Effects of two different physical education teaching approaches on the levels of enjoyment in the Italian primary school students

Abstract

Physical education allows children to develop motor skills, but it has an impact on affective domain too. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of two different teaching approaches on the levels of enjoyment of 9-year-old pupils who attended the fourth grade of the primary school. A pre- post- repost design was used as a mean of a longitudinal study. The participants involved were divided into two groups: Teaching skill group (TS) and Teaching games group (TGM). The TS group followed a protocol using the traditional skill-based approach, while the TGM group followed the Tactical Game Model approach, highlighting tactical problems and awareness. The level of enjoyment was assessed by administering the PACES questionnaire. The results show no statistically significant difference, but it can be seen that the TGM group had a more positive trend in enjoyment levels than the TS group. Furthermore, carrying out an analysis by gender it was seen that the females of the TGM group had increases in the scores on the positive scale in the post intervention. In this respect, the physical education teacher has to account for affective learning outcomes when they identify the teaching methods for their courses.