An examination of value education through physical education and sports courses: The case of Bitlis province

This research aims to examine the impact of physical education and sports lessons on values education. In this study, the "Values Education in Physical Education and Sports Lessons Questionnaire" was used. The questionnaire was administered to students attending public schools in Bitlis province during the 2024-2025 academic year. A total of 458 middle school students, including 228 female and 230 male students who volunteered to participate, were included in the study. In the research, a relational screening model was employed to evaluate the effects of physical education and sports lessons on students' perceptions of social and individual values. Differences in the scale and its sub-dimensions based on demographic data were evaluated using independent t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). If a significant difference was found, the Tukey test was applied to determine which group caused the difference. The findings of the study revealed that physical education and sports lessons play a significant role in helping students acquire essential social and individual values such as respect, friendship, responsibility, love, and patriotism. Analysis of the participants' value perceptions in relation to demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and athletic status showed that factors such as athletic participation and age group led to significant differences, whereas no notable difference was observed based on gender. In conclusion, it was emphasized that physical education and sports lessons are not only crucial for physical development but also serve as vital tools for fostering social responsibilities, moral values, and personal development. These findings suggest that physical education lessons are an effective method for values education, which should be more prominently included in curricula. Furthermore, it was concluded that sports provide a significant opportunity for individuals to develop social values and personal responsibility.