Research Article

BEYOND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS CLASSES

Volume: 7 Number: 2 August 31, 2026
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BEYOND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS CLASSES

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine high school students’ experiences regarding the psychosocial effects of physical education and sports classes using a phenomenological approach. The study was conducted with 14 high school students—7 female and 7 male students—aged 17–18 attending a public high school in Turkey. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis in line with the phenomenological approach. Thematic analysis was employed to systematically analyze the participants’ experiences within a phenomenological framework. The analysis identified four main themes: emotional and psychological relief, the development of self-confidence and self-perception, social interaction and belonging, and academic and cognitive effects. Participants described physical education classes as a space where stress decreases and where relaxation and emotional well-being are experienced. It was also noted that these classes enhance self-confidence through experiences of success, strengthen peer relationships, and facilitate refocusing on academic work by providing mental relaxation. The findings reveal that physical education and sports classes are not merely courses focused on physical activity; they are also a multidimensional experiential space that supports students’ psychosocial development.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

This study complies with scientific, ethical, and citation guidelines; no data manipulation has been performed on the collected data; and in the event of any ethical violations, neither the “Sivas Cumhuriyet University Journal of Sports Sciences and its Editor” bears no responsibility for any ethical violations that may arise, that all responsibility lies with the Corresponding Author, and that this study has not been submitted to any other academic publication venue for review, as guaranteed by the corresponding author.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Physical Training and Sports Pedagogy

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

August 31, 2026

Submission Date

May 12, 2026

Acceptance Date

August 3, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 7 Number: 2

APA
Canikli Temel, N., & Kılıç, G. S. (2026). BEYOND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS CLASSES. Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 7(2), 85-95. https://izlik.org/JA77RC93PZ
AMA
1.Canikli Temel N, Kılıç GS. BEYOND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS CLASSES. CUSPOR. 2026;7(2):85-95. https://izlik.org/JA77RC93PZ
Chicago
Canikli Temel, Nisanur, and Göktürk Samet Kılıç. 2026. “BEYOND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS CLASSES”. Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi 7 (2): 85-95. https://izlik.org/JA77RC93PZ.
EndNote
Canikli Temel N, Kılıç GS (August 1, 2026) BEYOND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS CLASSES. Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi 7 2 85–95.
IEEE
[1]N. Canikli Temel and G. S. Kılıç, “BEYOND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS CLASSES”, CUSPOR, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 85–95, Aug. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA77RC93PZ
ISNAD
Canikli Temel, Nisanur - Kılıç, Göktürk Samet. “BEYOND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS CLASSES”. Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi 7/2 (August 1, 2026): 85-95. https://izlik.org/JA77RC93PZ.
JAMA
1.Canikli Temel N, Kılıç GS. BEYOND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS CLASSES. CUSPOR. 2026;7:85–95.
MLA
Canikli Temel, Nisanur, and Göktürk Samet Kılıç. “BEYOND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS CLASSES”. Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, vol. 7, no. 2, Aug. 2026, pp. 85-95, https://izlik.org/JA77RC93PZ.
Vancouver
1.Nisanur Canikli Temel, Göktürk Samet Kılıç. BEYOND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PSYCHOSOCIAL EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS CLASSES. CUSPOR [Internet]. 2026 Aug. 1;7(2):85-9. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA77RC93PZ

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