{"id":72901,"date":"2026-06-30T20:45:04","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T20:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revista-apunts.com\/?p=72901"},"modified":"2026-09-30T16:12:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T16:12:19","slug":"the-power-of-inclusion-dynamics-in-physical-education-an-analysis-of-social-interaction-patterns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revista-apunts.com\/en\/the-power-of-inclusion-dynamics-in-physical-education-an-analysis-of-social-interaction-patterns\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Inclusion Dynamics in Physical Education: An Analysis of Social Interaction Patterns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The aim of this study was to identify the types of motor skills interactions that occur during physical education classes, exploring how they occur between students of different cultural backgrounds according to activity type and gender. To that end, we used a mixed methods design combining different analyses of the results based on the data extracted from the systematic observational methodology. The sample was made up of 87 students (39 females and 48 males) aged between 10 and 11 years (M<\/em> = 10.49; SD<\/em> = 0.50) from two schools with different socio-economic contexts. We designed an ad hoc observational instrument based on motor action theory to record cooperative and oppositional behavior between non-immigrant and immigrant students, using LINCE PLUS software. We supplemented the analyses by combining temporal pattern detection (T-patterns) using the program THEME and Welch\u2019s ANOVA statistical analysis with a linear regression analysis and an exploratory factor analysis. The results reveal different motor interaction patterns according to the school concerned and student gender. From a quantitative approach, the results show that the type of activity proposed and the number of times it is performed directly impact how students interact during class. These findings suggest that inclusion or exclusion dynamics depend on the school environment and how the activities are designed, with the resulting recommendation that physical education be based on educational projects that promote equitable participation among students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keywords:<\/strong> detection of T-patterns, domestic student, foreign student, inclusion-exclusion, observational methodology, physical education <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the early decades of the 21st century, international migration flows have increased substantially, particularly throughout the European continent. In 2023, more than 3.7 million people legally migrated to Europe, mainly for work- or family-related reasons, while only a small fraction entered irregularly (European Parliament [Parlamento Europeo], 2023). That same year, the United Nations\u2019 refugee agency reported that 19.5 million people were forcibly displaced in Europe, of which close to 13 million were refugees and around 4.9 million were internally displaced, and some 1.4 million were new asylum-seekers (UNHCR, 2024). Despite these numbers, non-EU citizens represent only 6% of the European population. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to this growing migratory pressure, multiple EU policies have been drafted. In April 2024, the European Commission presented the Pact on Migration and Asylum with the aim of establishing a common system that guarantees both the safety and dignity of individuals requesting international protection, as well as catering to the concerns of Member States in terms of their management capacity (European Commission [Comisi\u00f3n Europea], 2024).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Spain, immigration has had a particularly significant impact. In January 2025, the Spanish population reached 49,077,984 inhabitants, with this growth mainly due to the rising number of individuals from other countries. Likewise, the immigrant population surpassed 9.3 million, and many of those new residents have already obtained Spanish citizenship (INE [Instituto Nacional de Estad\u00edstica], 2025). Thus, in a short period of time, Spain has transformed from a country of emigration to a country that receives immigrants from multiple locations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This socio-economic and demographic transformation has produced social, economic, and educational changes. With this new sociological context, pedagogical responses must adapt to promote integration, social harmony, and respect for diversity (Economic and Social Council [Consejo Econ\u00f3mico y Social], 2019). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this setting of social transformation and reception, physical education and sports (PES) at school can be an excellent tool for social inclusion, creating and encouraging spaces for direct interaction and building social bonds between the key players: teachers and students. The experiential and motor dimensions of PES offer unique opportunities to promote values such as equality, cooperation, mutual respect, and empathy, all of which are essential in culturally diverse contexts (Espinola Gonz\u00e1lez et al., 2024; Jim\u00e9nez-Parra et al., 2022; Shao et al., 2025; UNESCO, 2015). Beyond its value in terms of physical development, sports and PE are agents for socialization that can actively contribute to social cohesion and strengthen feelings of belonging, both in a school environment and within the community at large (Ferrari et al., 2025; Monjas et al., 2015; Mundet et al., 2021; R\u00edos, 2017; Sandoval-Iniesta & Alonso-Roque, 2023; Sherlock, 2024).