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Girl on Fire: Enhancing Life Skills Through Sport-Based Interventions in Schools

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Thesis(4.48 MB)

Date

2026

Authors

Spencer, Nazmeen

Supervisor

Bercades, Luigi
Walters, Simon

Item type

Thesis

Degree name

Master of Philosophy

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Volume Title

Publisher

Auckland University of Technology

Abstract

Sport-based programmes have increasingly been recognised as powerful contexts for fostering positive youth development, particularly when intentionally designed to build transferable life skills. Within this framework, the Girl on Fire programme—implemented at Northcross Intermediate School in Auckland—aims to empower Year 7 and 8 girls through physical activity, mentorship, and guided reflection. Drawing on the integrated theoretical lenses of Positive Youth Development (PYD), Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR), Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), Ecological Systems Theory (EST), and Transfer of Learning Theory (TLT), this study explores the ongoing impact of Girl on Fire on participants’ confidence, life-skill development, and transfer of learning beyond the programme context. Using a qualitative case study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2025 with eight participants from the 2021 cohort, approximately three years after they completed the programme, to examine how skills and confidence acquired during the programme were applied across academic, social, and personal domains. Thematic analysis identified four key themes: immediate impact, broader transfer of life skills, enablers and barriers to transfer, and programme development and recommendations. Participants described Girl on Fire as a safe, supportive environment that nurtured confidence, leadership, communication, and resilience. These skills were often transferred into classroom, peer, and home settings, sustained through ongoing social and environmental support. Findings highlight the potential of gender-responsive, relational sport-based programmes to promote enduring personal and social development. The study contributes new insights into the mechanisms that enable learning transfer and offers practical implications for inclusive youth sport policy and practice in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10292/20747

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Masters Theses