Advances in Physical Education
2013. Vol.3, No.1, 28-35
Published Online February 2013 in SciRes (http://www.scirp.org/journal/ape) DOI:10.4236/ape.2013.31005
Elementary Students’ Views and Experiences on
Sport Education in Cyprus
Niki Tsangaridou, Chrysostomos Lefteratos
Department of Education, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
Received October 8th, 2012; revised November 10th, 2012; accepted November 24th, 2012
Sport education is a curriculum and instructional model designed to offer authentic, educationally rich
sport experiences for girls and boys in the context of school physical education (Siedentop, 1994; Sieden-
top, Hastie, & Van der Mars, 2004). The literature on sport education suggests that most of the studies
examining its effectiveness are within middle or secondary schools and there are fewer studies on the
perceptions or representations of the model by students in primary settings (Hastie, Ojeba, & Luquin,
2011; Kinchin, 2006; Wallhead & O’Sullivan, 2005). This study presents findings related to primary stu-
dents’ representations and practices of sport education. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to
explore and describe Greek-Cypriot students’ perceptions and experiences of a basketball season that fol-
lowed a sport education format. Twenty-two (22) year—6 students (11- to 12-year-old), 12 boys and 10
girls, from a public primary school in Cyprus, participated in the sport education unit which lasted thir-
teen (13) lessons. Data were collected through interviews, questionnaires, observations, and documents
(unit and lesson plans) and were later analysed inductively (Patton, 2001). Results suggested that students
in this study were successfully affiliated within their teams and appropriate opportunities were created for
autonomous and meaningful learning. In addition, findings revealed that during the lessons there was a
joyful and positive atmosphere which enabled all members to work hard as a whole in order to achieve
their goals. Based on our results we have drawn the following two conclusions: first, the model of sport
education enhanced the level of participation and motivation of students towards physical education; se-
cond, the participants in this study encountered meaningful learning experiences during the implementa-
tion of the sport education model.
Keywords: Sport Education; Primary Students; Primary Physical Education; School Physical Education
Introduction
During the last two decades researchers have underlined the
importance of rethinking and reorganizing the way of deliver-
ing instruction in physical education (Kulinna, 2008; Rink,
2010; Rink & Hall, 2008). In recent years, scholars in sport
pedagogy have begun to study programmes and models that
may influence student learning and make these experiences
more positive. Scholars have pointed out that instructional
models are considered as more inclusive and suitable ap-
proaches that can be used by physical education teachers in
providing effective instruction to all students (Kulinna, 2008;
Lund & Tannehill, 2010; Metzler, 2011). One pedagogical
model that has drawn considerable attention from teachers and
researchers is the sport education model (Hastie, 2012; Hastie,
Ojeba, & Luquin, 2011; Kinchin, 2006; Wallhead & O’Sullivan,
2005).
Sport education is a curriculum and instructional model de-
signed to offer authentic, educationally rich sport experiences
for girls and boys within the context of school physical educa-
tion. The primary aim of sport education is to help students to
become competent, literate, and enthusiastic sports players
(Siedentop, 1994; Siedentop, 2002; Siedentop, Hastie, & Van
der Mars, 2004). The innovation of the model stems from the
fact that the experiences which are offered, are well-rounded
and authentic rather than the typical events in physical educa-
tion; since students not only learn to play games, but also learn
to coordinate and manage their sport experiences (Siedentop,
1994; Siedentop et al., 2004). The sport education model com-
bines some key instructional features that differentiate it from
the traditional physical education model. Students work in the
same group throughout the length of the season and are given
responsibilities and different sport related roles such as player,
referee, captain, statistician, coach, etc. (Siedentop, 1994; Sie-
dentop et al., 2004).
