Research on Educational Sport

Analysis of quality improvement strategies for physical education lessons in secondary schools

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abbas Kamalvand 1
Farideh Hadavi 1
Shahram Nazari 2
Hossein Mansouri 3

1 Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Humanities, Ivanki University, Ivanki, Iran

2 Department of Physical Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

3 4. Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22089/res.2025.17971.2643
Abstract
Background and Purpose
As an educational institution, the school is the most valuable and effective asset of the country. Looking at the quality trend of education in the world, especially in developing societies, the importance of improving the quality of education is revealed as a sensitive and vital issue. The global education crisis, which has intensified in recent decades, indicates the need for serious attention to this area (Bozorginejad and Zarei, 2017). The quality of schools has always been one of the main concerns of education systems around the world. Many countries have tried to reduce this challenge by implementing quality assurance schemes, establishing accreditation mechanisms, and using national and international indicators (Looney and Grainger Clemson, 2018). Several factors such as family, living environment, educational programs, teachers, administrators, school climate, and societal expectations affect the quality of schools (Lai and Kong, 2011). Meanwhile, physical education and sports, as an integral part of school curricula, play a significant role in the growth and health of students. Research shows that the development of sports in schools can have positive effects on the development of sports at the community level (Pakdelan et al., 2021).
Physical education, as one of the main pillars of school curricula, plays a significant role in developing motor skills, increasing physical health, and strengthening students' social skills (Shamshadi, 2017). However, the quality of physical education education in schools is usually accompanied by challenges that can have negative effects on its effectiveness. Factors such as lack of facilities (Hosseini Sadatinezhad and Moradi, 2021), weakness in curriculum planning and lack of expert teachers (Ghorbani et al., 2021), lack of sufficient time allocation and lack of efficient teaching models (Kamalian et al., 2021) are among the problems that affect the quality of physical education lessons. For example, research has shown that countries where appropriate infrastructure for sports activities is paid attention to have better results in promoting students' health and motor skills (Franklin et al., 2022). Given the importance of this lesson in the physical and mental development of students, it is essential to identify and prioritize solutions to improve its quality. Providing practical solutions to improve the quality of physical education lessons has received significantly less attention. Therefore, the present study is trying to identify quality improvement strategies for physical education lessons, using the perspectives of experts and scientific methods, and prioritize them based on their importance and feasibility. The results of this study can help educational policymakers, school administrators, and physical education teachers improve the quality of this lesson. Accordingly, this study seeks to answer the question: "What are the quality improvement strategies for physical education lessons from the experts' perspective?"
Methods
This research was conducted using the qualitative research method and the content analysis procedures of Brown and Clark (2006). The aim of this research was to examine the views and experiences of experts in the field of education, who were selected as the statistical population. The selection of experts was purposeful and based on specified criteria to ensure that the information collected was of the necessary depth and quality. It is necessary to explain that these 17 people consisted of individuals with criteria such as more than 10 years of experience in education, Farhangian University, and the Ministry of Education. The data collection tool was semi-structured interviews. Accordingly, the researcher interviewed 17 participants, and due to the repetition of concepts and the lack of emergence of new information, the researcher reached the theoretical saturation stage. Participants consisting of teachers of education, staff of the Ministry of Education, professors of Farhangian University, and other affiliated universities of the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology participated in the research, among which 4 women and 13 men participated in this study. Sixteen participants had a PhD and one had a master's degree. Three participants were between 30 and 40 years old, eight were between 40 and 50 years old, four were between 50 and 60 years old, and two were between 60 and 65 years old. The participants' work experience ranged from 14 to 39 years.
To ensure the validity of the qualitative findings, the member review method (Motolsky, 2021) and the alignment method (Skinner et al., 2020) were used. At this stage, the results and analyses were returned to the participants to obtain their feedback on the accuracy and validity of the collected results. This method added to the validity of the findings and ensured that the researcher's perceptions were consistent with the participants' actual experiences and perspectives. Data analysis was conducted in sequential steps, including initial coding, identification of primary themes, sub-themes, and finally final themes. The information obtained from thematic analysis included deep insights and diverse experiences from the experts' perspectives, which helped shape this research.
For ethical considerations, in this study, informed consent was obtained from participants with a full explanation of the purpose of the research and how the data would be used, and they had the option to withdraw from the research at any time. Individuals' privacy was maintained by using pseudonyms and removing personal information. Also, the researcher listened respectfully to the participants' opinions and experiences and created a safe space for them to freely express their opinions without bias. After initial data analysis, the results were returned to 12 participants to ensure their accuracy. The coding process was performed manually, following the procedures of Brown and Clark (2006).
Results
The findings showed that quality solutions for physical education lessons consist of citizen empowerment and comprehensive health; educational design and content; teaching and learning methods; teacher training and development; extracurricular activities and sports events; and providing facilities and infrastructure. Each of the final themes consists of its own sub-themes or sub-themes.
The extracted themes have direct and indirect relationships, so that designing educational content in accordance with needs can lead to creating a collaborative and interactive learning environment. Also, using technology in teaching can help improve active and collaborative teaching. In addition, providing appropriate sports facilities can help to better organize sports competitions and festivals. Finally, training courses for teachers can also lead to improving the quality of the teacher's role in active learning and teaching. Accordingly, the final themes can be considered as three main components that have been identified for quality improvement solutions and can have mutual effects and ultimately lead to quality improvement of physical education lessons.
 
