Have We Been Fostering Social and Emotional Learning Through Sport Education-Based Practice? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The sport education model (SEM) is one of the most extensively studied curriculum models in physical education. The five core social–emotional learning (SEL) competencies are fundamental to students’ holistic development. The current systematic review with meta-analysis sought to map the connections between empirical research evidence on the SEM and the five competencies of SEL, as well as to investigate the effects of SEM-based interventions on SEL-related learning outcomes. A total of 45 studies met the inclusion criteria. A systematic review highlighted the impact of SEM-based interventions in enhancing five social–emotional competencies. A significant overall effect ( g = 1.18, 95% confidence interval [0.55, 1.80]); z = 3.69, p < .001) was detected. Moderate to large effects on each SEL competency were identified. School level, lesson duration, type of sport, and experimental design could potentially moderate the influence of SEM-based interventions. SEM-based curricula are effective in improving SEL competencies.