The model of sport education has become well-known all
over the world and contributes to the renewal and improvement
of knowledge in teaching physical education in a more mean-
ingful way (Hastie, 2012; Hastie et al., 2011; Kinchin, 2006;
Wallhead & O’Sullivan, 2005). Today there are several exam-
ples of how the model has been implemented in English-
speaking countries such as New Zealand (e.g., Grant, 1992),
Australia (e.g., Alexander & Taggart, 1995), United States (e.g.,
Hastie, 1996; Mowling, Brock, & Hastie, 2006), United King-
dom (e.g., MacPhail, Kinchin, & Kirk, 2003), and Ireland (e.g.,
Kinchin, MacPhail, & Ni Chroinin, 2009). As Sinelnikov &
Hastie (2010) indicated more recently the model has been im-
plemented in non-western contexts including Korea (e.g., Kim,
Penney, Cho, & Choi, 2006) and Russia (e.g., Hastie & Sinel-
nikov, 2006; Sinelnikov & Hastie, 2008, 2010). Findings from
these international studies have reported positive results of the
practical validity of the model. In New Zealand, for example,
Grant (1992) reported that the implementation of the sport
28

N. TSANGARIDOU, C. LEFTERATOS
education model in high schools was successful and meaningful
for teachers and students. Australian sport education research
has also found that the model was beneficial to all participants
and reported improved motor and social outcomes for many
lower-skilled students (Alexander & Luckman, 2001; Alexan-
der & Taggart, 1995).
Studies in the United States suggested similar results. Find-
ings suggested that during sport education seasons students
enjoyed taking administrative roles, showed a distinct prefer-
ence for remaining in the same team for the entire season and
they enjoyed their experiences in the sport education unit more
than their regular physical education lessons (Hastie, 1998,
2000; Hastie & Buchanan, 2000). Evidence suggests that the
sport education model has also been employed successfully
within British school physical education programmes. Results
indicate that the sport education model has given pupils a more
authentic and less abstracted learning experience; enabled stu-
dents to have more time to play and practice for skill learning,
and that the sport education model has the potential to produce
an educationally and morally desirable conception of sport
(Brunton, 2003; Kirk & Kinchin, 2003; MacPhail et al., 2003;
Wallhead & Ntoumanis, 2004). More recently, the sport educa-
tion model has also been implemented in Korea and Russia.
Kim et al. (2006) indicated that the sport education model has
been successfully applied in a Korean middle school. Partici-
pants of the study pointed out that the model offered them
unique opportunities to actively participate in class discussions
and decision making situations. Hastie & Sinelnikov (2006)
found that Russian students were actively engaged in motor
tasks, demonstrated significant competence in the officiating
and coaching roles associated with the season, developed sig-
nificant team affiliation, and that they thoroughly enjoyed their
participation in the season.
The summary of research on sport education (see reviews by
Hastie et al., 2011; Kinchin, 2006; Wallhead & O’Sullivan,
2005) indicated that most of the studies examining its effec-
tiveness are within middle or secondary schools. Today there is
some evidence suggested that sport education can be achieved
successfully by third, fourth, and fifth-grade students (Hastie,
2012; MacPhail et al., 2003; MacPhail, Kirk, & Kinchin, 2004,
2005; Mowling et al., 2006). Results from these studies sug-
gested that the opportunity to become affiliated with a team was
an attractive feature of the elementary students’ physical educa-
tion experiences. Additionally, research indicated that the mo-
del facilitates student learning and increases social skills such
as student responsibility and cooperation (MacPhail et al., 2004;
Mowling et al., 2006). While research on sport education in-
cludes few examples at the elementary level, only a small
number of these studies have been conducted in non Eng-
lish-speaking countries in the European Union (Hastie et al.,
2011). In his recent book entitled “Sport Education: Interna-
tional Perspectives” Hastie (2012) has included two studies
from non English-speaking countries in the European Union
one from Cyprus and one from Spain. Tsangaridou (2012) in-
vestigated the experiences of a Year-4 students’ class (7 to 8
year olds) within a developmentally appropriate Sport Educa-
tion unit and found that the features of the sport education
model seem to contribute to young students’ learning, enjoy-
ment and participation in physical education. Similarly, Ojeba,
Luquin, & Hastie (2012) found that with practice and experi-
ence in the sport education model third-year Spanish “students
were able to make decisions for themselves and even plan
complex strategies” (p. 112).
Given the potential of the sport education model to provide
meaningful learning experiences to school students and having
in mind the limited account of this model at the elementary
level, especially in non English-speaking countries in the Eu-
ropean Union; this study presents findings related to Year-6
students’ (11- to 12-year-old) representations and practices of
sport education in Cyprus. More specifically, the purpose of
this study was to explore Greek-Cypriot students’ perceptions
and experiences of a basketball season that followed a sport
education format. This investigation was undertaken in order to
extend our knowledge base on sport education. These results
may serve to broaden our understanding of sport education and
further on, to assist efforts to develop international pedagogical
insights and perspectives.
