PROJECTS FOR CURRICULAR ENRICHMENT OF PHYSICAL AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF PORTUGAL

PROYECTOS DE ENRIQUECIMIENTO CURRICULAR DE ACTIVIDADES FÍSICAS Y DEPORTIVAS EN LAS ESCUELAS PÚBLICAS DE PORTUGAL

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to determine the genesis of curriculum enrichment projects related to physical and sports activity at public schools in Portugal and to understand their results for the educational community. An interview was conducted with four project coordinators. The projects were oriented into three categories: physical exercise and health; socio-affective development; and sports activity offer through the school club. The diversity and specificity of the projects adjusted to each context as well as the competences and commitment of the person in charge of them were considered decisive elements. Success factors and evaluation parameters of project results are explained by quantitative indicators of students’ participation rather than their impact on their education or their physical and sports skills. No connection was found between the purposes of curriculum enrichment projects and the indicators used to evaluate the results.

Keywords:
Curriculum; School; Motor Activity; Project; Sports

Resumen:

Este estudio tuvo por objetivo determinar la génesis de los proyectos de enriquecimiento curricular relacionados con la actividad física y deportiva de las escuelas públicas en Portugal y comprender los resultados y factores de éxito de los mismos junto a la comunidad educativa. Se realizó una entrevista a cuatro coordinadores responsables por los proyectos. Los proyectos orientaban sus actividades hacia tres categorías de misión: ejercicio físico y salud; desarrollo socio afectivo; y oferta deportiva a través del club escolar. La diversidad y especificidad de los proyectos ajustados a cada contexto, así como las competencias y el compromiso del profesor responsable, fueron considerados como elementos determinantes. Los factores de éxito y los parámetros de evaluación de los resultados de los proyectos se explican por indicadores cuantitativos de participación de los jóvenes y no por los impactos que causan en la educación, en la aptitud física y deportiva de los jóvenes. No se encontró una conexión coherente entre los objetivos de los proyectos y los indicadores utilizados en la evaluación de los resultados.

Palabras clave:
Curriculum; Escuela; Actividad motora; Proyecto; Deportes

Resumo:

Este estudo teve por objetivo determinar a gênese dos projetos de enriquecimento curricular ligados à atividade física e desportiva de escolas públicas de Portugal e compreender os seus resultados e fatores de sucesso junto à comunidade educativa. Realizou-se uma entrevista com quatro coordenadores responsáveis pelos projetos. Os projetos orientavam-se para três categorias de missão: exercício físico e saúde; desenvolvimento socioafetivo e oferta desportiva através do clube escolar. A diversidade e a especificidade dos projetos ajustados a cada contexto, bem como as competências e o compromisso do professor responsável, foram consideradas elementos determinantes. Os fatores de sucesso e os parâmetros de avaliação dos resultados dos projetos são explicados por indicadores quantitativos de participação dos jovens e não pelos impactos que causam na educação, na aptidão física e desportiva dos jovens. Não foi encontrada uma ligação coerente entre os objetivos dos projetos e os indicadores utilizados na avaliação dos resultados.

Palavras-chave:
Currículo; Escola; Atividade Motora; Projeto; Atividades Esportivas

1 INTRODUCTION

The word curriculum is derived from the Latin, meaning process or course, and it is defined as the official course of studies. This course consists of a range of learning content that includes the goals students must achieve in the school curriculum program. The curriculum is a program plan with principles, rules and content, which guides the teaching activities (JAEHN; FERREIRA, 2012; PACHECO, 1999), but the curriculum simultaneously includes purpose, teaching process and specific context not limited to the classroom space.

Curricular Enrichment Activities (CEA) of public schools complement and enhance the school curriculum and are defined through specific regulations defined by public educational administration (MINISTÉRIO DA EDUCAÇÃO E CIÊNCIA, 2015b). They are understood as educational and training activities that contribute to the development of students’ learning in the follow domains: linguistics, sports, art, science, technique, and communication between the school and society. These activities bear three important characteristics for students: they educate for citizenship values; they are free of charge, and they are optional. They can also be understood as activities oriented towards developing social and personal skills of children and students, based on their influence on their lives. It is through the CEA that young students understand the reality of which they are part through social relationships and cultural activities that include relations with colleagues - friendships, expression of feelings, intercultural tolerance and cooperation between peers and the community (BAILEY, 2017). The framework of the CEA is dependent on the educational project and the strategic decisions of each public school, according to the regulations that establish the school’s administrative and pedagogical autonomy.

