High school students’ experiences in a Sport Education unit: The importance of team autonomy and problem-solving opportunities

Abstract

This study examined high school students’ experiences in a Sport Education unit being implemented with smaller teams and fewer roles. The participants included one physical education teacher and her 70 ninth-grade students. Each week, we conducted two to three observations and four to six informal interviews with the participants for over eight weeks. We also conducted a structured interview with the teacher and four interviews with 12 students. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using open and axial coding. Two themes emerged from data analysis. First, Sport Education transformed students from passive into active learners, reflected in team autonomy and problem solving. Second, smaller teams produced higher engagement especially in those students who rarely participated in the traditional team sport unit, reflected through their willingness to ‘work together’ to be successful. The results point to the importance of team autonomy and problem-solving opportunities that transformed students into active learners.