Characteristics and variations of life skills before and after various styles of university PE classes

Abstract

The aims of the present study were: (a) to investigate the acquisition situation of life skills before and after three styles of university PE classes like group learning of team sports or individual sports and mass teaching of various sports and (b) to examine variations in life skills after the classes. We conducted a survey of 103 university students who took the above styles of PE classes in the form of a questionnaire on skills in daily life (i.e., life skills) and skills in sport situation (referred as sport skills hereinafter) before and after the classes. The total scores of sport skills in all styles of classes were equivalent; in contrast, the total score of life skills in mass teaching of various sports was higher than that of the other styles of classes before and after the classes. Only creative thinking of sport skills in mass teaching of various sports improved among subskills after the classes, while several subskills of sports skills deteriorated. Accordingly, the changes in sport skills caused by the executed classes did not affect the overall tendency of sport skills and life skills among the styles of classes. Moreover, the total score of sport skills was positively correlated with that of life skills and the amount of experience in sports; however, there was no correlation between the total score of life skills and the amount of experience in sports. These results suggest that more sports experience would improve sport skills but not directly develop life skills. Consequently, the approach by a teacher in charge of a PE class to generalize the changes of sport skills induced by sports experience through its class is needed to enhance life skills effectively.