Quality physical activity programs in higher education should be developmentally and instructionally appropriate for all students, regardless their previous experiences and abilities (NASPE, 2007). To accomplish this goal,... [ view full abstract ]
Quality physical activity programs in higher education should be developmentally and instructionally appropriate for all students, regardless their previous experiences and abilities (NASPE, 2007). To accomplish this goal, scholars suggest the implementation of selected curriculum models in college-level physical activity courses, including Sport Education (André & Hastie, 2017; Bennet & Hastie, 1997; Jenkins & Alderman, 2011).
This study explored college students’ perceptions of the Sport Education Model in a beginning volleyball class. Participants included 15 students (3 male; 12 female) from various degree programs enrolled in a one-credit beginning volleyball course at a public university in California. The course included the following key features of the Sport Education curriculum model: affiliation, diverse roles, formal competition, keeping records, culminating event, and festivity (Siedentop, 1994).
Data were collected across one semester through student generated journals, faculty memos, and focus groups. Data analysis followed an inductive content analysis, in which two researchers coded segments of data according to their meanings and clustered them into categories containing similar patterns of response. In this process, researchers compared and contrasted their codes and categories continuously through multiple debrief meetings.
Findings reveled three overarching themes describing students’ perceptions of the Sport Education model: 1-Being part of a tem, 2-Learning the game, and 3-Taking responsibility. Each theme depicts students’ thoughts and feelings regarding the key features of a Sport Education season included in the volleyball course.
These themes are also aligned with the tenants of the Self Determination Theory, suggesting that adopting the Sport Education model in higher education physical activity courses might motivate students to participate by meeting their needs for relatedness, competence and autonomy (Sun & Chen, 2010).
• Innovative perspectives on physical education, physical activity, health and wellbeing a
