Effect of an intervention based on physical-sports activities in the natural environment on frustration tolerance, group cohesion, social skills and motor self-efficacy in physical education students

Participation in Physical Activity in Natural Environments (PANE) has been associated with positive personal and social development in educational contexts. This study examined the effects of a multicomponent intervention based on outdoor physical-sports activities on frustration tolerance, group cohesion, social skills, and motor self-efficacy in Physical Education students. A total of 210 students (aged 10–18 years; 52.9% girls) were assigned to an intervention group (n = 104), which participated in structured outdoor activities, or a control group (n = 106), which followed a traditional Physical Education curriculum. The intervention group showed improvements in motor self-efficacy, group cohesion, and problem-solving skills, while only group cohesion improved significantly more than in the control group. Positive trends were also observed for frustration tolerance. These findings suggest that structured outdoor physical activity programs may enhance psychosocial competencies, particularly group cohesion, in Physical Education, although further research is needed to confirm their long-term effectiveness.