Methods
Participants an d Se tti n g
This study focused on describing elementary students’ per-
ceptions and experiences of a basketball season that followed a
sport education format. A qualitative research design was cho-
sen in order to understand and provide details of phenomena
that are difficult to convey with quantitative research designs
(Patton, 2001). Participants in this study were a group of 22
Year-6 students (11- to 12-year-old), 12 boys and 10 girls, from
a public primary school in Cyprus and an elementary classroom
student teacher. None of the students in this class had had any
experience with the sport education model. Informed consent
was obtained from all the students’ parents or guardians before
the participants took part in the study. In addition, pseudonyms
were used to protect the identity of the students throughout the
study. The student teacher participated in the study voluntarily.
He was assigned by his University to the specific school and
class and he had the responsibility for teaching all subjects on
the elementary core curriculum during the student teaching
experience. The student teacher decided, with his mentor, to
teach a basketball unit during his physical education lessons
using the sport education model. The season was designed and
taught by the student teacher and its duration was thirteen 40-
minute lessons. The physical education facilities and equipment
were adequate in the specific school.
Lesson Content
The students participated in a unit of basketball according to
the key principles of the sport education model (Siedentop,
1994; Siedentop et al., 2004). Consistent with the model the
students were divided into teams that remained together
throughout the duration of the season. The first and last lesson
of the season were devoted to assessment. In the second lesson
the teacher presented the model to the students and then he
divided them into teams. In particular, four teams were created
and six formal competitions were scheduled. The season cul-
minated in play-off matches where the first team played against
the third and the third against the second one. The winner of the
play-offs was also the season winner. During the season, the
students also participated in administrative roles as officials,
captains, scorekeepers and trainers. The complete outline of the
basketball season is presented in Table 1.

N. TSANGARIDOU, C. LEFTERATOS
30
Table 1.
Sport education season plan.
Lesson Content Teacher respo nsibility Student responsibility
1 Diagnostic assessment Class leader/Assist students with
the stations.
Complete all the exercises in the stations and fill
the sheet according to their performance.
2 Introduction to S. E. &
creating teams
Class leader/Present teams according
to the data that was collected. Explain
the roles.
In teams they built their teams’ id (Select: colour,
name, country, stadium, supporters’ name, date, etc.).
3 - 5
Triple threat:
Pass-Shoot-Lay-up.
1st, 2nd and 3rd formal
competitions
Class leader/Provide a range of activities
for warm-up.
Further observation
referee adviser.
Oversight the overall organizations.
Provide feedback.
All the students: Learn the skills and tactics.
Team roles.
Trainers: Lead the team in warm-up.
Scorekeepers: Fill the match sheet.
Officials: They point out the contraventions.
6 All star game
Revision lessons 3 - 5.
Facilitator/Advises the officials,
the organizers and the trainers.
All the students: Learn the skills and tactics.
Team roles.
Organizers: Class leaders.
Trainers: Lead the team in warm-up.
Scorekeepers: Fill the match sheet.
Officials: They point out the contraventions.
7 Man to man defense 4th
Formal Competition
Present the new defensive tactic.
Asking for man to man defense.
The same roles as in lessons in 3 - 5, but different
students take over different roles.
8 Zone Defense/5th Formal
Competition
Present the new defensive tactic.
Asking for zone defense.
The same roles as in lessons in 3 - 5, but different
students take over different roles.
9 Revision of zone and man
to man defense.
6th formal competition
Facilitator/Advises the officials,
the organizers and the trainers.
Every team had to decide how they will defense.
Team roles: Same as before.
10, 11 Play-offs
Programme manager: Oversee the overall
organization of competition, assess
students on their skill, and officiating.
Perform playing, team and duty roles.
12 Awards ceremony
Master of ceremony:
Design and make the awards,
conduct the awards ceremony.
Participants.
13 Formative assessment Class leader/Assist students
with the stations.
Complete all the exercises in the stations and fill
the sheet according to their performance.
Data Collection
Data collection involved completing interviews (group and
individual), questionnaires, observations, and documents. The
interviews’ main goal was to look into the children’s percep-
tions regarding the implementation of the sport education
model. The group interviews took place at the end of the season
with representative students from the four groups and its dura-
tion was approximately 20 minutes. The individual interview,
with all students, also took place at the end of the season, and
lasted about 10 minutes. All interviews were audio-taped and
transcribed for later analysis.
