Multiculturalism and Physical Activity: Evidence From a Higher Education-Based Intervention

Abstract

In an academic context increasingly characterized by cultural pluralism and technological innovation, the need emerges to develop educational practices capable of integrating the bodily dimension into learning processes. The present study explores the effectiveness of a physical activity intervention designed according to the principles of critical pedagogy, embodied education and intercultural education, with the aim of promoting body awareness and intercultural sensitivity in a university context crossed by increasing cultural heterogeneity and digital transformation. The intervention, lasting twelve weeks with biweekly meetings of two hours each, involved 260 students divided into an experimental group and a control group, subjected to pre- and post-intervention evaluation using the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) and the Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ). The results of the statistical analysis showed a significant increase in scores related to both intercultural sensitivity and body awareness in the experimental group compared to the control group, indicating the effectiveness of the body approach in university education. The integration of digital tools has further enriched the path, offering support for the documentation, reflection and monitoring of learning processes. The pedagogical implications of the study indicate the need to rethink university teaching by systematically including body practices and multimodal approaches, capable of combining corporeality, cultural diversity and digital environments. Future research perspectives will have to deepen the adaptability of these models in different training contexts and analyze more extensively the role of the body as a mediator of transformative processes in higher education.