EPALE focus: Sports in adult learning

Although widely considered ‘non-learning’ activities, sports can have considerable educational benefits for adult learners. Sports and physical activities lead to long-lasting changes in the brain, directly enhancing intellectual work. They can improve memory, as well as concentration and attention, which directly affects how people learn and retain information. Additionally, regular exercise can alleviate depression and anxiety, which can be particular cause for concern during adult education. Physical activities and exercises can also be used as a teaching method for adults with specific learning needs.
Here at EPALE we appreciate the role sports can play in adult learning. Check out the links below for some interesting resources and articles on the topic, uploaded by the community and the EPALE national teams. Visit EPALE regularly in August for new content! |
Case studies
- Sport removes the barriers (EN, DE, PL)
- Volunteering in Physical Activity and Sport (EN, FR, DE, IT, ES, PL, LV)
- Welcome to dance class where the average age is 77 (EN, BG, FR)
- Cardiff City FC community foundation prison engagement programmes (EN)
- Learning from the Netherlands' most successful football academy (EN)
Blog posts
- 9 research findings that show why education needs sport (EN, DE, LV, BG, PL, ET, FI)
- Football motivates learning (EN, FR, PL)
- Integrating migrants through sport (EN)
- The best three weeks of my life (EN, LV)
- Training is key for sport providers in Flanders / Belgium (EN, NL)
- Sports as a study of life (EN, ET)
- Fit for life - mission impossible? (EN, FI)
- Is health literacy the cause of the Western fitness boom? (EN, FR, DE, IT, PL, ES, LV)
- Peer tutors with immigrant backgrounds as sports ambassadors (EN, FI)
Resources
- 3sp project: Special sports for special people (EN)
- Mapping of good practices relating to social inclusion of migrants through sport (EN)
- Draft Council conclusions on maximising the role of grassroots sport in developing transversal skills, especially among young people (EN)
- Golden Goal Curriculum and Toolkit (EN)
- Centred by sports – project results (EN)
This theme is quite interesting