Two different questionnaires were also filled out by the stu-
dents. The first questionnaire was given to the students before
the implementation of the sport education season. They were
called to answer questions relative to what they imagined/ex-
pected they would gain through this specific unit of instruction.
The second questionnaire was filled out after the implementa-
tion of the sport education season and students were called to
express their feelings about different aspects of the model (i.e.,
their new roles, their duties, etc.). Students were asked if they
had learned the rules, if they had developed their abilities, if
they had collaborated with each other and how satisfied they
were with their efforts.
Observational data were collected by a non participant ob-
server. Field notes were kept for all lessons on events and activi-
ties relevant to the purpose of the study. Finally, documents such
as unit plan and lesson plans were collected for later analysis.
Since the study was conducted in non-English-speaking country,
the researchers translated the data into English before the data
analysis. A professional translator assisted in the translation pro-
cess of each quote appearing in the results section.
Data Analysis and Trustworthiness
Data from all sources—interview transcripts, questionnaires,
observational field notes, and documents—were analysed in-
ductively (Patton, 2001). More specifically, all the data sources
were analysed individually and then compared across data
sources. Through multiple and careful examination of the data,
the key links, properties, themes, and patterns in the data were
identified in order to locate common categories.
Based on this process, the data were organised and sorted
into major thematic clusters.
To ensure the soundness of the data collection and analysis,
three strategies were employed (Patton, 2001). First, triangular-
tion was used to ensure that the findings were accurate. During
the data triangulation a piece of evidence was compared and
cross checked with other kinds of evidence (i.e., comparing
interview evidence with field note evidence). More specifically,

N. TSANGARIDOU, C. LEFTERATOS
data were triangulated across sources by comparing data from
interviews, observations, and documents. Second, negative case
analysis, the process of scrutinizing disconfirming instances in
the data, was used to refine or revise tentative themes and hy-
pothesized relationships (Patton, 2001). The search for dis-
crepant cases servers as a cross-check on data analysis and
prevents the matching of emerging themes and evidence that
support only favourite interpretations. To minimize these ef-
fects, a careful search was made for discrepant cases. Third, a
peer-debriefer was used to share developing interpretations and
to challenge the researchers to support interpretations with data.
Results and Discussion
The students’ views and experiences of a basketball season
that followed a sport education format are organized and pre-
sented as a set of five major themes: (1) a parallel learning: skill
and tactical development; (2) team affiliation; (3) experiencing
diverse roles; (4) personal and social growth; and (5) a positive
learning atmosphere.
A Parallel Learning: Skill and Ta ctical Development
Based on the data it seems that the participants perceived that
sport education provided them opportunities that can increase
their participation level as well as their skill and tactical devel-
opment. Marios, for instance, said to the interviewer: “Being a
member of my team and playing ‘real’ basketball with points
and referee made me want to improve myself game by game”.
According to the field notes, questionnaire and interview data
all students had equal opportunities for participation during the
lessons. “Lower skilled students and girls seemed to have equal
opportunities for improvement. None of them was marginalized.
All members of the teams interacted positively with each other
and seemed to enjoy their participation in the game situations’
(field notes). Evelyn’s interview segment illustrates the stu-
dents’ views:
Usually, in the physical education lessons, most of the
girls do not want to participate in the activities. We used
to stay in the classroom. Now we want to play because we
can see that game by game we become better players and
we help our team.
Stelios reported that during previous lessons they had indi-
vidual activities and nobody helped each other. Another student,
Costas, declared that if he played for the progress of his team,
he improved his skills as well. Although these students wanted
to win the title of the basketball championship, their valuable
effort and their equal and active participation during the game-
play according to fair-play was also important.
Sport education offers the opportunity to the teacher to culti-
vate motor skills and tactical sophistication at the same time.
The following field notes were recorded while the teacher was
trying to emphasize to the students the significance of the
“changing direction” strategy during team games situations.
Students practiced “the changing direction” task. They
were moving around the general space and when the
teacher clapped they changed direction. After a few min-
utes students were asked to find a partner and practice the
same task with their partner. One student was the offender
and the other the defender; after few trials they switch
roles. Students seemed to enjoy and to understand the
importance of the specific strategy (field notes).