The school’s educational project follows a set of internal rules and can be considered as an instrument for school program management and organization in terms of planning and guiding educational action, in which organizational strategies are defined according to the specificities of the school’s context. The main objective of the educational project is to meet students’ educational and learning needs in the best way possible. According to Azevedo et al. (2011), the educational project represents a tool for autonomy and responsibility that provides schools with the opportunity to express their identity and specificities in line with the social context in which they operate. Additionally, it is an opportunity to enhance curriculum activities for students. The practice of CEA as a complement to the students’ teaching activity provides the possibility to develop competences and skills, according to their characteristics, learnings levels, and motivations. In accordance with the principles and competencies enshrined in the normative diplomas that define school autonomy (PORTUGAL, 1989; PORTUGAL, 2008; MINISTÉRIO DA EDUCAÇÃO E CIÊNCIA, 2015a), adapted to Madeira and Porto Santo through Regional Legislative Rule no. 4/2000/M, the CEAs may also include cultural, educational, artistic, sports and scientific content in their complementary offer that characterizes the community context in which the school operates.

Implementation and quality of school educational projects changes from school to school and is highly dependent on the institution’s mission, school directors’ knowledge and leadership, personal commitment to the project, as well as the availability of human and material resources (WOODS; MOYNA; QUINLAN; TANNEHILL; WALSH, 2010). Educational projects are part of the school’s strategic vision and must include essential elements that characterize the educational outputs of the school institution and, on the other hand, strategic guidelines to correspond to the needs of the school and the local context: vision, mission, objectives, goals and indicators (AZEVEDO et. al, 2011). According to recent research, we know that physical activity (PA) and sports developed in the school environment have important results for the development of health and well-being for life (GONZALEZ-CALVO et. al., 2018; MURPHY; ROWE, 2017) and contribute to young students’ general education and sport values (COSTA et. al, 2018; BAILEY, 2017).

The present study aims to understand the genesis of CEAs of public schools connected to PA and sports and their results and success factors in the educational community. Specifically, the study aimed to:

1. Understand the reasons, mission and objectives of the CEAs;

2. Characterize the project activities promoted by the schools;

3. Assess the method and evaluation indicators used for the continuity of the CEA projects.

2 METHOD

The methodology adopted was qualitative analysis with semi-structured interviews applied to the teachers in charge of CEA projects of four public schools that integrate students aged 12-18 (basic and secondary), in a total of seven activity projects related to PA and sport. In addition to the interview, documents were analyzed that describe the projects and reports of the activities developed, which complemented and validated variables and specific indicators.

The semi-structured interview was chosen because the variables are qualitative (BOGDAN; BIKLEN, 2010) and intended to describe and understand the process of founding, developing and implementing the results of a PA or sports project that complements and enriches the young students’ curriculums.

The interview guide was based on the specific objectives of the work as well as the variables that are part of a sports development project, namely those presented in Table 1.

Table 1
Structure of objectives and interview questions

Objectives	Variables	Questions
To identify the project’s origin and mission	Origin and mission	How did the project come about? Was it the initiative of the school as an organization or a teacher??
	Objectives	What are the objectives of CEA?
To characterize the project activities	Target groups	To what extent do CEA include participation of the educational community?
	Physical-sports activities	What are CEA’s activities? What is the project’s relationship with outside organizations?
	Impacts/benefits: Social skills; Health and wellness; Physical aptitude. Funding source.	What are the impacts of CEA?
		Are the CEAs important factors in promoting healthy lifestyles?
		Do CEAs assist students in their psychomotor development?
		What are the sources of funding and support of CEAs?
To identify evaluation and success indicators	Project success	Which indicators do CEAs use to measure the project’s success?
	Evaluation methods	What are CEAs’ method and evaluation parameters?
	Success factors	What are the success factors of CEAs?
		What is the project's durability?
		Do CEAs attract and motivate students? What are the skills required from teachers/technicians?

