A Study on the Role of Physical Education and Sports in Promoting Social Skills of High School Students

This research analyses the importance of physical education and sports in fostering social skills. Few high school students have empathy, leadership, teamwork, and communication the most. This offers them an opportunity to sharpen those qualities and more when they are practicing sports through physical education. The present study employed a descriptive design, and 200 high school students from Dharwad, Karnataka, were selected to fill out a structured questionnaire related to the demographic data and the extent of attitudes toward physical education as well as social skills. Results showed that 70% had moderate and 14% scored high in social skills (predicate) but were not low. Still, 16% of students were in the very low social skills category, so these results suggest a need for targeted social skills training during physical education. The findings highlight the importance of an aspect usually linked to physical health. However, when implemented effectively, it can also positively impact a wider variety of social and emotional results, which is crucial for the overall development of students. In light of this, the study recommends that schools introduce broad physical education curricula with a substantial focus on social skills training along with trained educators and improved sports facilities to ensure a rounded social and emotional development among students.