Empirical analysis of LM-47 students' educational perceptions in informal learning contexts at football academies
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Youth sport is increasingly recognised as an informal educational setting that contributes to children's motor, emotional and social development, particularly in the 8-10 age group. In this perspective, football academies represent fundamental learning environments, where the educational role of adults plays a decisive role in shaping children's sporting experiences. However, empirical evidence on the educational perceptions of university students in training, particularly those enrolled in the LM-47 master's degree programme, remains limited. This study aimed to analyse the educational perceptions of LM-47 students working in informal football academy settings, focusing on the importance of movement, motivational factors, operational difficulties and the perceived quality of the educational environment. A sample of 120 LM-47 students completed a structured questionnaire consisting of 14 closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to analyse the distribution of responses and associations between the role held and key educational variables (p < .05). 80% of participants considered movement to be essential, while 73.3% emphasised the need for a balance between fun and technical learning. Fun games emerged as the main motivational factor (65%), while repetitive or overly difficult activities were identified as the main cause of demotivation (50.8%). Two significant associations were found between the role held and the perceived causes of demotivation (p = .049, V = .242) and the evaluation of the football academy environment (p = .048, V = .243). The results highlight a shared pedagogical orientation among LM-47 students and confirm the educational value of football academies as informal learning contexts.
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