• Source: Authors’ responsibility

A presentation letter for the study and a statement of consent about participation were written and sent to the governing board of four public schools of the 3^rd cycles and secondary education in Madeira, Portugal. This letter defined the objectives of the study, the conditions of anonymity of the organization, people in charge of the study, as well as the exclusive use of the data for scientific purposes. The research study was carried out in accordance with the ethical principles adopted by the Scientific Council of the Faculty of researchers, since the study did not cause any damage to the integrity and well-being of participants and the schools surveyed, and it respected the principle of voluntary participation.

In order to guarantee anonymity when presenting and discussing the results, schools were identified by letters, namely school ‘A’ (including 3 projects 1, 2 and 3); school ‘B’ (projects 4 and 5); school ‘C’ (project 6); and school ‘D’ (project 7). Interview data were treated by content analysis of the answers to the questions in the interview guide. The categories are organized according to the answers of each project, which we will present in the following points.

3 RESULTS

The themes of the seven projects were analyzed and three categories of projects were defined: sports activity or school club (EC) (projects A2, B4 and D7), health and physical exercise (projects A1 and B5) and socio-affective development (A3 and C6 projects). (See Table 2)

Table 2
Reasons for the creation and mission of the projects

Project	Reason for the creation CEA projects	Mission
A1	To provide students and the school community with an additional 90 minutes of PA.	To promote PA and the concept and training of fitness among students.
A2	To increase the frequency of sports competition for students, in addition to school sports training.	To enable the school community to participate in federated sport (voluntary sport sector).
A3	To encourage students’ interest in Capoeira activity, giving them the opportunity to practice to learn skills and new knowledge on the subject.	To provide students with new experiences that are different from the usual classes and training in Capoeira skills.
B4	School sports activities showed a decrease in student participation in sports competition, so a teacher proposed to create a school sports club. The objectives were to increase students’ regular sports practice, increase the frequency of sports competition and improve the use of school sports facilities.	To encourage young people to practice sports in the areas of recreation/leisure, federated and sports competition, in priority collaboration with regional associations and local federated sports clubs.
B5	To educate for health through PA.	To stimulate and increase change in young people’s behavioral lifestyle routines. To educate children and youth on the positive and negative aspects related to health and PA.
C6	School failure and students’ indiscipline. Insufficient use of school sports facilities and sports equipment.	Conflict resolution, students’ undisciplined behaviors and promotion of savoir-être.
D7	Offer PA to the children of teachers and staff. Initially the project had recreational, training, social and welfare purposes.	Initially, the mission was to promote PA with the purpose to improve students’ health through regular exercise. Currently, the project’s mission is to provide students with a competitive sport experience in the federated sector.

• Source: Interview data. The authors ate responsible for the table.

The results of this study reveal that the mission of each project is consistently associated with the reasons that explain its origin. Therefore, the primary mission of projects that fall into the sports category or School Club (A2, B4 and D7) is to promote sports practice in the federated sector or sports activities related to recreation and leisure among its target group. On the other hand, the projects inherent to the Health category (A1 and B5) appear to “instill and increase the change in positive behavioral lifestyles,” that is, to educate children and young people to understand the positive aspects related to health and PA, and the relationship between these two factors.

