The Role Of Sports Socialization In Student Character Formation Through Physical Education In Football: A Systematic Literature Review

Ricardo Valentino Latuheru (Universitas Negeri Makassar)

Journal Of Sport Education, Coaching, And Health
Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026): March

Character education has become an essential objective of modern education, particularly in addressing social and behavioral challenges among students. Physical education, especially football-based learning, provides opportunities for sports socialization through interaction, cooperation, communication, and adherence to rules, which contribute to character development. This study aimed to analyze the role of sports socialization in shaping students’ character through football-based physical education and to synthesize theoretical and empirical evidence from recent research. This study employed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) design following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Literature was collected from Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ERIC, Google Scholar, SINTA, and Garuda databases. Articles published between 2015 and 2025 were screened using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. From an initial identification of 248 articles, 25 eligible studies were included in the final analysis. Data were analyzed using thematic synthesis supported by Social Learning Theory, Socialization Theory, Positive Youth Development (PYD), and Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) frameworks. The findings revealed that football-based sports socialization significantly contributes to character development. The most frequently reported character outcomes were cooperation (96%), respect (92%), responsibility (88%), discipline (84%), leadership (76%), sportsmanship (72%), and honesty (64%). Furthermore, teamwork and collaboration (96%), communication and interaction (88%), fair play and rule adherence (84%), and leadership opportunities (72%) were identified as the primary mechanisms facilitating character formation. Pedagogical approaches such as TPSR, Sport Education Model, Cooperative Learning, and Game-Based Learning were found to strengthen these outcomes. In conclusion, football-based physical education serves as an effective medium for sports socialization and character formation, promoting positive moral, social, and behavioral development among students. Integrating intentional character education strategies into football learning programs is recommended to maximize educational outcomes.