Based on our data it seems that the participants were able to
develop not only their skills but also their tactical knowledge and
understanding of the game of basketball. It also seemed that sport
education provided the participants with opportunities to develop
their game-play competency. The participants managed to exe-
cute strategies appropriate to the complexity of each game. The
field notes suggested that students were very interested in tactics.
This advanced their self-improvement and as a result their team
progress. Students through this sport education basketball unit,
came in touch with offensive strategies such as the triple threat
(pass, lay-up, shoot) and with defensive ones, such as, man to
man and zone defense. During the course of the unit students
were taught the advantages and disadvantages of each tactic. Data
from this study suggested that the students were able to critically
select specific tactics which seemed to be suitable for the specific
situations. The following interview extract demonstrates the logic
behind the selection of a specific tactical approach:
Today I’ll be the coach of my team so, I thought that we
can play zone defense in order to keep Wildcats away
from the basket, because as we noticed in their previous
match, they are not good shooters and they mostly prefer
the lay-ups.
The following observation segment highlights that the stu-
dents had many opportunities to practice tactical strategies dur-
ing the specific unit of instruction.
The students joined their teams and started playing modi-
fied games. They used several offensive and defensive
strategies during the lesson. All students were actively
involved and they seemed to communicate nicely with
each other during the game situations (field notes).
Findings of this study also indicated that students started to
understand the value of tactics and identify them in game situa-
tions. Despina said that when she was watching basketball on
television, she could not imagine that players had certain
choices. Through this offensive strategy (triple threat) students
could understand at a lower level how a professional player
thinks. Similarly, Danai reported that ‘every time that I had the
ball, I was trying to choose the best solution for me and my
teammates’. Through regular competition, participants under-
stood the strategies, improved their personal abilities, their
decision-making and their team performance. It seems that the
nature of the model provided opportunities to students for mo-
tor skill and tactical development.
Team Affiliation
Siedentop (1994) proposed that during a sport education
season students are divided into teams and these teams kept the
same structure and the same members for the entire season. In
creating the teams, the teacher in this study took into considera-
tion the participants’ skills (1st lesson: diagnostic) and their
friendships. Gias said: “I am very happy because I will play
with the same classmates for all the championship. This is good
because each time, we will not lose time to create teams as
before”. David concluded on what Gias had said: “We used to
waste time trying to find new teams but now we will be ready
to play”. Students were involved in the team development tasks

N. TSANGARIDOU, C. LEFTERATOS
(2nd lesson). They created their teams choosing a logo, colour,
name, home-town, country, stadium name, supporters’ name
and foundation date. Four mixed-sex teams were created and
each team had its unique identity (colour, name, hometown,
stadium name, nickname of their fans etc.), which was an added
motivation for the students.
The participants enjoyed the creation of teams because they
had never done anything similar before. Adrea, for example,
indicated “I love my team, our logo, our colour everything,
everything! I am so excited! Me and my team-members are
waiting for the opening of the season. We are ready to win”.
Analyzing Adrea’s words we have to draw attention to the fact
that she immediately felt part of her team and this is what we
call “team membership”. All students, in this study, whether
expert or novice, boys or girls, wanted to participate and each
student wanted to feel that he/she was an active member of a
team which worked hard towards common goals.
Students, through their teams, built a unique social system
among the members of each team and among the other teams.
The literature confirms that the sport education model relies
heavily on cooperative learning strategies (Alexander & Luck-
man, 2001; Siedentop et al., 2004). During this unit of instruc-
tion, a framework was also implemented in which students had
the opportunity to cooperate, appreciate, respect and help each
other. Furthermore, students were committed to themselves and
the rest of their teammates by signing contracts. Through these
social systems, students developed their communication skills,
they made plans as a team, and they took reasoned decisions as
a team. Observational data suggested that the participants of
this study were affiliated well with their teams and proper op-
portunities were created for their autonomous and meaningful
learning. The following field notes provide an illustration of
how students interacted during the instructional times.
The students formed their teams and started practice.
They were working in pairs. One of them was practicing
and the other was giving him/her skill feedback and posi-
tive reinforcement, such as, “Costa turn your body to the
side”, “keep going”, “good job”, etc. Students were work-
ing very cooperatively and autonomously in their teams.
The teacher was moving around and actively supervising
the students (field notes).
