This research aimed to explore any links between mental toughness and courage in sports among students enrolled in the faculty of sports science, employing a relational screening model with a sample consisting of 340 university students who were selected using a convenience sampling method. Research data were collected through a Personal Information Form, the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ), and the Sport Courage Scale (SCS). Data analyses included independent groups T-test, One-Way ANOVA, and Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient. Significant differences were detected in the SMTQ and SCS, as well as in the total scale scores, based on the gender variable, which is one of the demographic variables. SMTQ and SCS subdimensions and total scale scores differed significantly according to the university department. Furthermore, the study identified significant differences in the SMTQ and the SCS subdimensions and total scale scores based on the academic year variable. However, no significant relationship was found between age and SMTQ and SCS subdimensions and total scale scores. The findings of this study indicate a significant and positive correlation between the SMTQ and SCS subdimensions and the total scale scores. Therefore, it can be concluded that as the mental toughness levels of the students in sports science increase, their courage levels also increase.

Aim: This study examines the effects of peer bullying that middle school students experience in physical education classes on school burnout and school satisfaction to understand children’s well-being in this important stage of their lives. Method: The study was conducted with 829 students from 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades in Türkiye of both genders (403 male, 426 female), with an age mean of 11.7 ± 1.16 years old. Data were collected using the Physical Education Class Perceived Bullying Scale, developed by the researchers in the present study, along with the School Burnout Scale and the School Satisfaction Scale for Children. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data and examine the direct and indirect relationships between students’ perception of bullying, school burnout and satisfaction. Results: The findings indicate that perceived bullying in physical education classes positively and significantly predicts school burnout (β = 0.388, p < 0.001), while it negatively and significantly affects school satisfaction (β = −0.122, p = 0.006). Moreover, significant positive relationships were found between perceived bullying and school burnout, and significant negative relationships were found between perceived bullying and school satisfaction. Conclusions: This study reveals that peer bullying in physical education classes significantly affects students’ school burnout and satisfaction. These findings highlight the need for developing effective strategies to prevent bullying in educational settings and promote children’s healthcare and well-being.

Background and Objectives: The primary purpose of the article was to examine the relationship between dark and light personality traits in university students enrolled in the Faculty of Sport Sciences. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from 518 students (208 female, 310 male) with an average age of 20.89 (±2.25). The Short Dark Triad and the Light Triad Scales were used. Harman’s single-factor analysis minimized measurement error, and various statistical methods assessed the effect of gender and age on personality traits. Results: Results indicated a positive correlation among dark personality traits, while light personality traits exhibited more complex relationships. Gender and age were found to significantly influence certain personality traits. Conclusions: This study contributes to the sports literature by exploring the role of demographic variables in personality formation.

This research was carried out in order to reveal the “Team Captaincy Process” by deeply analyzing each phase of the team captain process. For this purpose, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 (3 female, 14 male) elite athletes and trainers determined using a purposive sampling method during a two-year study. As a result of the qualitative interviews conducted with the participants, there is a “Team Captaincy Process” defined under five themes: “Tasks of the Team Captain”, “Personality Traits of the Team Captain”, “Determination of the Team Captain”, “The Team Captaincy Process”, and “Termination of the Team Captaincy”. For this process, it has been determined that each of its phases is inseparably related to the other. Consequently, it is considered that the “Team Captaincy Process” can be used as a guiding tool by decision-makers for determining the ideal team captain who will meet the expectations of the whole team.

This study examined the variations in self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness levels among pregnant women engaging in sustainable exercise compared to those performing no physical activity. The study also explored the connection between these changes and the number of pregnancies. The sample included 220 pregnant women engaging in sustainable exercise and 210 pregnant women performing no physical activity. Sustainable exercisers were chosen from those engaged in physical activity for at least 30 min, twice a week. The participants were in the fourth to seventh month of their pregnancy. A simple random sampling technique was used to choose participants and a total of 430 pregnant women volunteered to participate in the study. The mean age of the participants was 31.45 ± 12.11 years. Data collection tools were the Self-Efficacy Scale (SES), the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI), and the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS). In data analysis, the impact of independent variables on self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness was evaluated by one-way ANOVA in groups of more than two, t-test in paired groups, the relationship between some independent variables and scales was evaluated by correlation, and descriptive features were shown as percentages. In cases where variance analyses were significant at 0.05 (p < 0.05), Tukey’s test was used as a post hoc test. The study’s results indicated a significant disparity between the mean self-efficacy and self-esteem scores of women engaged in sustainable exercise compared to those who were not. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of assertiveness levels. The mean scores of self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness differed significantly in respect to the number of pregnancies in exercising women. However, there were no significant differences in mean scores of self-efficacy, self-esteem, and assertiveness scores in terms of the number of pregnancies in women who did not exercise.

This study aimed to examine physical education teachers’ perceptions of work alienation in Turkey according to different variables (including gender, marital status, school level, availability of a gym in the school, age, and years of service) during the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected sustainability in education on a global scale. The study employed the survey method and research data were collected from 442 volunteer physical education teachers working in different provinces of Turkey through the “Physical Education Teachers’ Alienation to Work Scale”. The results showed that physical education teachers had low levels of alienation in their work. The scale’s subdimensions ‘occupational isolation’ and ‘powerlessness’ indicated higher levels of work alienation compared to other subdimensions. Among teachers who had completed their graduate education, the level of work alienation was higher in the subdimensions ‘powerlessness’ and ‘occupational alienation’. Based on a comparison with prior research on sustainability in education, the COVID-19 pandemic could be said to have no significant impact on physical education teachers’ levels of work alienation. The cause of work alienation among physical education teachers was structural issues rather than specific time-bound events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.