The Obstacles and Challenges of Educational Sports in Iran: A Review Article

The objective of this study is to explore the obstacles and challenges faced by educational sports in Iran. Based on the research objective, a systematic review of articles in the field of educational sports was conducted. We focused on identifying problems and limitations in this field, as well as highlighting keywords related to educational sports, physical sports, school sports, educational sports challenges, limitations, weaknesses, health and physical education in schools or universities. The search was conducted from 2010 to 2023 in the country. To conduct this study, we searched for related articles using keywords in specialized databases such as Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, Meg Iran, Noor Megs, and SID. The selected articles had to meet certain inclusion criteria: they needed to be in Persian or Iranian, published in prestigious domestic and foreign scientific research journals, and be related to educational sports and the examination of its harms and weaknesses in the country. Based on these inclusion criteria, we identified 109 articles in the field. After reviewing the articles that were not relevant to the main purpose of this study, we excluded them from the analysis. Finally, we selected 22 articles that were completely relevant and consistent with our research objective. These articles focused on educational sports and provided insights into their harms and limitations. The findings revealed that the country's educational sports face weaknesses and problems across seven dimensions: inadequate sports facilities and equipment, weaknesses in the educational system, deficiencies in the management system, limitations and non-specialist nature of human resources, financial constraints, environmental or cultural factors, and individual factors. The research findings indicate that the state of educational sports in the country has deficiencies and restrictions that need to be addressed through new plans and codification. Therefore, in order to promote educational sports, there is a need for comprehensive and effective planning. Encouraging children's interest in sports at school is crucial as it cultivates a positive attitude towards it in the future. Presently, the lack of physical activity is a major contributing factor to the rise of diseases and bodily abnormalities, emphasizing the urgent need to address this issue.