Experiencing Diverse Roles
In sport education, students learn diverse roles that help them
better understand all the elements and the factors that contribute
to a successful sport experience (Siedentop, 1994; Siedentop et
al., 2004). In the traditional approach of school physical educa-
tion students are only players. Sport education participants are
more likely to play multiple positions and take over several
roles (refereeing, keeping score, trainer, captain, coach). Through
this variety students see the sport from a much broader perspec-
tive (Kinchin, 2006; Lund & Tannehill, 2010; Metzler, 2011;
Siedentop et al., 2004). During the season, every participant
knew in each fixture which role he/she would take on. This
policy contributed to the students’ equal participation. The out-
line of the participants’ positions and roles undertaken is pre-
sented in Table 2.
All teams also had the same number of boys and girls. Fur-
thermore, a trading procedure took place shortly after the teams
were announced. Each team had the right to change only one
player from its current roster. Only two teams changed one
Table 2.
Participants’ positions and roles.
Lesson 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Member 1st PPPR S T P PPR
Member 2nd PP RS T P P P R S
Member 3rd PRST P P P RS T
Member 4th R S TP P P R STP
Member 5th S TP P P R S T P P
Member 6th TPPP R S T PPP
Note: P: Player; T: Trainer; R: Referee; S: Scorekeeper.
member each. Two girls decided to change their positions. This
change was approved by the rest of their classmates. According
to the field notes, this trading procedure offered students the
chance to make long-term plans for their team and decide how
each member could contribute to the team’s progress. Data
collected through questionnaires demonstrated that students
acknowledge all the roles that were offered to them. Ninety-
four percent (94%) declared that they wanted to be players.
Eighty-two percent (82%) was impressed by the role of umpire,
while eighty-three percent (83%) indicated that they enjoyed
being scorekeepers. Seventy-seven percent (77%) preferred the
roles of coach and captain of the team.
Findings of the study indicated that the participants liked
their experiences of taking several roles during the specific unit
of instruction. Going through this process students indicated
that they were more able to make connections and transfer their
knowledge to real sport situations. The following interview
extract highlights the importance of taking different roles dur-
ing physical education lessons.
I never took into consideration the referees. Now, as I can
see, their decisions are very important. When I was wat-
ching basketball I did not use to pay attention to them be-
cause nobody had ever tried to explain to me how impor-
tant they are.
Another advantage of diverse roles is that each role consti-
tutes a motivation. These roles offer a special opportunity to the
participants because small-sized teams need everyone’s contri-
bution for success. Each role that is offered is autonomic and
students are responsible for their duties, so everybody has to
work hard for his/her improvement and his/her team progress.
As Christos noted “through the roles each student must try to
help his/her classmates, so everybody must work hard”. Ac-
cording to the data all students were active participants and
made valuable contributions to their teams. Evidence from the
field notes, indicated that the students tried hard in undertaking
different roles for their team and personal success. “Students
performed properly to their assigned roles and gave their best
effort in helping their teams” (field notes). In addition, during
the season, heightened attention and motivation levels were
identified for most students. Analyzing the field notes, it was
noticeable that students who, in the past, would not enjoy
physical activities were more engaged through the adoption of
specialized roles as part of a team. Carina explained how the
diverse roles motivated her to enjoy her participation in physi-
cal education. She explained,
I never wanted to participate in physical education activi-
ties. I am not good at all. But through the way that we
32

N. TSANGARIDOU, C. LEFTERATOS
played there were some roles that I love. I want to be an
umpire or a scorekeeper. I hope to play all the other sports
such as football and handball in this way. It was very in-
teresting.
Personal and Social Growth
The social opportunities and social development within sport
education teams is commonly cited in a positive manner and
this has been most evident from the peer teaching and coopera-
tive learning features of the model (Wallhead & O’Sullivan,
2005). Being part of a team, students developed a strong sense
of belonging, which increased the level of interaction and co-
operation between them (Kinchin, 2006). This model develops
qualities such as leadership, teamwork, peer support and active
pursuit of socially responsible and equitable participation and,
as a result, students reach their social objectives (Kinchin, 2006;
Wallhead & O’Sullivan, 2005).
Finding from this study suggested that the model offered the
opportunity to students to bond closely. Participants made new
friends. Herika, for example, said: “I started to hang out with
my teammates during the breaks. I did not know all of them
very well. Through the team, I made new friends. I like it”. In
addition, it seemed that the structure of the model gave the
opportunity to students that had argued before to get along.