Table 3
Goals of CEA projects

Project	Objectives
A1	To make students aware that education and PA are fundamental to the daily routines. To motivate students to practice PA. To motivate students to continue the practice of PA in their daily lives and outside the school context.
A2	To transfer teachers’ skills and experience to students. to provide students with a competitive sports experience (federated sector).
A3	To enrich personal skills and personal education.
B4	(i) To promote sports education, improve quality of life, and use sports as a factor of socialization; (ii) to stimulate students’ participation in the various sports; (iii) to create favorable conditions for sports development that allow students’ integration in Regional/National sports competitions; (iv) to participate regularly in federated sports competitions; (v) to strengthen the link and cooperation between school sports activities and the CEA project.
B5	(i) To reverse the reduction in the levels of PA and physical fitness of young people; ii) to promote healthy eating habits and reduce prevalence of overweight and obesity; (iii) To determine students’ metabolic indicators (blood pressure, glucose, HDL, triglycerides); (iv) to ensure understanding of the importance of PA and the adoption of healthy diet as health factors; (v) to educate students to be PA practitioners for life (vi); to increase PA for students; (vii) to collect information in the areas of body composition and physical fitness; (viii) to identify overweight and obese students; (ix) to improve the image and self-esteem of overweight and/or obese children/young people.
C6	To occupy students’ free time through positive and healthy activities.
D7	Initially the project had a playful character but currently it aims at students to participate in the federated sports competition.

• Source: Interview data. The authors are responsible for the table.

Data in Table 3 show that, regarding school clubs (A2, B4 and D7), the objectives associated with promoting federated sports experiences among students stand out as they may strongly contribute “to their sports education [and] to improving quality of life,” simultaneously becoming an important socialization factor. In particular, School B4 project includes a component of federated sports competition that values high performance sports and representation in regional and national sports competition.

With regard to projects associated with Health (A1 and B5), the results are associated with the following purposes: awareness of the importance of Physical Education and the continuity of PA practice throughout life, thus motivating children and young people to develop positive behavior and healthy lifestyles routines. On the other hand, these projects aim to reverse the reduction in the levels of PA and physical fitness, reduce the prevalence rate of overweight and obesity, and seek to increase the self-esteem of the target group.

With regard to projects related to socio-affective development (A3 and C6), the main goals were: to occupy young students’ free time at school with healthy activities and provide content for personal training and educational for life, both through social skills learned and knowledge acquired through sports practice.

Table 4
Target groups of CEAs

Project	Target groups
A1	All students who want to practice supervised PA at school. For students who are below the level considered healthy, a battery of tests is applied to assess risk and impacts.
A2	All students who want to practice sport (inside and outside the school), including all age groups.
A3	Students, teachers and the entire school community.
B4	The entire school community and all those who do not belong to it but want to participate. Currently, the ages of our practitioners range from 4 to 45.
B5	All students in 2nd and 3rd cycles identified as overweight and/or obese.
C6	All students at the school; it is also open to school teachers who are interested.
C7	Everyone who wants to participate (inside and outside the school).

• Source: Interview data. The authors are responsible for the table.

If we analyze data in Table 4 associated with the aspects of health (A1 and B5) and socio-affective development (A3 and C6), it appears that the projects’ main target audience are internal actors (students, teachers, and educational community). As for school clubs, the target group is broader because it opens the possibility for individuals from inside and outside the school to participate.

Table 5
Activities that are organized in the projects

Project	Activities
A1	Physical fitness assessment: initial assessment using the fitnessgram program.
A2	Sports activities in the federated sector: Basketball, Futsal, Muay Thay. Leisure activities: weightlifting, Zumba dance, summer activities.
A3	Exchange and cooperation activities between sport clubs.
B4	Sports activities in the federated sector: Volleyball, Speed Skating, Handball. Leisure activities: Capoeirinha, Capoeira, Outdoor, activities and summer activities. General educational activities: Study room and general skills learning.
B5	Physical fitness assessment (fitnessgram and anthropometry tests). Characterization and analysis of data on the group of students evaluated. Supplementary and specialized classes for students in the risk group. Screening for some risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease - heart month. Lecture on Nutrition. Activities outside the school such as participating in the race in Funchal.
C6	Activities are carried out according to students’ preferences - mainly Football and Table Tennis.
D7	Sports activities in the federated sector: Football (women), Swimming and Tennis. Leisure activities: Swimming, Yoga, Walking. General education and training activities.

• Source: Interview data. The authors are responsible for the table.

Table 5 shows that the activities carried out in sports-related projects can be subdivided into three categories: sports activities in the federated sector such as basketball and football; leisure activities such as swimming or leisure activities during summer holidays; and, finally, education and general training activities. On the other hand, the two projects related to health include initial assessment of physical fitness to analyze students who are not at the level considered healthy. This assessment is performed based on the battery of tests of the fitnessgram program. This assessment leads project managers to advise students to participate in additional gym or outdoor activities - such as hiking, walking and other motor activities and PAs, outside the school.