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scientific evidence on PES as a potential channel for communication, based on pedagogical innovation that promotes student participation, supports this vision of it as an agent of socialization (Camerino et al., 2019, 2023; Garc\u00eda-Castej\u00f3n et al., 2021; Hellison, 1995; Prat et al., 2019; Valero-Valenzuela et al., 2020). Likewise, inclusive approaches such as the cooperation inherent in physical education (Boke et al., 2025; Gra\u00e7a et al., 2024; Burgue\u00f1o et al., 2020; S\u00e1nchez-Alcaraz et al., 2019) have shown their efficacy not only in terms of motor skills acquisition, but also in developing executive functions (Belando et al., 2024a, 2024b; Mart\u00edn-Rodr\u00edguez et al., 2024) and social and emotional skills (Belando et al., 2012, 2024a; Garc\u00eda-Garc\u00eda et al., 2023; Jim\u00e9nez-Parra et al., 2022; S\u00e1nchez-Alcaraz et al., 2019). These methodological proposals promote equity, student prominence, and the transfer of learning to other areas of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some studies present evidence showing that participation in shared physical activities between non-immigrant and immigrant students can foster positive intercultural relationships, reduce stereotypes, and improve the classroom climate (Evangelio et al., 2018; Carter et al., 2021). In that regard, PES offers an ideal setting for addressing the topics of social justice, global citizenship, and educational inclusion through an active and participatory approach (Garc\u00eda L\u00f3pez & Abell\u00e1n, 2024; Gerdin, 2025; Greco et al., 2024).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This study offers empirical evidence of the inclusion-exclusion potential of PES classes and aims to explore how motor skills interactions unfold between participants from different cultural backgrounds during different class sessions. As such, the aim of this study was to analyze motor skills interactions among students from different cultural backgrounds during physical education classes, taking into consideration the schools, motor skills mastery, and the gender of the participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Method<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Study Design and Approach<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For this study, we used a systematic observational methodology (Anguera et al., 2020), framed within a mixed-method approach (Camerino et al., 2012; Anguera et al., 2018), which enabled us to answer complex social research questions (Greene, 2015) and understand social and human behavior during PES sessions (Hern\u00e1ndez-Mendo et al., 2010). We used direct, nonparticipant observation, using continuous weekly intrasession recordings, allowing us to conduct intersession monitoring of the participants. The observational design was nomothetic, as it included a diverse variety of students, and multidimensional, as it considered various criteria that make up the observation tool used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This methodology allowed us to capture spontaneous and meaningful behavior in authentic physical activity contexts, providing an in-depth view of the actual role that sport plays in the integration of immigrant students. It also allowed us to identify relational patterns that often go unnoticed in traditional approaches, thus contributing scientific evidence to the debate around the transformative potential of PES in diverse school environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The sample was made up of 87 students (39 females and 48 males) aged between 10 and 11 years (M<\/em> = 10.49; DE <\/em>= 0.50). Students from the equivalent of 6th grade of Spanish elementary school were selected from two schools in the city of Lleida. Both schools had two classes per grade (A and B). These schools represent different socioeconomic contexts and were specifically chosen for their contrasts: one state-subsidized private school located in the neighborhood with the highest income level in the city, and one public school located in an area with a high level of economic vulnerability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four students were observed in each session (two male and two female), ensuring at all times the representation of one non-immigrant student and one immigrant student. A total of eight sessions were recorded, with the participation of 32 students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Table 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distribution of participants according to school, grade, gender, and origin<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

See Table<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Instruments<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An ad hoc observation instrument was designed based on the theory of motor action or motor action science (Parlebas, 1986, 2001). This theory identifies socio-motricity as the combination of leisure experiences in which participants interact with their classmates or peers (cooperation), with their opponents (opposition), or both (cooperation-opposition) (Lagardera & Lavega, 2003).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The theory of motor action, developed in the 1970s, laid the foundations of motor praxeology as a new scientific discipline (Parlebas, 1981, 2001). Since then, this discipline has produced evidence for a field of knowledge that was previously unexplored: motor action (Lagardera & Lavega, 2003).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From this theoretical perspective, the instrument considers three domains of motor action that have been transformed into dimensions and criteria:<\/p>\n\n\n\n