Based on the data of this project two students who did not get
on well had to cooperate for their team’s progress. These two
persons played together and they over-came all their previous
problems. Dimitris noted:
When I first heard the teams’ members I felt a bit strange.
I did not have a good relationship with one of my team-
mates. But through our team we did it. We became friends
again for our team’s progress! We apologized to each
other and now we are best friends again. We come to
school together as in the past, talking about our plans for
the next fixtures.
In facilitating students’ levels of positive social behavior, the
two points system for a winning game, one point for a non-
winning game and three points to the team which was playing
according to the fair-play rules were used in the study. In talk-
ing about fair-play, descriptions of good relations among the
team-members and among the teams were discussed with the
students. In addition, students have to respect each other and
the referee’s decisions. Results indicate that this point system
made participants react in a positive way in consideration of the
team’s progress. During the first three lessons, the teams did
not manage to win these three fair-play points. After this short
period, participants worked hard and took reasoned decisions
for their own good. After the mid season, all the teams won
these three points in every game. Florentzo, for example, de-
clared “I am really excited when my team gets these three
points regarding the fair-play. I do not care if we lose or win.
What is important is to try hard, do our best”. Resolving Flor-
entzo’s emotions we have realized, what Siedentop (1994)
wishes for this model. Sport education students do not play
only to win, they also play to participate actively and gain au-
thentic and educationally rich sport experiences.
A Positive Learning Atmosphere
The sport education key features - seasons, affiliation, formal
competition, culminating event, record keeping and festivity-
created an appropriate and a motivational atmosphere for learn-
ing. Based on our data the atmosphere during the sport educa-
tion lessons was positive and students seemed to be actively
involved in their tasks. Statements such as the following domi-
nated the observational data. “The teacher created a positive
climate in the lesson”. “Students seemed really motivated”. “Stu-
dents were actively engaged in their teams” (field notes). The
following observation example also highlights some aspects of
the learning environment during the specific unit of instruction:
Students were practicing a drill in their teams. They really
seemed excited about the drill. Two students were chal-
lenging each other. The teacher was moving around the
teams, giving feedback, reinforcement, and teaching cues
to students. The interaction between the teacher and the
students as well as the interaction among the students was
very positive (field notes).
The following observation segment is another example of the
joyful, positive, and supportive atmosphere which occurred
during the specific unit of instruction. This positive environ-
ment seemed to help all members to work hard as a whole to
achieve their goals.
Students seemed to appreciate their teammates’ efforts.
During the lesson, the higher skilled participants did not
dominate the activities and the possession of the ball dur-
ing the modified game situations. All members are of
equal worth in their team and all these students take on
important roles and duties during the lesson (field notes).
During the interviews, the participants explained that a posi-
tive social climate appropriate for learning was created in their
class through the sport education. Students commented that the
structure of the model provided them with new experiences.
Sophie reported that: “It was one of the first times that my first
goal was to try hard, to work hard and to help my teammates
and the other teams to succeed”. When Sophie was asked why
she felt this way she commented on her special feelings for this
basketball unit. In addition, Demetris said that during these
weeks, he felt that physical education was more interesting and
better organized than before. He underlined, that he came to
school every morning looking forward to seeing his friends and
to discuss the championship and their teams. Based on our data
it seems that this model created a positive atmosphere during
these physical education lessons. During this sport education
basketball unit, two special-festive competitions also took place.
First, in the middle of the season, an all-star game lasting 80
minutes and the culminating event that had the play-offs format.
It is also important to underline that every fixture of the sport
education unit permitted all students to participate. Based on
our data the participants seemed to have enjoyed their effort
and this festive spirit helped them to cooperate and share re-
sponsibility for the league duties. These features created a posi-
tive climate in which the participants could play basketball well
and appreciated its rules, rituals and traditions. Results from
this study confirm the suggestion that the festive nature of sport
allows all students to participate, enjoy fully and promote the
highest standards of positive good behavior (Kinchin et al.,
2009; Siedentop, 2002).
Summary and Conclusion
The purpose of this article was to explore elementary Greek-

N. TSANGARIDOU, C. LEFTERATOS
Cypriot students’ views and experiences of a basketball season
that followed a sport education format. This study makes a
contribution to the literature of sport education due to the fact
that it is one of the few studies that have been conducted at the
elementary level in a non-native English-speaking country in
the European Union. Findings from this study provide some
pedagogical insights and extend our knowledge of this innova-
tive model with young students. Our research has shown that
the participants perceived that sport education provided them
opportunities that can increase their participation level during
the specific unit of instruction. Results suggested that students
in this study affiliated well with their teams and appropriate
opportunities were created for their autonomous and meaning-
ful learning. Findings of this project have also indicated that the
model offered the opportunity to students to form close bonds.
