Transition from Traditional PE to Sport Education: Readiness and Outcomes

Abstract

The Sport Education model (SE) has been proposed as a transformative alternative to traditional physical education (TPE), yet the transition between these approaches presents significant pedagogical, institutional, and cultural challenges. This study examines the transition from TPE to SE across 10 secondary schools, investigating teacher readiness, student outcomes, and institutional challenges through a longitudinal mixed-methods design spanning two academic years. Teacher readiness was assessed using a purpose-designed PE Pedagogical Change Readiness Scale (n = 32 teachers), while student outcomes (n = 548) were measured across skill development, game performance, personal-social responsibility, and PE enjoyment. Institutional challenges were identified through administrator interviews (n = 10) and school context analysis. Results indicate that teacher readiness significantly predicted implementation fidelity (r = .72, p < .001), which in turn mediated student outcomes. SE produced superior outcomes in game performance (d = 0.68), enthusiasm (d = 0.74), and personal-social responsibility (d = 0.61) compared to TPE. However, skill acquisition showed no significant difference between models (d = 0.14, p = .31). Key institutional barriers included scheduling constraints, equipment needs, colleague resistance, and assessment alignment with standardized requirements. A staged transition framework is proposed, incorporating teacher development, structural modifications, and stakeholder engagement strategies.