The impact of allocated time in Physical Education and Sports classes on the social skills of inclusion students

Aim: This research was conducted to examine the impact of individual time allocated to inclusive students in physical education and sports lessons on their social skill levels. Material and method: The study was designed according to the experimental design model, one of the quantitative research methods, and was carried out with pre-test, mid-test, and post-test measurements. The sample of the study consists of a total of 52 inclusive students studying in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades of secondary schools in Malatya province during the 2024-2025 academic year. A "Personal Information Form" and the Social Skills Scale (dimensions of Cooperation, Assertiveness, and Self-Control) were used as data collection tools. In the experimental process, teachers provided individual guidance to students during the lesson for different durations: 2 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes, respectively. The obtained data were analyzed using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for Repeated Measures and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. Results: Research findings showed that as the time allocated to inclusive students in physical education and sports lessons increased, there was a statistically significant increase in students' total social skill scores and all sub-dimensions (cooperation, assertiveness, self-control) (p<0.001). Effect size analysis revealed that 97.8% of the change in social skills was due to the application durations. As a result of pairwise comparisons, it was determined that the 10-minute application duration created the highest impact on social skill acquisition. Conclusion: In conclusion, it has been determined that the quality time allocated to students with special needs in physical education lessons is a critical factor in developing the social adjustment and interaction skills of these individuals. Keywords: Integrated Student, Physical education, Sport, Social Skill