Effects of an instructional handball programme on motor and social skills in a secondary school

To evaluate the effectiveness of a school handball project in improving motor and social skills among secondary school students, using a mixed-methods randomised experimental design. 300 students aged 11-13 years were recruited and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 150) and a control group (n = 150). The experimental group followed a 12-week handball educational-sports programme, integrating practical and reflective activities. The control group performed traditional motor activities. Standardised motor tests (20m sprint, precision throwing, coordination test), questionnaires on social cooperation and qualitative focus groups conducted at the end of the intervention were used. The experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in motor performance (p < .01) and social cooperation (p < .05). The qualitative analysis showed increased motivation, inclusiveness, group cohesion and respect for rules. The integration of handball as a structured and intentional activity in the school context improves motor and social development in middle school students. These findings are consistent with the recent literature on the use of sport technologies and methodologies to optimise motor and cognitive performance (Latino & Tafuri, 2024), and support the idea that physical education should be intentionally designed to maximise cross-curricular learning impacts.