Impact of the PE programme on gender equality and personal development: an empirical study of school basketball.

The sport, particularly basketball, fosters the social and personal development of young people, but its impact on gender equality remains under-exploited. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of a physical education and sports programme on reducing gender inequalities and the personal development of pupils through school basketball. The study encompassed a total of 340 students, with 49.41% of them being from middle school and the remaining 50.59% from high school. To assess participants' perceptions of gender equality, the promotion of potential, and community life, Likert scales were employed. A descriptive analysis of frequencies and percentages was conducted, followed by an analysis of variance (ANOVA) to evaluate the impact of socio-demographic and sporting variables. A Spearman's correlation test was utilised to ascertain the relationships between the variables. The findings of the study demonstrate that socio-demographic characteristics exert a substantial influence on the cultivation of potential and the propagation of social values; however, they do not appear to impact the promotion of gender equality. Participation in club sports activities has been shown to exert a positive influence on the development of potential and the dissemination of social values. Repeated social interaction in sports clubs has been found to encourage the acquisition of socio-emotional skills. School basketball promotes personal development, but targeted educational interventions are needed to improve gender equality. Future research is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]