Beschreibung

How do peer groups impact sporting practices during the sensitive transition from childhood to adolescence (ages 12–14)? Based on a DFG-funded longitudinal study, this book reveals how peer groups influence adolescents‘ participation in sport in both school and leisure settings. The author identifies five key collective orientations and discusses their implications for sports pedagogy and practice.

This book addresses a significant gap in research by focusing on the collective dimension of sport, an area that has received limited attention in sports pedagogy so far. Building on existing individual-centred perspectives, it demonstrates how peer-group dynamics decisively shape motivation, participation and withdrawal in sport. The findings provide a foundation for interdisciplinary research across sports pedagogy, sociology and psychology, as well as for further studies on collective orientations in diverse contexts. In practice, they offer starting points for peer-group-sensitive didactic designs in schools and clubs. These include strengthening peer groups as motivational resources in physical education (PE), as well as using them strategically for retention and integration in organised sport.

The author:
Prof. Dr. Benjamin Zander is a full professor of Sport Science and Head of the Sport and Society Division at the Institute of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Osnabrück University, Germany.

The subject:
Education

Zusätzliche Informationen

Additional Content

Inhaltsverzeichnis + Leseprobe

Autor*innen

Benjamin Zander

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Keywords

adolescence, April 2026, club sports, collective orientations, documentary method, Frühjahr 2026, group discussions, informal sports, peer groups, Physical education, sports pedagogy, youth cultures