Empowerment through the Court: Basketball-based PE and Female Student Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69665/iss.v48i1S.120Keywords:
gender equality, good health and well-being, quality education, collegiate physical education, feminist pedagogy, women's basketballAbstract
Grounded in liberal and intersectional feminist frameworks, this study investigates the impact of collegiate Physical Education (PE) basketball on female college students’ physical fitness, team cohesion, and self-confidence. The central objective was to determine whether structured participation in a basketball-based PE program enhances both physical and psychosocial development, while providing an inclusive learning environment that empowers women in sport. It was hypothesised that regular engagement in PE basketball would yield significant improvements in agility, endurance, coordination, perceived team cohesion, and self-confidence. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was employed, combining quantitative assessments of physical performance and psychosocial variables with qualitative focus group discussions (FGDs). Sixty female students aged 18-22 from a state university in the Philippines participated in a 12-week basketball intervention. Physical tests measured agility, endurance, and coordination, while validated scales, the Group Environment Questionnaire (Carron et al., 1985) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), assessed team cohesion and confidence. Thematic analysis of FGDs explored perceptions of empowerment, social belonging, and gender norms. Results showed significant pre–post improvements in agility (p < .01), endurance (p < .05), and coordination (p < .01), alongside increased team cohesion and self-confidence (p < .01). Qualitative findings revealed three interrelated themes: empowerment through movement, social belonging, and breaking stereotypes. Together, these results demonstrate that collegiate basketball can function as a feminist pedagogical space challenging gender hierarchies, building agency, and fostering inclusive participation. The study contributes to global and regional dialogues on gender equity in education, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 4, and 5, and advocates integrating women-centred, inclusive frameworks into PE curricula to promote holistic empowerment in higher education.
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