School institutionalisation in the pedagogical allegory of initiation to football: a case study in La Rioja, Spain

ABSTRACT

Discussions on the educational potential of school football range from its social acceptance to the pedagogically desirable lessons that can be drawn from it. The aim is to understand the process of institutionalisation in school football and the main formative challenges it entails. An ethnographic multiple case study is presented. The sample consists of 101 schoolchildren of ages six and seven in the autonomous community of La Rioja, Spain. Participant observation, over the course of one academic year, is supplemented by images, interviews and digital social networks to incorporate 21 teachers, 10 coaches and families. The results reveal the construction of an allegorical field among children as they embark upon their path of institutionalisation, with the naivety of their spontaneous play giving way to a form of regulated execution. Institutionalised play exceeds children’s developmental resources. The study promotes an effective adaptation of the game, as well as the prioritisation of pedagogical actions that are complementary to school.

KEYWORDS:

• Institutionalization
• values
• sports initiation
• football
• inhibition
• creativity

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Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Abel Merino Orozco

Dr Abel Merino Orozco holds a PhD in Education from the University of Zaragoza, a degree in Psychopedagogy, is a qualified teacher specialising in physical education, and is a graduate in Psychology. He is an Assistant Professor of Evolutionary Psychology and Education in the Department of Education Sciences at the University of Burgos and a member of the ETNOEDU research group. His main lines of research include pedagogical and psychological processes in school sport, educational counselling and academic tutoring. His teaching interests include subjects that delve into the educational relationship, educational counselling, developmental psychology and education, assessment and task analysis. In parallel, he has taken regular part in educational innovation projects on academic tutoring and university teaching in particular, as well as producing a number of articles and conference papers and participating in international visits as a teaching and research scholar. He has worked as a university lecturer since 2013 and as an educational counsellor at a school for six years.

Alfredo Berbegal-Vázquez

Dr Alfredo Berbegal Vázquez holds a PhD in Education Sciences, a degree in Psychopedagogy, is a qualified teacher specialising in music education, and holds a master’s degree in Philosophy. He is an associate professor at the University of Zaragoza in the area of Research Methods and Diagnosis in Education of the Department of Education Sciences and a member of the ETNOEDU research group. His main lines of research include epistemology of complexity, education, well-being and quality of life and educational counselling. His most recent contributions focus on higher education counselling, through the prism of lifelong learning. Educational innovation, as regards its implications for teaching–learning processes at the university level, is an ongoing line of his work, which he complements with other outreach activities. The quality of training of education professionals forms the backbone of his research.

Ana Arraiz-Pérez

Dr Ana Arraiz Pérez holds a PhD in Education Sciences. She is an associate professor at the University of Zaragoza in the area of Research Methods and Diagnosis in Education of the Department of Education Sciences and a member of the ETNOEDU research group. Her main lines of research include educational counselling in connection with assessment and tutoring, especially from a socio-constructivist perspective, and educational research into utility as a basic scientific criterion. Her most recent methodological contributions include the development of narrative methods, and higher education counselling is a field of particular interest for her. Educational innovation, as regards authentic assessment and its implications for teaching–learning processes at the university level, is an ongoing line of her work, which she complements with other institutional assessment processes and outreach activities. The current challenges facing higher education in promoting quality training actions among teachers are the driving force behind her work.

Fernando Sabirón-Sierra

Dr Fernando Sabirón Sierra holds a PhD in Education Sciences. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Zaragoza in the area of Research Methods and Diagnosis in Education of the Department of Education Sciences. He is the lead researcher of the ETNOEDU research group. His main lines of research include educational counselling in connection with assessment and tutoring, especially based on socio-educational assessment in its various spheres and forms, and educational research into utility as a basic scientific criterion. His most recent methodological contributions include the development of narrative methods, as well as the application of references from the epistemology of complexity in educational research and innovation projects. He complements this work with other institutional assessment processes and outreach activities. His work emphasises improving the quality of lifelong training in all educational settings.