Education through sport: myths and reality

Abstract

It is widely sustained the notion that sport is a powerful tool to generate a
peaceful society and to promote positive values. However, the diffusion of
illegal and anti-social behaviours (e.g. substance abuse, financial scandals,
bullying, harassment, social exclusion) related to sport practice suggests
that sport can play an ambivalent role in promoting values. It is necessary
to think cautiously the educative role of sport. The analysis of the main pedagogical approaches, good practices and international projects highlights
how sport can be effective in promoting values only when the educational
approach is student-centred, based on active learning and focused on life
skills promotion. Starting from these premises, a group of international Organizations in collaboration with researchers at the University of Padua developed a research programme for the promotion of education through
sport in schools, obtaining positive preliminary results related to students’
prosocial behaviours.