mattering, opportunities for life skill building, excluding integration of family, school, and community effort, were all significant. All effect sizes were found to have “very large effects.” CONCLUSIONS The capacity building program played a positive role in strengthening the leaders’ life skill coaching capabilities. These findings have practical implications—chiefly, it is important to strengthen leaders’ or coaches’ capabilities in order to foster life skill development and transfer of student-athletes.

Life skills development and transfer amongst socially vulnerable adults through sports: a systematic review

ABSTRACT This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge regarding life skills development (LSD) and life skills transfer (LST) in sports programs serving adults in a socially vulnerable position. It identifies factors influencing LSD and LST in these sports programs, as well as possible differences in this regard between the various subgroups of social vulnerability. Potentially relevant studies were identified by searches of five databases, complemented by backward and forward snowballing. The 26 articles included reported the development of cognitive, emotional and/or social skills amongst socially vulnerable adults through participation in a sports program. In 20 studies, transfer was reported for at least one of the life skills developed. Potential factors that may influence the process of LSD and LST were related to the individual, the staff, the program design, the inherent demands of sport, a safe environment and social cohesion. Some differences in LSD and LST were found between subgroups of social vulnerable adults. However, because some subgroups were hardly represented, a comparison was difficult to make. This review showed that sports programs have the potential to help socially vulnerable adults develop and transfer life skills. Recommendations for future research are given.

The Validation of Korean Coaching Life Skills in Sport Questionnaire (KCLSS-Q)

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to validate the Korean version of Coaching Life Skills in Sport Questionnaire (KCLSS-Q). METHODS Substantive, structural, and external stages were undertaken to address the purpose of this study. At the substantive stage, the scale was translated by discussing with an expert panel and testing item clarity. Ten coaches (9 males, <i>M</i><sub>age</sub>=33.80, <i>SD</i>=4.21) participated in the item clarity test. At the structural stage, descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. A total of 249 (214 male, <i>M</i><sub>age</sub>=34.18, <i>SD</i>=6.82) and 232 coaches (186 male, <i>M</i><sub>age</sub>=34.26, <i>SD</i>=7.69) participated in the EFA and CFA, respectively. At the external stage, correlation analysis using other scales (emotional intelligence in sport coaching, EISSC) was conducted to examine concurrent validation. A total of 130 copies of the CFA data were randomly extracted and used for this stage. RESULTS For the EFA, the scale extracted five factors with 27 items. In the CFA, however, five factors with 26 items were identified as an appropriate structure. Finally, the relationships of all sub-factors between KCLSS-Q and EISSC were statistically significant in the correlation analysis.CONCLUSIONS KCLSS-Q should reasonably consists of nine items on structuring and facilitating a positive sport climate, five on understanding life skills, four on practicing life skills, five on understanding life skills transfer, and three on practicing life skills transfer. KCLSS-Q can be used as a valid measure to evaluate the coaching life skills of Korean coaches.

Coaches’ Reflections of Using a Charity-Driven Framework to Foster Youth Athletes’ Psychosocial Outcomes

When structured appropriately, sport can promote psychosocial development in youth athletes. However, few frameworks exist that allow coaches to intentionally support youth’s psychosocial development through their sport programming. The Play Better framework represents one intentional approach that incorporates prosocial behavior where youth earn donations toward charitable causes for reaching process-based goals. Given the potential benefit that explicit strategies have for yielding positive developmental outcomes, there is a need for research to explore the role of intentionality in enhancing quality sport delivery. The purpose of this study was to understand coaches’ perceptions of using the framework within their coaching practices. Twenty-three soccer coaches (83% male) participated in a one-on-one semistructured interview analyzed inductively. Results indicated that coaches perceived the Play Better framework to (a) help enact their coaching philosophies; (b) enable youth choice, while supporting sport-skill development and enjoyment; (c) facilitate intentional approaches to life skills development and transfer; and (d) foster professional and personal development. This research provides initial evidence of the benefit of using an intentional framework, like Play Better, for athletes and coaches. Future research is needed to understand athlete and parent perspectives of utilizing the framework. Findings help inform future coach training resources and best practices.

