ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the role of recreational sports programmes in promoting physical literacy among undergraduates in the University of Benin. Four research
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questions were raised to guide the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The target population involved undergraduates in the University of Benin, totaling Fouty Three Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty Two (43,862), with males comprised of 22,010 and females comprised of 21,852, as supplied by the Division of Student Affairs, University of Benin. A sample size of Four Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty Six (4,386) undergraduates in the University of Benin will be selected for this study. This constituted 10% of the total population. In order to guarantee a representative sample, the simple proportionate random sampling technique was used in selecting the sample for the study. The main instrument of this research is a 18 item selfstructured questionnaire which was validated by the researcher’s supervisors and two other experts, all from the University of Benin.
Data collection was carried out by the researcher, and the collected data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 21. The descriptive statistics of percentages, mean and standard deviation were used to answer Research questions 1 and 2 and a critical mean of 2.5 was established as the benchmark. Statistical significance was accepted at 0.05 level. It was concluded that recreational sports programmes play a role in promoting physical, social, psychological and cognitive component of physical literacy among undergraduates in the University of Benin. It was recommended that program development, implementation strategies, and approaches to enhancing physical literacy outcomes among undergraduates should be encouraged. Also, a diverse range of recreational sports programs to cater to varying interests and skill levels. Include team sports, individual activities, fitness classes, outdoor adventures, and recreational leagues to appeal to a broad spectrum of students should be offered.
