Martial arts are often associated with fighting, yet this study found strong support for bringing them into Australian schools—even though most participants had never trained in martial arts themselves. Martial arts, or MA, is a collective term encompassing combat sports, self-defense, and hand-to-hand combat systems developed and implemented around the world.

Studies of MA participation have identified a wide range of benefits to school-aged children, including increased flexibility, muscular fitness, and balance. Emerging evidence also indicates that MA may facilitate positive change in psychological, cognitive, and academic outcomes.

Active participation in MA has been shown to provide psychological, cognitive, and academic benefits to school-aged children, but MA remains a nonexistent or fringe activity in many schools around Australia. That contrast brings forward a need to investigate the views and beliefs of current and preservice teachers regarding MA and its inclusion in school settings.

The study investigates the views and beliefs of current and preservice teachers regarding martial arts and the inclusion of martial arts in schools. Participants completed an anonymous, 28-item questionnaire made available online via Qualtrics from August to November 2020.

The data was analysed using SPSS software to compare mean scores by sex and between qualified teachers and preservice teachers. Qualitative data in the form of quotes was used to complement the quantitative results. A research team consisting of four qualified teachers developed a purpose-designed questionnaire to target the study aims.

After university and NSW State Education Research Applications Process ethics approval, the survey was transferred online to Qualtrics and made available between August 26 and November 23, 2020. The survey included nine demographic questions, 19 topic-specific questions using a five-point Likert scale, and two open-ended questions.

Invitations were sent to principals of independent and public schools, with 22 schools in the Greater Hunter region of New South Wales contacted. The questionnaire was also shared through 16 undergraduate physical education teaching courses at the University of Newcastle.

It was advertised on six Facebook sites for Australian teachers and undergraduate teachers, and research team members also posted it on their personal social media pages. Quantitative data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22, with means and standard deviations explored, while one-way ANOVA examined differences between demographic groups.

Qualitative data in the form of quotes was used to complement the quantitative results. A total of 97 current and preservice teachers completed the survey between August 26 and November 23, 2020; 36 were current teachers and 61 were preservice teachers.

The most common age group was 18 to 24 years old, representing 62.9 percent, or 61 participants. Most participants, 66 percent or 64 people, had never participated in any form of MA, while only three participants had consistently participated for five or more years.

Table one summarizes eleven reported barriers to teaching martial arts, using mean scores and standard deviations from a five-point agreement scale. The table reports teachers’ lack of knowledge or skills in teaching martial arts with a mean of four point four six and a standard deviation of one point zero five, while problems scheduling appropriate school areas have a mean of three point one one and a standard deviation of one point three five.

These descriptive results identify barriers involving teacher preparation, time, equipment, and facilities. Participants reported a low perception of Government recognition of MA in New South Wales schools, with a mean participant score of 2.94 out of 5.

Most participants reported that MA training can provide benefits including improved muscular fitness, improved aerobic fitness, and improved mental health. The vast majority of participants would support the inclusion of MA into the curriculum, with a mean of 4.26 out of 5.

Most participants had never participated in MA training and would not feel comfortable teaching it, with a mean of 3.15 out of 5. Table two compares mean responses from teachers and preservice teachers, including sample sizes, standard deviations, and significance values.

The authors report a total mean of two point nine four for whether the New South Wales Department of Education promotes martial arts as an acceptable in-school sport, while perceived benefits received higher total means, such as four point two two for improved aerobic fitness and four point two zero for improved mental health.

Many participants indicated that they would enjoy teaching the subject matter to their students. They also indicated interest in learning how to incorporate martial arts into a classroom setting and in attending professional development or accreditation to learn how to teach basic martial arts techniques.

Table three compares female and male participants’ mean responses, sample sizes, standard deviations, and significance values across beliefs and perceived benefits of martial arts training. Responses were generally favorable toward school opportunities and benefits, while the table also reports statistically significant sex differences for primary-school inclusion, with female and male means of three point five nine and four point zero zero, and for improving muscular fitness, with means of four point one five and four point six eight, respectively.

Respondents described two trends in their areas of concern. The most common concern related to a perceived risk of injury, including legal issues, children getting hurt, and how this would be controlled to ensure that no one gets hurt. Other common concerns involved the promotion of violence in the school setting and incorrect use in the playground while practicing unsupervised.

None of the school principals agreed to invite their teachers to participate, so all responses came through social media or undergraduate university courses. As a consequence, the sample size is too small to make conclusive generalizations about the views and beliefs of the target population.

The study nevertheless provides an insight into the views of a diverse group of teachers and preservice teachers and provides a strong case for further investigation across all states of Australia. A larger sample size is required to form conclusive generalizations on this topic.

The study indicates a high level of support for MA in school settings among a sample of current teachers and preservice teachers from Australia. Many participants did not realize that NSW Government School Sport had a protocol for teaching MA.

Teachers and preservice teachers viewed MA as a worthwhile activity with physiological and psychological benefits and supported its inclusion in school settings. The findings may support more teacher training and professional development to enable the safe delivery of MA and high-quality PDHPE and school sport programs that draw from MA.

Respondents supported school programs incorporating teamwork, wellbeing and ethical discussions, dodging and blocking attacks, meditation and mindfulness, movement and parkour activities, and grappling and wrestling. Although a larger study is recommended to strengthen the conclusions, this study provides Australian school authorities with a baseline for preservice teacher training, professional development, and resources and program development.

The central message is supportive but cautious: teachers and preservice teachers saw martial arts as worthwhile and backed school inclusion, while also pointing to the need for training, safe delivery, and larger studies.