Traditional Sports Games for Character Development in Preservice Primary Teachers

Abstract

Traditional sports and games are widely discussed as culturally grounded resources for character education, yet research predominantly concerns children and provides limited guidance on translating gameplay into assessable professional learning for preservice primary teachers. This article synthesizes recent evidence on the potential of traditional games to support character development and proposes an instructional and assessment framework for Primary School Teacher Education (PGSD) students. A critical narrative review examined 25 journal articles published between 2023 and 2026, purposively selected for their relevance to traditional games, physical education, social and moral learning, and preservice teacher preparation. Thematic synthesis identified three interconnected learning mechanisms: rule-governed cooperation and fair competition, emotionally meaningful interaction followed by guided reflection, and pedagogical transfer to primary school lesson design. These themes informed a five-stage framework comprising value orientation, inclusive gameplay, behavioral observation, reflective dialogue, and assessment linked to teaching transfer. Supporting resources include illustrative mappings between games and behavioral indicators, a six-session learning plan, and an analytic observation rubric. The synthesis suggests that traditional games provide plausible opportunities to practice cooperation, discipline, honesty, responsibility, sportsmanship, tolerance, and leadership. However, the review does not establish their causal effectiveness for PGSD students. The proposed framework offers a context-sensitive basis for connecting culturally grounded character education with professional learning in preservice teacher preparation. Pilot implementation involving repeated behavioral assessment and comparisons across learning contexts is needed to evaluate its applicability and effectiveness.