The purpose of this study is to analyze changes in peer relationships through Taekwondo training among multicultural students. For the purpose of this study, two multicultural elementary students (one female and one male student) who did not have Taek...
The purpose of this study is to analyze changes in peer relationships through Taekwondo training among multicultural students. For the purpose of this study, two multicultural elementary students (one female and one male student) who did not have Taekwondo experience were selected as participants. The participants chosen for this study were children that had difficulties socializing with friends, and the changes in their peer relationships after Taekwondo training were analyzed in depth. The Friendship Networks Questionnaire developed by Eunjung Kim (2005) was used as a research instrument. The questionnaire included open-ended questions that students wrote down their “close friends,” “friends who I don’t like,” and “friends who I want to get along with” and an in-depth interview. Peer relationships examined by open-ended questions were investigated using pre and post analyses, using UCINET6 and NetDraw. In-depth interviews, including a semi-structured interview and an unstructured interview, with teachers, parents, and friends were analyzed using pre and post analysis. The findings are as follows: first, the close peer relationships of the multicultural students increased after Taekwondo training, indicating that the network of peer relationships moved from periphery to centrality. Second, the peer relationships that the multicultural students disliked decreased after Taekwondo training. Third, the close peer relationships of the multicultural students increased after Taekwondo training. Fourth, the relationships with the peers that multicultural students want to get along with increased after Taekwondo training. All things considered, the multicultural students exhibited positive participation in physical education class and school life after Taekwondo training. That is, Taekwondo training instilled confidence in the multicultural students, which led to changes in their peer relationships. The findings in this study can provide basic information for future research about improving confidence and the positive impact of Taekwondo training on friendships among multicultural students.