Life Skill Development through Pencak Silat Martial Arts Training: An Intentionally Structured Positive Youth Development Program

Pencak silat is a contemporary general term used in Indonesia, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asia countries to mention hundreds of traditional and modern martial arts which are performed either by a solo player or a duel, with or without musical background. One type of Pencak Silat in Indonesia is Tapak Suci. This research aimed at investigating the impact of Tapak Suci Training Model with Positive Youth Development based training in developing Life Skills for Athletes. This research was experimental research involving 56 athletes who were divided into two groups, 28 athletes for the experimental group and 28 athletes for the control group. The research instrument used was life skill questionnaires involving 35 questions about emotional skills, goal setting, problem-solving and decision making, leadership, and respect. Data analysis was done descriptively and a t-test was employed to investigate the different impacts between the two groups. The results showed that Tapak Suci Pencak Silat Training Model implemented in the experimental group gave a higher impact on the life skill transfer for athletes compared to the control group. This research concludes that Pencak Silat Tapak Suci Training Model is proved to be an effective effort for life skills transfer among athletes. In addition, the employment of programed exercises is recommended to be implemented for individual life skills transfer.

Coach Education and Coach Development within a Contemporary Social Justice Society: Implications for Future Research and Potential Pitfalls

ABSTRACT Literature discussing youth sport coaching indicates the importance of a holistic coaching approach, particularly related to the use of positive youth development (PYD) approaches promoting the development and transfer of life skills. However, in the shadow of recent sociopolitical movements such as Black Lives Matter and Me Too, raised awareness of mental health concerns and an ongoing global pandemic, there are calls for a reimagined perspective of PYD through a social justice worldview. The purpose of the current article is to posit how coach education programs and coach development systems can inclusively meet the diverse needs of coaches, youth athletes, and society alike. Specifically, two questions guided the development of this article: 1) Why should coach education and coach development integrate social justice life skills? and 2) How may social justice life skills be integrated into coach education and coach development? Ultimately, as researchers and coach developers, we must not only be advocates for social justice in youth sports, but critically engaged activists who progress youth – and societal – development forward.

Utilizing Guided Discovery to Promote Transfer of Responsibility Values in Young Children

Purpose: In a Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) program, Hellison noted that transferring responsibility values to areas beyond the gym was the most important aspect of a responsibility-based program. The purpose of this study was to examine how the use of guided discovery strategies in a TPSR program impacts and promotes how elementary students construct meaning and action related to responsibility values. Method: The participants were 12 second and third graders who attended an underserved public elementary school and were part of an after-school program. In the TPSR program, participants engaged in cooperative activities and researcher-led discussions, using the guided discovery teaching style, to promote transfer of life skills. Results: The findings indicate that the students better understood the meaning of responsible behaviors following an 8-week TPSR after-school program that included a heavy dose of the guided discovery teaching style. This, in turn, suggests that the guided discovery teaching style served to stimulate the transfer of these responsibility behaviors beyond the program. Discussion and Conclusion: Transfer is challenging to facilitate. Having a program that uses the scaffolded approach of guided discovery may be a key component in transferring responsible behaviors to areas outside of a physical activity program.

TEACHING LIFE SKILLS THROUGH VOLLEYBALL PASSING SKILL TO CHILDREN 9-11 YEARS OLD

The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of teaching life skills through the volleyball passing skill, of 44 primary school female children and their perceived satisfaction with the program. The sample was randomly assigned into two groups. The life skills group (LSG, n= 23) and the control group (CG, n= 21). All participants followed a six-week practice program aiming the passing skill learning. For the participants of LSG the program was combined with the components of goal setting, problem-solving and positive thinking. The control group received typical teaching and feedback provided by the PE teacher. All participants were evaluated in three measurements: pre-test, post-test and retention test. A qualitative evaluation (five main elements) of the passing technique, which was recorded by the digital camera, was used. Also, a common format for evaluating life skills knowledge perceptions and transfer (10-item questionnaire), which was developed in the Greek population by Papacharisis (2004) based on the work of Hogan (2000), and also a questionnaire for the perceived satisfaction of the students was used (Alexandris, Tsorbatzoudis & Grouios, 2004a, 2004b). Anova repeated measures show that participants of the LSG improved passing skill (p<.05) and showed a positive reception of the program by the students who learned interesting and useful things for their life in general, transferable to other aspects in their life, besides sports. The results of the study support the effectiveness of the life skills program that integrated volleyball passing skill learning, life skills improvement and participants’ perceived satisfaction of the program.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0915/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>