A Case Study of the Perceived Goal about the Acquired Motor Skills and the Effects of the Competition in the Teaching of Physical Education at a Primary School

Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand how results of the acquired motor skill and competition in actual PE teaching changed, by analyzing the learners' perceived class climate and goal orientation. The object of this case study was a lesson of short-distance race, which included both movement skill acquisition and competitive activities, for both 3rd and 4th graders at a primary school. The results were as follows.1. The scores of mastery climate and task orientation remained high and almost unchanged, while the scores of ego orientation significantly decreased and the scores of performance climate showed a downward tendency. It was seemed that maintenance of this high scores of mastery climate and task orientation were influenced by the learners' acquisition of running skill and their deep understanding of running form. On the other hand, the downward tendency of perceived performance climate and ego orientation seemed to have something to do with the fact that they had the opportunities to think about the results of the race.2. As a result of considering influence by direct experience of competition, the children with the high percentage of victories tended to reduce both of the scores of performance climate and the scores of ego orientation after the unit rather than the children with the low percentage of victories. This showed; as a whole, their experience of the race had no direct relation to the perceived goal orientation and class climate, but they did change by thinking of the meaning of the results of the race.3. By investing directly-opposed two cases concerning skill performances and the results of the races and the perceived class climate and goal orientation, it was found that maintenance of this high scores of task orientation was explained by following two factors. Firstly teaching method of children's learning each other caused maintenance of this high score of mastery climate, besides secondly children understood that races brought improvement of children's skill performances through discussing about the meaning of competitions.