Participatory Action Research and Educational Implications for Middle School Student’s Participation in ‘Ecological Sports’ of the 2022 Revised NCPE

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

This study aimed to understand the change process for ecological sensibility and perception through students' participation in the newly established ‘ecological sports’ among ‘sports’ areas of the 2022 Revised National Curriculum in Physical Education (NCPE). Ultimately, it can reflectively reveal the educational implications and extensibility for ‘ecological sports’ by applying ‘cycling activity’ to middle school PE classes. For this, six participants were selected from the students who participated in ‘ecological sports’ activities and data were collected mainly through in-depth & focus group interviews. And ‘photovoice’ method was partially utilized to interpret the participants' interaction with the environment, sensory outcomes and meaning obtained through the physical activities. As a result of this study, several key findings were revealed. First, they became members of the cultural community through learning physical activity and participating in the 'ecological sport' of cycling in the natural environment for the long term. And they learned also desirable character such as willingness for ecological education, self-confidence and challenge, cooperation and communication, social responsibility and community spirit. Second, the experience of enhancing and expanding basic skills and combination skills in the context of the variables of the natural environment improved application skills and self-directed problem-solving ability. Lastly, the students revealed positive thinking and creative attitude for the PE classes linked ‘ecological sports’ reflected on their own life and spread to others and society. Especially, they developed more positive attitude for ecological awareness and sensibility through the senses in the process of communicating with the nature and experiencing ecological sports.