Coeducational and single-sex physical education: students’ situational interest in learning tasks centred on technical skills

Background: A student’s choice to engage in a learning task is highly related to the student’s environmental stimuli and his or her perception of interest. From this perspective, the construct of situational interest (SI) has been used to interpret students’ motivation in task engagement. SI is assumed to be transitory, environmentally activated, and context specific. It has been conceptualized as a multidimensional construct with five dimensions: instant enjoyment, exploration intention, attention demand, novelty, and challenge. Few prior studies have compared SI between girls and boys in physical education (PE) contexts, and these studies have offered contrasting findings. They were conducted in coeducational (coed) or single-sex contexts and used learning tasks centred on a variety of outcomes: technical or tactical skills, creativity and cultural understanding.

Purpose: In the context of the debate on single-sex and coed classes in PE, this study aimed to estimate the effects of single-sex and coed PE classes on students’ situational interest (SI) within learning tasks centred on technical skills. The researchers decided to study learning tasks centred on the development of students’ technical skills, since these tasks are often used by teachers in PE.

Participants: The sample consisted of 177 Swiss secondary school students, aged 11–17 years (M?=?14.07, SD?=?1.41, 96 boys, 81 girls).

Data collection: The students completed the French 15-item SI Scale after practising a technical learning task in single-sex and coed PE contexts. The researchers chose five physical activities (i.e. athletics, basketball, dance, gymnastics, and volleyball), which are commonly taught in the state of Vaud (Switzerland) and provide a balance between masculine and feminine activities.

Data analysis: A two-way repeated-measures MANOVA was performed to examine the main and interaction effects of student sex and class sex composition on the five SI dimensions.

Findings: The results showed a main effect of class sex composition on student SI but no main effect of student sex and no interaction effect of student sex and class sex composition. More precisely, the scores for three SI dimensions (i.e. instant enjoyment, exploration intention, and attention demand) were higher in the coed context than in the single-sex context.

Conclusions: This study encourages teachers to propose coed PE classes to enhance students’ motivation and engagement when practising learning tasks centred on technical skills. This study offers supplementary evidence of the teacher’s role in promoting student SI. Beyond accounting for students’ dispositional factors (e.g. sex), PE teachers can significantly impact students’ SI in technical learning tasks through instructional choices.     

Influence of personal and lesson factors on caloric expenditure in physical education

BackgroundIncreasing caloric expenditure in physical education is considered an effective school-based approach to addressing the child obesity epidemic. This study was designed to determine synergistic influences of student characteristics and lesson factors on caloric expenditure in elementary and middle school physical education.MethodsThe study used a multi-level design. Level-1 factors included personal characteristics: age, gender, and body mass index. Level-2 factors included lesson length, content, and school level. Based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention age–gender adjusted growth chart, students in 87 classes from 14 elementary and 15 middle schools were pre-screened into “Overweight”, “Healthy weight”, or “Thin” groups. One boy and one girl were randomly selected from each group in each class as data providers (264 elementary and 294 middle school students). Caloric expenditure was measured in 243 physical education lessons using accelerometers.ResultsAnalysis of variance revealed and hierarchical linear modeling confirmed separate age by body mass index, age by gender, and content by lesson–length interaction effects, suggesting that the personal and lesson factors influenced caloric expenditure independently. Older male and heavier students burned more calories in all lessons. Students burned more calories in 45–60 min sport skill or fitness lessons than in shorter (30 min) or longer (75–90 min) game or multi-activity lessons.ConclusionsThe hypothesized cross-level interaction was not observed in the data. Caloric expenditure can be optimized in 45–60 min sport skill or fitness development lessons. It can be recommended that schools adopt 45–60 min lesson length and provide skill and fitness development tasks in physical education to maximize caloric expenditure.     

