Non-Physical Education Major Collegiate Students' Empirically Experiences in Sport Education

Thursday, March 19, 2015
Exhibit Hall Poster Area 2 (Convention Center)
Boung Jin Kang, Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, NC and Kyung-Shin Park, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, TX
Background/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to exploring the 29 collegiate students’ social interaction, empirically experiences and receptivity and how they changed the perception of Sport Education (SE) model (Siedentop, Hastie, & van der Mars, 2004) in volleyball Physical Activity (PA) class.

Method:  A total of 29 (17 females and 12 males) non-PE major collegiate students participated in volleyball PA class for 14 weeks that focused on implementing SE model. The SE unit consisted of 10 lessons of modified volleyball. Both quantitative were collected through skill assessment and Volleyball Knowledge Test and qualitative data were collected through class observations and formal-informal interviews to assess students’ receptivity and perceptions of the SE model as well as students’ volleyball skill progress and their social interaction and beliefs about SE. Descriptive statistics used for quantitative data analysis. Researcher used inductive analysis, and trustworthiness (Lincoln and Guba, 1985, Patton, 1990) was supported through member checks and triangulation of various data sources.

Analysis/Results:  All students’ knowledge of the volleyball game and skill level significantly improved more in the SE model season class than a previous traditional class format. Every student expressed a variety of experiences of SE in volleyball PA class. (1) All students recognized the benefit of the SE model in volleyball class (i.e. actual involvement, leadership opportunities, social interaction, and skill improvement). (2) Several female students pointed out that implementing the SE model in PA class took too much time at the beginning of the unit of instruction. (3) Level and gender mixed (experienced & non-experienced) class and team setting supported non-experienced students easy to acquire sports skills and understand knowledge.  

Conclusions:  Despite much of the positive findings: the increased levels of student participation, the students’ improved social behavior and leadership, and the students’ enjoyment of the unit. All participants pointed to both positive and negative outcomes from the SE curriculum model. Most female students complained that the lack of their understanding of the SE model concept increased the implementation time at the beginning of the season because it was very time consuming to implement due to the organization involved. Nonetheless, the students at both low and high level did see the greater utility of the SE model for skill improvement and decision making opportunities- the shift from an instructor centered to a student centered model of instruction as students took on various roles during the season.