With regard to projects related to the socio-affective component, the highlight are the more playful activities that take place through exchanges between clubs of the same modality (A3) or those chosen by students and carried out in the intervals between two or more curricular classes (C6).

As for projects’ timetables, those belonging to school sport clubs work according to the sport activity and students’ availability, usually after school hours or in the last class blocks. In the case of health-related projects, in project A1, the opening hours depend on students’ availability whereas in project B5, a schedule has been defined with two training sessions a week. In projects linked to the socio-affective component, the A3 project works preferably at lunchtime, while in the C6 project students can choose alternative schedules, every day of the week.

As for funding, those projects that fall into the dimensions of health and PA as well as the socio-affective category do not receive any contribution from the young students since they are all funded by school resources. Practitioners pay a monthly fee in projects A2, B4 and D7 (CE), even though these projects are also funded by the public administration (Regional Direction for Youth and Sports). These projects involve partnerships with local organizations and are considerably able to generate revenue and pay for their own expenses. With regard to the projects’ life cycles, it appears that those linked to federated sports have existed for at least ten years while the others were created between the academic year under study and the last two academic years (Table 6).

Table 6
Life cycle duration of CEA, method and evaluation parameters of projects

Project	Project’s life cycle	Evaluation method	Evaluation parameters
A1	The project started in the academic year 2015/2016	The project has not been evaluated yet.	Not evaluated.
A2	Since 2005 (13 years old)	The largest and best possible evaluation: the naked eye.	It has increased the number of sports activities. The number of students at the school has increased (the teacher responsible for the school thinks that this increase is due to the role of the school sport club, as parents seek the school because of their organization of free time activities for children). Sports participation at national level. Protocols with local organizations. Ability to attract advertising companies to establish partnerships.
A3	The project started in the 2015/2016 academic year	The project has not been evaluated yet.	The project has not been evaluated yet.
B4	Since 2006	Final meeting to evaluate the sports season, including proceedings and a report delivered to the Regional Direction for Youth and Sports (regional public administration that financially supports part of the project).	Number of students participating in the activities; checking whether the activities planned were carried out or not; evaluative feedback from parents and the action plan for the following year.
B5	The project started in the academic year 2015/2016	The final report on the school year which is analyzed and approved by the school’s Pedagogical Council.	Goals proposed at the beginning of the school year. Number of participants in the activities developed; Results achieved by students who were identified with health risk factors.
C6	The project started in the academic year 2013/2014	A final written report on the activities is produced and delivered to the school board.	Goals proposed at the beginning of the school year; Number of participants; Results achieved by students with risky behaviors.
D7	Since 2006	A written report on expenses and activities carried out. A technical report.	Costs and expenses of activities. Number of affiliations/registrations in the federated sector.

• Source: Interview data. The authors are responsible for the table.

In most projects, evaluation is carried out through final reports that are presented to the school board. The A2 project evaluated only though the naked eye, without any formalization of the results achieved. Projects A1 and A3 (oriented towards health and the socio-affective dimension, respectively) do not have evaluation methods and therefore do not answer this question.

Regarding the parameters that were analyzed in the evaluation, in general, the teachers responsible for the CE projects (A2, B4 and D7) refer to the number of students, the protocols/partnerships, and the number of activities as the main parameters that must be respected in the evaluation (Table 6).

In projects A3 and C6 - oriented towards the socio-affective dimension - the results indicate the number of practitioners and the results achieved with students with risky behaviors. Finally, the current project has not yet been evaluated because it started in the academic year under analysis.

