Abstract
Special Sports Classes (SSC) at the high school level face challenges in balancing academic and athletic achievement due to the dual demands placed on student-athletes. This study aims to examine curriculum implementation, kinesthetic intelligence development, and Adversity Quotient (AQ) coaching to propose an integrated curriculum model. A qualitative multisite case study was conducted at SMAN 1 Sewon, MAN 2 Yogyakarta, and SMAS Muhammadiyah 7 Yogyakarta. Participants were selected purposively based on their involvement in SSC implementation, including school principals or program coordinators, teachers, sports coaches, and student-athletes. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis and were analyzed thematically through coding, categorization, and cross-site comparison to identify patterns and contextual differences. The findings reveal an 8.19-point gap in academic scores between SSC and regular students, alongside the absence of a dedicated SSC curriculum. Kinesthetic intelligence development remains predominantly practice-oriented, while AQ coaching emerges informally through spiritual traditions and competitive pressures. Based on these findings, this study proposes a conceptual model of the Kinesthetic–Adversity Quotient (KK-AQ) curriculum, grounded in embodied cognition and the CO2RE framework. The proposed model suggests the potential to integrate academic learning, kinesthetic development, and adversity resilience within a coherent curriculum. This study contributes a conceptual foundation for curriculum development aimed at supporting student-athletes in pursuing athletic excellence while strengthening their academic resilience.
Keywords
Special sports classes, Integrated curriculum, Kinesthetic intelligence, Adversity quotient, Embodied cognition