生本教育理念下小学体育分层教学的实验研究

生本教育是以学生为本,为学生好学而设计的教育,遵循"以学定教、少教(讲)多学,先学后教"的教学原则。而以学生发展为中心,关注个体差异与不同需求,而根据学生性别、性格、身体素质、运动技能等综合因素进行的小学体育分组分层教学,从"以学定教"切入,是实现生本教育理念的有效途径。通过实验得出以下结论:生本教育理念下小学体育分层教学,能让不同层次的学生有相应的发展平台,这极大地激发了学生的运动兴趣,充分调动学生学习与练习积极性;能以每个学生为本,解决个体差异问题,使学生更快、更好地掌握动作要领,提高运动技能;能较好发展学生身体素质;能使教学氛围更融洽,交流更顺畅,学生思维更活跃,主体意识与合作意识得到明显增强;能体会到成功的快乐,身心愉悦,为"终生体育"打下良好基础。     

Comparison of Hydrostatic Weighing at Residual Volume and Total Lung Capacity in Children

Abstract

The influence of perceptions of the motivational climate and perceived ability on situational motivation and the physical activity behavior of 213 male and 229 female adolescent physical education students (M age= 12.56 years; SD = 0.96) was examined over a 3-day period. A significant age by gender interaction emerged, with physical activity declining from the sixth to eighth grade. The decline was more pronounced among female than male students. Perceptions of a mastery climate were strongly related to more self-determined forms of situational motivation. In contrast, perceptions of a performance climate were strongly related to less self-determined forms of situational motivation. Results of a hierarchical regression analysis revealed gender, perceived ability, and perceptions of a mastery climate to explain a significant amount of variance in physical activity. These findings suggest that promoting a mastery oriented motivational climate in physical education will foster self-determined situational motivation and physical activity.     

Effects of Curricular Activity on Students' Situational Motivation and Physical Activity Levels

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the effects of three curricular activities on students' situational motivation (intrinsic motivation [IM], identified regulation [IR], external regulation, and amotivation [AM]) and physical activity (PA) levels, and (b) the predictive strength of situational motivation to PA levels. Four hundred twelve students in grades 7–9 participated in three activities (cardiovascular fitness, ultimate football, and Dance Dance Revolution [DDR]) in physical education. ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers were used to measure students' PA levels for three classes for each activity. Students also completed a Situational Motivation Scale (Guay, Vallerand, & Blanchard, 2000) at the end of each class. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that students spent significantly higher percentages of time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) in fitness and football classes than they did in DDR class. Students reported higher IM and IR toward fitness than DDR. They also scored higher in IR toward fitness than football. In contrast, students displayed significantly lower AM toward fitness than football and DDR. Hierarchical Linear Modeling revealed that IM was the only positive predictor for time in MVPA (p = .02), whereas AM was the negative predictor (p < .01). The findings are discussed in regard to the implications for educational practice.     

体育课堂学习任务设计对初中生情景兴趣影响的实验研究

如何激发学生运动兴趣是体育课堂教学中长期以来探讨的重要问题,然而激发学生的体育课堂学习兴趣,涉及到多方面的因素,本文以兴趣论这一目前最受关注的三种动机理论之一为基础,仅从体育课堂学习任务设计的角度,来考察对初中生情景兴趣的影响,调查学生情景兴趣、固有兴趣和运动技能的关系,以及不同年级和性别学生情景兴趣的差异。本文采用拉丁方实验设计这一重复测量的方法,把来自初中三个年级共158名学生按年级分成四个班级,分别进行四种按不同认知和身体要求设计的体育课足球教学,进行两周的课堂教学实验。每周两节体育课。实验时,每节课四个班级同时进行四种不同的课堂任务学习,每节课结束前五到十分钟立即进行情景兴趣问卷调查,整个实验结束后进行运动技术测评。收集数据,分析结果得出一般性结论。     

A Sport Education Fitness Season’s Impact on Students’ Fitness Levels,Knowledge, and In-Class Physical Activity

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a sport education season of fitness could provide students with recommended levels of in-class moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) while also increasing students’ fitness knowledge and fitness achievement. Method: One hundred and sixty-six 5th-grade students (76 boys, 90 girls) participated in a 20-lesson season called “CrossFit Challenge” during a 4-week period. The Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run, push-ups, and curl-ups tests of the FITNESSGRAM® were used to assess fitness at pretest and posttest, while fitness knowledge was assessed through a validated, grade-appropriate test of health-related fitness knowledge (HRF). Physical activity was measured with Actigraph GT3X triaxial accelerometers. Results: Results indicated a significant time effect for all fitness tests and the knowledge test. Across the entire season, the students spent an average of 54.5% of lesson time engaged in MVPA, irrespective of the type of lesson (instruction, free practice, or competition). Conclusions: The results suggest that configuring the key principles of sport education within a unit of fitness is an efficient model for providing students with the opportunity to improve fitness skill and HRF knowledge while attaining recommended levels of MVPA.     

