Positive Physical Education: Teaching Well-Being Skills Through Sport

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Degree type
Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP)
Graduate group
Discipline
Psychology
Subject
Positive Psychology
Youth
Positive Education
Positive Physical Education
Sport
Physical Activity
Optimism
Mindfulness
Empathy
Sport-based interventions
Mind-body
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Copyright date
2023-08-15
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Author
Danny Fung
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Abstract

The prevalence of mental health problems in young people is a serious issue globally. To expand the reach of well-being education within and beyond the school (and the classroom) environment, this capstone poses two big questions: "Can sport teach well-being?" "If so, which sports, and for what skills?" Focusing on the mind-body connection, this capstone leverages the inherent well-being benefits of physical activity and investigates the potential to incorporate explicit teaching of well-being skills through sport. Positive Physical Education (PPE) is introduced, and it aims to teach well-being skills to school-aged children through sport. PPE incorporates sports-based positive psychology interventions, that harness both physiological and psychological benefits, to form an ‘upward spiral’ towards improved well-being. This capstone will spotlight three sports and physical activities - hiking, boxing, and basketball – as vehicles to teach optimism, mindfulness, and empathy. We explore the qualities of sport that make it a great avenue to teach well-being skills, such as handling setbacks and adversities, the presence of coaches and teammates, body awareness, and stress regulation through our nervous systems, to name a few. The goal of this capstone is to inspire schools and sports educators to integrate well-being skills into their sports curriculum.

Advisor
Brandwene, Leona
Date of degree
2023-08-15
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