Constructing a Civic Development Index: Integrating Ideological, Political, and Sports Moral Education Into Junior Middle School Physical Education and Health Curricula

This study addresses the critical need for a systematic framework to integrate Ideological and Political (I&P) education into junior middle school Physical Education and Health curricula, aiming to cultivate socially responsible citizens aligned with socialist core values. The research employs a mixed-methods approach. This includes a literature review, qualitative analysis using NVivo 12.0, Delphi expert validation, hierarchical analysis for indicator weighting, and student self-assessment questionnaires. Through this process, a comprehensive three-tiered index system was constructed. The framework comprises 3 first-level indicators (Sports Moral Education, Ideological Education, Political Education), 9 second-level indicators (e.g., Sportsmanship, Three Views Education, Patriotism Education), and 43 third-level indicators (e.g., Perseverance, Socialist Core Values, Idealistic Beliefs). Hierarchical analysis revealed Sports Moral Education as the highest-weighted dimension (0.4126), underscoring its centrality in holistic student development. Results identified strengths in embedding Sportsmanship and Sports Ethics but exposed significant gaps in Political Education and Three Views Education, with student self-assessments lagging behind expert expectations. The index system enables structured evaluation of I&P integration efficacy, informing targeted curriculum enhancements. Practical applications include redesigning interdisciplinary pedagogical activities, strengthening teacher training, and developing multifaceted assessment tools that measure civic-mindedness alongside physical competencies. This research provides educators and policymakers with an evidence-based blueprint to systematically advance I&P objectives within physical education, ultimately fostering students’ civic responsibility and alignment with national educational goals.