Table 7
Indicators and success factors of CEA projects

Project	Indicators	Success factors
A1	Students’ awareness of the importance of physical activity. Students’ autonomy and improvement of their physical fitness.	Motivation of teachers guiding the activities and students.
A2	Technical work. Quality of human resources.	Human Resources. Centrality of the school. Work developed by the school sports club (increased activities).
A3	Number of participants that the project involves.
B4	Whether or not the sports club is able to achieve its goals year after year.	Protocols with Basic Schools of Madeira and Porto Santo; Duration and students’ commitment to the project.
B5	The improvement in the results of the assessment of physical fitness in the risk group (students with pre-obesity and obesity).	The number of students involved in the project. Increased student participation in physical activities guided by teachers. Improvement of physical fitness results.
C6	Improvement of students’ disciplinary behaviors in their free time.	The number of students involved in the project. Participation and supervision of Physical Education teachers. Reduction of students’ undisciplined behavior in their free time.
D7	Effective human resources (‘a good teacher makes a difference’). Increase in the number of participants in the activities. The use of resources.	Good management of human and material resources. Group dynamic. Promotion of activities.

• Source: Interview data. The authors are responsible for the table.

Regarding the success indicators for school sports club projects (A2, B4 and D7), in general, the teachers in charge refer to the quality of human resources and the achievement of goals as the main indicators. With regard to projects A1 and B5, they present students’ autonomy for the practice of PA and improvement of the physical fitness of the groups considered at risk as the main indicators of success (Table 7). On the other hand, the A3 and C6 projects’ success indicators are increasing the number of participants and improving students’ disciplinary behaviors. If we analyze the nature of the indicators for evaluating the success of the projects, we find that they are very vague and tenuous, except for the number of practitioners involved.

As for the determining factors for the success of projects A2, B4 and D7, in general, teachers mention: human resources, established protocols, and the number of activities carried out. With regard to projects A1 and B5, they present students’ motivation for the practice of PA and improvement in physical fitness of groups considered at health risk as the main factors of success.

4 DISCUSSION

This study carried out a survey of curricular enrichment projects or complementary offer to Physical Education and School Sports, according to the pedagogical and organizational autonomy of each school. These projects can be organized into three categories: Health; Socio-Affective Development; and School Sports Clubs. The diversity and specificity of the projects adjusted to each context were two aspects discussed. Projects change from school to school according to their pedagogical and organizational autonomy; they are confined to the mission of each institution; they depend on commitment and specific knowledge of teachers in charge; and finally, they depend on resources provided for their implementation.

The differences that exist between physical activity and sports projects are highlighted and can be explained by each public school’s educational project and autonomy. The national and regional regulatory frameworks (Madeira and Porto Santo) enable the school to develop its own educational strategies and complementary offers to Physical Education and School Sports by setting educational objectives and goals according to the resources available and the needs of the educational community (PORTUGAL, 2008; PORTUGAL, 2000). The main reasons associated with the creation of the projects, pointed out by those in charge, are related to the mission and goals established for each project. In this sense, and considering school sport clubs, it was found that they defend goals aimed to “offer more sports competition to students, in addition to school sports training,” as well as to make “[...] better use of sport facilities” and sports equipment (A2 and B4). The analysis of these data indicates that it is necessary to value regular and systematic training and sports competition for students who want to continue their training process in the competitive federated sector. Thus, it seems important to strengthen the connection and continuity of the three activities - Physical Education, School Sports, Federated Sports - and to take advantage of Physical Education teachers’ contribution and their sports knowledge in terms of leadership skills, organization and process development specific for young people. It is in this context that the relevant role of the school sports club is understood in terms of its organizational and administrative autonomy. The school sports club includes internal and external target groups interconnected through a coherent process of developing the stages of sports training for young people. Another fact that deserves to be highlighted is that school sports clubs have longer life cycles and therefore are more likely to sustain their activities in the long term and present more consistent educational and sporting results. The success of school projects depends on stable and medium-long-term organizational measures, so the autonomy of school sports clubs ensures greater probability of sustaining activities for periods that clearly exceed the annual cycle of school activities. In this sense, the results recommend a strategic educational project (for a minimum cycle of 4 years) where goals and results of curriculum enrichment projects in the area of Physical Education and School Sports are integrated.