Being part of a team, students developed a strong sense of be-
longing, which increased the level of interaction and coopera-
tion between them (Kinchin, 2006). Participants in this study
seemed to enjoy the affiliation of team membership and the
chance to contribute to the team’s success. These findings are
in agreement with findings from other studies indicating that
sport education offers students the opportunity to learn from a
variety of perspectives (Hastie et al., 2011; Kinchin, 2006;
MacPhail et al., 2003; Mowling et al., 2006; Wallhead &
O’Sullivan, 2005).
Findings of the study also indicated that the participants en-
joyed their experiences of taking several roles during the spe-
cific unit of instruction. Going through this process students
indicated that they were more able to make connections and
transfer their knowledge to real sport situations. These findings
supported findings from other studies indicating that partici-
pants who experienced the sport education model, learned di-
verse roles that seemed to contribute to a successful sport ex-
perience (Kinchin, 2006; Kinchin et al., 2009; Wallhead &
O’Sullivan, 2005). Our findings also indicated that during the
lessons there was a joyful and positive atmosphere which
helped all members to work hard as a group to achieve their
goals. Results from this study confirm the findings from previ-
ous research indicating that the nature of sport education allows
all students to participate, enjoy fully and promote the highest
standards of positive good behavior (Hastie et al., 2011; Hastie
& Sinelnikov, 2006; Kinchin et al., 2009; MacPhail et al., 2004;
Mowling et al., 2006).
Based on our results we have drawn the following two con-
clusions: first, the model of sport education enhanced the level
of participation and motivation of students towards physical
education; second, the participants in this study encountered
meaningful learning experiences during the implementation of
the sport education model. The results of this study add to the
sport education literature by indicating that the model of sport
education can be an alternative vehicle to traditional pedagogy.
The findings can also extend our knowledge and understanding
of the implementation of the model with elementary school
students in different contexts and cultures. Finally, the findings
may serve to further facilitate efforts to develop programs
which are contextually appropriate while accounting for young
students’ needs and interests. As previously pointed out, re-
search on sport education includes some examples of sport
education developed with elementary school students, but only
a small number of these studies have been conducted in non
English-speaking (Hastie et al., 2011). As Hastie and Sinel-
nikov (2006) noted “we have little knowledge of how the model
might be interpreted and responded to by students in countries
with a non-western sport culture” (p. 132). Kim et al. (2006)
also pointed out that “it is notable that to a great extent SE lit-
erature has to date reflected physical education literature more
broadly in being dominated by western voices and research
within English-speaking countries. Language has invariably
proved a barrier and limitation to potentially very informative
cross-cultural pedagogical debate” (p. 362). Studying the im-
plementation of the sport education model in a plethora of con-
texts we might be better able to decide whether students in
sport education programs have gaining quality and positive
educational experiences.
This study represents an effort to provide an account of ele-
mentary school Cypriot students’ experiences during the im-
plementation of a sport education unit. Quality teaching and
examples of good programs are of high interest to the interna-
tional educational community (Hardman, 2001, 2008; Kulinna,
2008; Lund & Tannehill, 2010). Hardman (2008), for example,
pointed out that there are very few representations of good
practice in schools in European Union countries and he argued
that it is important to explore and report such examples. Given
the exploratory nature of this study further studies should be
conducted in other non-native English speaking countries in
order to facilitate an awareness of the possibilities and promises
of this model. In addition, as has been suggested in the litera-
ture, having a better understanding of the experiences and
views of students concerning sport education, as part of school
physical education, potentially could inform the delivery of
quality curricula (MacPhail et al., 2004). On the basis of the
findings presented in this study, we suggest that there is great
value in providing meaningful learning experiences to our stu-
dents. Accordingly, we agree with Siedentop’s et al. (2004)
statement and we hope that those students who experience posi-
tive learning experiences in school physical education curricula
programmes “would prefer to continue to participate actively,
because they have come to value the experiences and enjoy-
ment derived from participation” (Siedentop et al., 2004: p. 8).
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