 Figure 1. Final framework derived from qualitative findings
 
Conclusion
Physical education activities in schools are an integral part of the educational process. The quality of physical education lessons depends not only on providing appropriate educational content and sports equipment and facilities, but also includes continuous training programs for sports teachers. Teachers should be continuously trained in fields related to physical education, sports science and psychology in order to strengthen the physical, social and mental abilities of students in the best possible way. Also, extracurricular activities and sports events in schools are considered effective methods in promoting the physical and mental health of students. These activities not only help to improve physical conditions but also strengthen teamwork, leadership and self-confidence in students. Providing appropriate sports facilities and infrastructure is also a key factor in improving the quality of physical education education. This provision includes standard sports spaces, diverse equipment and the use of modern technologies to measure and improve sports performance. Partnering with the private sector and philanthropists to attract financial resources and improve infrastructure can also help create a conducive environment for learning and activity. Finally, a comprehensive and multifaceted approach that includes teacher training, providing facilities, and organizing diverse sports activities can help develop students' physical and social skills, improve their mental and physical health, and promote a healthy lifestyle in society. In this way, investing in school physical education will not only benefit students but also help create an active and healthy society in the future. Finally, it is suggested that public and private institutions develop programs to financially support research projects and sports activities in schools to improve the quality of education in this area. In addition, organizing workshops and training courses for teachers to strengthen research skills and the ability to collect accurate and comprehensive data from students and the educational environment can help improve the quality of research results. In addition, creating and maintaining a reliable and comprehensive database of sports resources and facilities in schools to facilitate research and evaluations can help researchers and educators more effectively analyze the current situation and identify areas for improvement.
 
Article Message
Improving the quality of physical education requires a comprehensive and multidimensional approach. This approach includes empowering citizens, designing effective educational content, using modern teaching methods, training teachers, organizing extracurricular activities, and providing appropriate facilities. Creating a supportive environment for the development of sports activities can have positive and lasting effects on the public health of the community. Therefore, policymakers and practitioners should work together to create an environment in which physical education is recognized as a key and influential discipline.
Ethical Considerations
For ethical considerations in this study, informed consent was obtained from participants with a full explanation of the purpose of the study and how the data would be used, and they had the option to withdraw from the study at any time. The privacy of individuals was maintained by using pseudonyms and removing personal information. Also, the researcher listened respectfully to the participants' opinions and experiences and created a safe space for them to freely express their opinions without bias.
Authors' Contributions
Abbas Kamalvand: Article writing, idea generator, data collection, literature review.
Farideh Hadavi: Supervisor and Project Manager
Shahram Nazari: Advisor and idea generator
Hossein Mansouri: Advisor, data analysis and research method
Conflict of Interest
According to the authors, this article has no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all participants in the research.
 
 
 

Keywords

quality assurance
sports bell
school sports
educational sports
teacher development

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 02 May 2025
  • Revise Date 15 July 2025
  • Accept Date 07 September 2025

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