Student outcomes of the physical education and physical literacy (PEPL) approach: a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial of a multicomponent intervention to improve physical literacy in primary schools

ABSTRACT

Background: Health organisations such as the United Nations continue to place an expectation on school physical education (PE) programmes and wider school strategies to ensure students develop physical literacy and receive the well-established benefits of meeting physical activity guidelines. Barriers to meet this expectation such as lack of trained PE teachers, lack of time and greater emphasis on academic achievement are ongoing challenges to schools. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the multi-component Physical Education Physical Literacy (PEPL) intervention, designed to improve students’ fundamental movement skill, perceived physical abilities and level of physical activity.

Method: A qualified PE teacher implemented the PEPL intervention across seven schools, and another seven schools formed a control group as part of a randomised cluster-based trial. Grade 5 students (N?=?318, age 10.4 years?±?SD 0.4) completed assessments of physical activity, fundamental movement skill, attitudes towards PE, and self-perceptions of physical abilities before and after a 33-week intervention. Intervention effects were examined using general linear mixed models. Post-intervention focus groups with students were used to develop insights into experiences and outcomes.

Results: With no significant gender interactions, the PEPL approach led to enhanced object control skills (β?=?1.62; SE?=?0.61; p?=?0.008), with little evidence of any other fundamental movement skill improvements in excess of those in the control group. There was also modest evidence for an effect on accelerometer measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during school time (β?=?4.50; SE?=?2.39; p?=?0.058), but this was not accompanied by any significant intervention effect over the entire week. Questionnaires indicated students in the PEPL programme became less satisfied with their own sporting ability (β?=??0.20; SE?=?0.08; p?=?0.013) but qualitative data analyses suggested that they enjoyed the PEPL approach experience, becoming more motivated and confident in their physical abilities.

Conclusions: Evidence of enhanced object control skill, increased confidence and motivation to be physically active, and moderate evidence of more MVPA during school time, indicate that the introduction of the PEPL approach contributed to the development of student physical literacy. A decrease in perceived sporting competence warrants greater attention on student’s self-perceptions in future iterations of the intervention.

Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12615000066583.     

上海市部分中学体育教学中学生的成就取向

对中学生成就取向的现状进行了深入分析，研究结果表明：上海市中学生体育课成就取向以任务定向为主，对体育课的积极情绪体验远高于消极情绪体验；高中学生的体育课成就动机和积极情绪体验与初中学生相比均呈下降趋势；中学生体育课任务定向水平和体育课积极情绪体验水平与课余体育锻炼频率呈正相关关系。有一半以上中学生的体育课任务定向水平和体育课积极情绪体验水平尚不足以对他们的体育锻炼行为产生足够的激活力量；经常参加课余体育活动，尤其是课余体育锻炼，可提高运动技能水平，加强学生与体育教师的交流和相互了解，有利于体育课任务定向水平和体育课积极情绪体验水平的提高，     

1954–55 Representative Assembly

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of six motivating conditions on the performances of sixth-grade children on seven physical fitness tests. Data were obtained from three administrations of the seven tests, the final two of which were conducted with the subjects of the experimental groups performing under one of six motivating conditions. Two of the motivating conditions were found to be more effective than the other four, and motivation improved boys' performances more than girl's performances. The validity of the measures of physical fitness tests is dependent upon the motivating conditions under which the tests are administered.     

Associations Among Physical Education,Activity-Related Healthy Lifestyle Practices,and Cardiorespiratory Fitness of Chinese Youth

Purpose: Physical education (PE) in school provides opportunities for physical activity (PA) engagement and reportedly results in improved health-related fitness. This study explored the underlying correlations between PE and activity-related healthy lifestyle practices with current level of cardiorespiratory fitness. Methods: A total of 13,138 students age 14 (boys = 7,094, 54.0%) in Grade 8 from the China National Assessment of Educational Quality - Physical Education & Health 2015 were included in this study. Two independent structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were conducted to obtained sex-specific results. Data included the results of the 15-m progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER) and questionnaire data regarding PE curriculum implementation, learning and practice, perceived support from PE teachers, PE facilities, PE equipment, activity-related healthy lifestyle practices, habitual physical fitness, appropriate method of physical fitness, and breakfast eating habits. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the associations between variables, controlling for socioeconomic status, the location of schools, and Body Mass Index. Results: There was a statistically significant relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and activity-related healthy lifestyle practices, which was somewhat positively impacted by skill learning and practice and perceived support from PE teachers. Together, the boy’s model explained 21.8% of the variance in cardiorespiratory fitness, whereas the girl’s model explained 15.9%. Conclusions: A well-organized PE program is related to students’ activity-related healthy lifestyle practices, and consequently provides an improvement to cardiorespiratory fitness.     

