What Actually Differs between Traditional Teaching and Sport Education in Students' Learning Outcomes? A Critical...

Area of Science:

• Physical Education Pedagogy
• Educational Psychology
• Sports Science

Background:

• The effectiveness of different pedagogical models in Physical Education is a key area of research.
• Understanding the impact of Sport Education (SE) versus Traditional Teaching (TT) on student learning is crucial for optimizing educational practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize findings comparing the influence of Sport Education (SE) and Traditional Teaching (TT) on student learning outcomes in Physical Education.
• To identify common research methodologies and focus areas in studies comparing SE and TT.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across nine electronic databases.
• Inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed articles comparing SE and TT in Physical Education, published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish.
• Twenty-eight studies met the criteria and were assessed for methodological quality using the Downs and Black checklist.

Main Results:

• Studies predominantly focused on team sports with high-school students, often using quasi-experimental designs.
• Both SE and TT showed positive impacts on personal, social, motor, and cognitive skills.
• Sport Education generally demonstrated superior results compared to Traditional Teaching across these learning domains.

Conclusions:

• Sport Education appears to be a more effective pedagogical model than Traditional Teaching for enhancing diverse student learning outcomes in Physical Education.
• Future research should employ diverse methodologies, including experimental and qualitative designs, and focus on longer instructional units with reported fidelity to strengthen findings.