Entry requirements

General entry requirements + English 6

Progression level in relation to degree requirements

Single subject course. Second subject within Teacher Education.

Course contents

Course objectives

The course will give a basic understanding of the psychological factors and processes that affect the individual engaged in sports activities and of how this theoretical and practical knowledge can be applied in practical sports situations.

The course consists of two parts:

Part 1 Group dynamics in sports 7,5 credits

Part 2 Sports psychology at the individual level 7,5 credits

Course content

Part 1 Group dynamics in sports

The focus in the first part of the course is on psychological aspects of groups and teams, including group psychology and its practical aspects, such as team building. Communication is seen as an essential tool for group formation, achievement and development, and the ways in which this tool can be used are examined. Motivation and psychological perspectives relating to sport and exercise activities are discussed and examined.

Part 2 Sports psychology at the individual level

The second part of the course continues with a consideration of sports psychology applied to the individual. The concepts such as stress, anxiety, and arousal, are introduced, and the ways in which these can be managed in the sports context are discussed. The course emphasizes key psychological aspects within youth sports, which can contribute to promoting participation and development in different ways. Discussions regarding mental skills that charaterize good prerformances and psychological skills training are also part of the course.

Learning outcomes

Part 1 Group dynamics in sports 7,5 credits

After completing the course, the student will be able to:

• explain group mechanisms and group psychology in a sports context
• reflect upon motivational psychology as applied to sports activities
• value various aspects of communication as a tool in sports
• formulate relevant constructs of exercise psychology

Part 2 Sports psychology at the individual level 7,5 credits

After completing the course, the student will be able to:

• reflect upon various strategies of leadership in a sports context
• describe the basic concepts of arousal and stress in sports and exercise
• explain the psychological processes that have a special relevance to children’s sports activities
• evaluate various aspects of psychological skills training

Learning activities

Lectures, group activities, seminars, practical exercises.

Assessment

Assessment of part 1 will include one individual home assignment assessed through oral examination, and one project report, based on the learning outcomes.

Assessment of part 2 will include one individual home assignment assessed through oral examination, and one project report, based on the learning outcomes.

Grading criteria for the course are announced by the course coordinator at the start of the course.

The basis for all assessments must be such that individual performance can be distinguished.

Course literature

Eys, Mark, Evans, M Blair, & Benson, Alex (2020). Group dynamics in Sport. (5th Ed.). Fitness Information Thechnolgy Inc. (430 pp.)

Henriksen, Kristoffer, Hansen, Jakob, & Hvid Larsen, Carsten (Eds.)(2019). Mindfulness and acceptance in sport. Routledge. (252 pp.)

Weinberg, Robert & Gould, Daniel (2024). Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 8th Ed. Human Kinetics Publishers. (680 pp.)

Study material and articles equivalent to about 100 pages will also be required reading.

Appendix to syllabus:

Perspectives of Malmö University; Gender, Environment, Migration and Ethnicity

The perspectives of gender, environment, migration and ethnicity are looked upon when the student identifies and investigates relations between different actors in sport in relationship to different environments.

Course evaluation

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

Interim rules

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

Additional information

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.