Situational interest in physical education: a function of learning task design

Situational interest is the appealing effect of unique characteristics students recognize in a learning task during interaction with the task. It occurs when a learning task gives the learner a sense of novelty and challenge, demands high attention and exploration intention, and generates instant enjoyment during the person-task interaction. In this study, a repeated measure research design was used to examine the effects of task design on situational interest and the extent to which the effects were mediated by gender, grade, personal interest, and skill levels. Middle school students (N = 242) evaluated situational interest of four learning tasks with different cognitive and physical demands after having experienced the tasks in their physical education classes. Analyzed data showed that cognitive demand of a learning task played a critical role in generating situational interest. Grade levels, gender, and personal interest mediated the effects of task design on situational interest. But these mediation effects seemed rather limited. Physical skill levels had little influence on the effects of task design on situational interest. The findings seem to suggest that to enhance interestingness of a physical activity task, an option for physical educators may be to increase cognitive demand rather than reduce physical demand.     

体育专业学生跨栏跑学习中心理疲劳致因及对策

综述了影响跨栏跑学习心理疲劳的主要因素：教师教学内容的设计和组织实施欠缺、教学方法和手段的运用单一、教师的教学技能和教学艺术修养欠佳;学生自身身体条件和身体素质水平的限制、学习动机不强;跨栏项目的难度特点等。并由此提出防治的策略和措施,旨在减轻或消除学习中的心理疲劳,提高学习效果。     

Student Characteristics Mediating Engagement-Outcome Relationships in Physical Education

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships among student achievement, student engagement, and the selected student characteristics of initial skill, previous experience, and sex.

Students (n = 45 after attrition) were pretested, received instruction, and were posttested on the breaststroke. The four instructional periods were videotaped. Videotapes were coded for the amount of time students spent in motor engagement, cognitive engagement, and three nonengaged categories.

When all students were grouped together, no engagement variable was a significant predictor of residualized achievement. However, when the analysis was performed for students divided by gender, previous experience, and three levels of initial skill, significant relationships were found. Motor engagement did not predict achievement for the subgroup classifications. Cognitive engagement had a negative relationship with residualized posttest scores for two subpopulation groups. All engaged lime had both positive and negative part correlations with achievement.     

An experimental,video-based investigation into the motivating impact of choice and positive feedback among students with different motor competence levels

ABSTRACT

Background: Research stemming from Self-Determination Theory (SDT) shows that physical education (PE) teachers who endorse an autonomy-supportive and structuring motivating style positively affect students’ motivation, engagement and learning. Choice provision and positive feedback are two concrete strategies that are part of an autonomy-supportive and structuring style, respectively. While the benefits of choice provision and positive feedback have been shown in contexts other than PE, evidence in the specific context of PE is much scarcer. Grounded in SDT and relying on experimental design, the present study sought to examine the effects of choice provision and positive feedback on students’ motivational experiences in PE, and whether these effects were moderated by students’ actual motor competence (AMC).

Method: A sample of 277 students (41% boys, Mage?=?12.78 years) was randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions (2?×?2 design). Prior to the experimental manipulation, participants’ AMC was measured with the Test of Gross Motor Development second edition. Participants then watched a videotaped PE lesson, in which the provision of choice (choice – no choice) and type of feedback (corrective feedback – positive and corrective feedback) were manipulated. Participants were asked to imagine how they would feel being a student in the displayed lessons. After watching the video, they completed validated questionnaires on their (1) anticipated need satisfaction and frustration and (2) autonomous and controlled motivation. MANOVAs were conducted to investigate the differences between the experimental groups in terms of anticipated need satisfaction, need frustration and motivation. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the potential moderating role of AMC.