While the most cited reason has been the increase in competitive experiences among students, another advantage of school sports clubs is that they can develop their mission in “recreational, training, social and [well-being] purposes” as found in the D7 project. Scientific studies analyzed the organization of genuine competitive sporting experiences promoting greater autonomic responsibility for students, including the effects of the sports education model (SIEDENTOP; HASTIE; MARS, 2011; REVERTÉ; MAYOLAS; PLÁ, 2009), and a positive relationship between students’ commitment to learning in Physical Education and an increase in intrinsic reasons for continuing to practice sports (GUTIERREZ, 2017; SIERRA-DIAZ et.al, 2015). Furthermore, MELIM and PEREIRA (2013) show that structured extracurricular sports activities may contribute to protect young Portuguese people from school bullying.

Regarding the initiatives that fall under the category of Health (A1 and B5), results point out the following purposes: health education through the provision of more time for PA and maintenance of physical fitness while increasing healthy lifestyle routines. These projects are essential for the Portuguese population, who tend to be sedentary and with levels of PA considered insufficient, and when the intention is to increase the percentage of adolescents who must practice PA three or more times a week to 70% (PROGRAMA NACIONAL PARA A PROMOÇÃO DA ATIVIDADE FÍSICA, 2016). Students’ positive, genuine and regular sporting experiences involving the intrinsic factors of learning Physical Education and sports activities of curriculum enrichment have positive impacts on changing sporting and healthy behavioral routines for life (REQUENA AZCUE; LEIXA ARRIBAS, 2017) and developing young students’ social and organizational skills (COSTA; MESQUITA, OLIVEIRA, 2018).

With regard to the category of projects associated with socio-affective dimensions (A3 and C6), the main goals pointed to reducing school failure and students’ indiscipline, as well as the opportunity to learn new experiences in other sports such as Capoeira. Emphasizing the C6 project, it is possible to improve students’ behavior and ethical actions through motivating sports experiences. Thus, according to literature (WOODS et al., 2010; PARK; CHIU; WON, 2017), the offer of PA and diverse sports experiences is recommended since it leads to increased motivation for the practice of PA by students and a decrease in risk behaviors. There are several studies that relate sports to socio-affective development. For example, the Sport Hartford Boys program (FULLER et al., 2013) applied to boys living in socially problematic neighborhoods who tried to overcome risk behaviors through the combination of PA, sports, and nutrition with a strong social component, increased self-esteem as well as personal and social responsibility (BAILEY, 2017; BRUENING; DOVER; CLARK, 2009; SANCHEZ-ALCARAZ MARTINEZ; VALERO VALENZUELA; DIAZ SUAREZ, 2016).

Regarding the evaluation of the results of the study projects, we would expect to find the indicators and the means to evaluate young people’s personal and social skills. That was not the case. Most projects do not have those means and do not present objective indicators that can be used to evaluate impacts on young people’s learning in the short and medium/long term. This is a limitation that should be given greater attention in future investigations.

With regard to the group of participants in each CEA project, in the case of school sports clubs, one of the advantages is being able to receive young people who do not belong to school but who are interested in practicing sports in that sports club. On the other hand, it benefits young people who belong to the school, giving them the possibility to learn and develop sports and social skills in a long-term perspective.

In the remaining projects, those linked to the school community (Health and Socio-Affective Development) are considered as opportunities to promote regular physical exercise and PA in the school context so that young participants create active and healthy life routines.

Activities practiced in the A1, A3, B5 and C6 projects are free of charge since they are included in the public service school context. With regard to school sports clubs, which include athletes enrolled in sports activities at sports associations and federations (federated sector), there is a system of contribution to the expenses of sports practice besides support from the regional public administration through of subsidy.

In general, one of the evaluation criteria most often mentioned was the degree of achievement of the objectives that were initially defined in the project. In school club projects (A2, B4 and D7), the number of participants is one of the main evaluation parameters, while others present the number of activities implemented.

One of the parameters found in the evaluation of socio-affective projects was the decrease in students’ risk behaviors. Another parameter was to have reached the predefined objectives. Regarding projects directed to Health, one of them (A1) also mentions that it is not evaluated and the other essentially uses the evaluation of groups considered at risk, and finally, being able to reach the objectives defined. In fact, in our study we did not find the means and indicators for evaluating the results of the projects, except for the number of participants that they involve. The quality of the projects and the social and educational impacts should be evaluated by consistent and scientific means that demonstrate qualitative changes in the sporting, personal and social skills of young participants.

