Creating a sense of family in urban schools using the "Sport for Peace" curriculum

Urban students often have difficulty engaging in the learning process and a ffiliating with others. A three-phase research design was used to examine t he effectiveness of a high school physical education curriculum reform init iative entitled "Sport for Peace " to enhance student engagement and willin gness to interact positively with others. Ten physical educators in six urb an schools taught a traditional soccer unit (Phase I)followed by instructio n and mentoring in the Sport for Peace curriculum (Phase II). In the third phase of the research, teachers developed and taught a Sport for Peace unit to their students. Data were collected using observation and interview met hods and analyzed with constant comparison. Results suggested that the Spor t for Peace curricular structures fostered shared responsibility for learni ng, trust, respect, and a sense of family. Both high- and low-skilled girls and boys felt successful and responded positively, creating a class commun ity more conducive to engagement and participation.