Findings and conclusions: The benefits of choice provision were clearly shown with students in the choice condition anticipating significantly more autonomy, competence and relatedness satisfaction and autonomous motivation, while they anticipated significantly less autonomy and relatedness frustration when compared to students in the no choice condition. Similarly, the addition of positive feedback to corrective feedback yielded clear benefits, with lower averages in anticipated need frustration found among students who watched the videos in which positive feedback was added to corrective feedback. No support was provided for a synergetic motivational effect between choice and positive feedback. Overall, the present findings show the importance of offering choice and providing positive feedback to motivate students in PE, with positive effects being present for all students independent of their initial AMC levels. Although few interaction effects were found, lowly motor competent students benefited even more from receiving positive feedback than highly motor competent students. The findings of this study are important to take into account in PE teacher education programs and professional training programs for PE teachers about how to teach in a (more) motivating way.     

不同年龄性别学生健身运动参与动机的探讨

健身运动是促进人类健康的有效途径。通过采用文献资料、问卷调查等方法,以青少年学生为研究对象,调查学生对健身运动的认知、爱好以及参与程度,分析社会因素和心理中介与学生健身运动参与动机之间的关系,对青少年学生健身运动参与动机进行深一层次的探讨,旨在为学校体育教学提供理论参考依据。     

内隐学习模式在排球选修课教学中的实验研究

采用实验研究、文献资料和数理统计的方法等，对内隐学习模式进行了理解和分析，并对排球教学中运用内隐学习模式进行探讨和研究，结果表明：排球教学中采用内隐学习，更有利于绝大多数学生身体素质的提高、运动技能的掌握、体育能力和创造力的培养以及学习动机的激发，建议在排球教学中广泛采用内隐学习模式。     

China National Assessment of Education Quality - Physical Education & Health (CNAEQ-PEH) 2015: An Introduction

Purpose: To summarize the framework and development procedure of the China National Assessment of Education Quality - Physical Education & Health in 2015 (CNAEQ-PEH 2015), an authoritative and evidence-based national surveillance protocol developed by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China for Grade 4 and Grade 8 students. Methods: The framework of CNAEQ-PEH 2015 included a test battery of physical fitness and health outcomes and self-reported questionnaires regarding facilitators and barriers to physical fitness and health in school settings and family status, completed by students, teachers, and principals. A qualified, standardized, and responsible work procedure was generated to provide insights into the quality of data collection and supervision of large-scale school-based physical fitness testing implementation. Measure development, stratified unequal probability sampling, and implementation were included in the working procedure. Results: In the first circle of the CNAEQ-PEH conducted on June 18, 2015, 111,173 Grade 4 students from 4,015 elementary schools and 72,243 Grade 8 students from 2,461 middle schools, along with their principals (n = 6,447) and physical education (PE) teachers (n = 11,418), were sampled by probability proportionate to size (PPS) across 323 counties in China. Results provided detailed information regarding students’ physical fitness outcomes, learning, lifestyle, and educational environment. Conclusions: CNAEQ-PEH 2015 is a large-scale assessment of physical fitness and health outcomes. It helps provide opportunities to understand the physical fitness and health status of Chinese Grade 4 and 8 students and to study the correlations of physical fitness and health, as well as their relationship with education-related indicators and academic performance.     

长拳与太极拳同步教学法的应用研究

通过实验和文献资料法，对传统太极拳、长拳的教学方法和太极拳与长拳的同步教学方法进行比较研究，发现太极拳与长拳的同步教学不仅能提高高校武术课上太极拳和长拳的教学效果，增强学生的体质，激发学生学习的兴趣和积极性，活跃课堂气氛，而且附和人体运动的一般规律，是一种值得研究和采用的武术教学方法。     

高校公体课“课内外一体化”教学模式构建

在＂以人为本＂、＂健康第一＂、＂终身体育＂的教育方针指导下,对高校体育的课程目标、课程内容与学习评价等方面进行课程改革创新,构建＂以课堂教学为中心,以课外体育锻炼、课余体育训练为拓展和延伸＂的＂课内外一体化＂体育课程教学模式。通过淡化竞技教学内容,优化课程结构;注重体育课程的实效性,学生个体的差异性、学习的自主性;突出学生终身体育健身兴趣、能力和习惯的培养。达到增强学生体质,提高教育质量之目的,促进体育课程目标的落实与实现。