As mentioned by interviewees, the evaluation contributes to the projects’ improvement or continuity. Therefore, as emphasized by Azevedo et al. (2011) evaluation should be a means of promoting good pedagogical practices, improving results, and continuously improving the service provided to the school community (p. 71). The study found that the evaluation results/criteria that give the highest contribution to improve the projects are essentially students’ training, the number of members, the number of activities, and the number of students in school clubs. However, if we analyze the indicators for evaluating the results of the projects and their success factors, we will not find accurate, clear and quantifiable values. Thus, if a CEA project aims to reduce school failure or prevent students’ undisciplined behavior, the evaluation results of that project would be expected to include objective and clear criteria associated with the main purposes of the project’s activities. This was not what we found. If we analyze respondents’ answers regarding the project’s success indicators, essentially the most often mentioned criteria are human resources, including the number of participants, the quality of those in charge, and the degree to which initial objectives were reached. More important than evaluating the number of practitioners in the projects is to evaluate the qualitative effects on participants’ behaviors and physical fitness as well as their satisfaction and the positive effects for their lives (ARRIBAS et. Al., 2015; COOKE-DAVIES, 2002). Improvement of participants’ abilities and skills, benefits for students, client satisfaction and loyalty (SHENHAR; DVIR, 2007) are aspects that should be considered when evaluating indicators of school projects.

5 CONCLUSIONS

The analysis of CEAs linked to PA and sports identified three main categories: sports activities oriented towards regular and competitive sports for school-age people as a means of developing school sports and introducing an autonomous structure (school sport clubs); activities oriented to physical exercise, well-being and the development of physical fitness for young people; physical and sports activities aimed at preventing undisciplined behavior and improving social skills.

The success of CEAs seems to be associated with the capacity and competences of human resources and teachers involved in guiding activities. However, these projects do not include indicators that demonstrate teachers’ qualities or pedagogical skills or their organization as criteria for evaluating the success of the projects studied.

The more the projects are open and flexible, the greater the possibility to integrate distinct target groups and provide them with opportunities for participating and continuing in the federated sports sector, especially after students change schools or cycles. This evidence was found in the projects characterized by a school sports club structure. Likewise, the pedagogical and organizational autonomy of school and Physical Education teachers provide opportunities to create and develop autonomous projects offering complementary activities in Physical Education and school sports. It also concludes that the projects associated with school clubs - those involving young students’ participation in federated sports - present a more consistent strategy because they have longer life cycles and long-term results. On the other hand, the remaining CEA projects have annual life cycles that coincide with the school year. Thus, it is difficult to achieve medium/long term results if there is no stability of human resources and strategic measures capable of generating impacts on the competences and skills of students in multi-annual cycles.

The study did not find a close and coherent link between CEAs’ objectives, their mission, and the evaluation of results. Although the parameters and indicators for evaluating the results of the projects are defined (for example, quality of human resources), there does not seem to be a clear, coherent and objective link between the projects’ results and the mission for which they were created. Indeed, evaluating projects’ results was a sensitive issue about which we make some considerations. In the interview, some answers were evasive and some report documents were not explicit as to the projects’ impacts on participants. This aspect should be considered by those who have the legal and institutional responsibility to approve and evaluate curricular enrichment projects based on educational and sporting success indicators. Another reflection that remains to be studied is how to clarify the connection of these projects to curricular Physical Education and school sports activities in order to complement and enhance students’ learning curriculum in a structuring and consistent way.

Finally, although we have studied seven curricular enrichment projects, corresponding to four schools, it is still a small number and thus data must be related to those schools. Further studies are needed to look into and evaluate the impacts of these types of projects on the development of young students’ skills at each stage of their sports and educational training.

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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  09 June 2021
• Date of issue
  2020

History

• Received
  09 Feb 2019
• Accepted
  12 Feb 2020
• Published
  27 Sept 2020