Challenges and prospects of implementing Olympic Education in Southern Africa

Magisterarbeit aus dem Jahr 2019 im Fachbereich Didaktik - Sport, Sportpädagogik, Note: B+, , Veranstaltung: Master of Arts in Olympic Studies, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: The study aimed to investigate the challenges and prospects of the implementation of Olympic Education in Southern Africa. Three countries; Eswatini, South Africa, and Zimbabwe were purposively selected for the study. The content document analysis method was used to analyze content in the public domains of the Ministry of Education, National Olympic Committees, and Olympic study centers where applicable. The main themes from the content analysis were presented in the results chapter of the thesis in chapter four. Results suggest that two of the three countries-South Africa and Eswatini, investigated have not professionalized Physical Education (PE) and sport as a compulsory and examinable subject. Zimbabwe professionalized PE in 2015 and implemented the new curriculum in 2016. South Africa is the only Southern African country with an Olympic study center at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Zimbabwe implements Olympic education through Zimbabwe Olympic Academy (ZOA). The OVEP document is the main source of Olympic Education in the South African National Olympic Committee. The study concluded that the challenges of implementing Olympic education in southern Africa are mainly no professionalization of PE and sport and lack of a pedagogical context and structure. The prospects of Olympic education implementation in Southern Africa are premised on the professionalization of PE and sport and the maximum utilization of the University of Johannesburg Olympic study center (UJOSC). The study recommends further qualitative studies be carried out in Southern Africa to increase awareness of Olympic education and also promote the professionalization of Physical Education. It also recommended further that the Olympic study center at the University of Johannesburg take an active lead in providing structures and platforms for Olympic education implementation.