COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION INCREASES SELF-ESTEEM IN FOURTH GRADERS

Abstract

Accepting heterogeneity as an opportunity for social and knowledge learning and not just perceiving it as a burden is a major task for current school systems and consequently also for teachers. One possibility of successfully dealing with heterogeneity is cooperative learning. Due to its prosocial characteristics, physical education (PE) is particularly suitable for the use of cooperative forms of learning and teaching. Cooperative learning is able to fulfill the double task of PE by promoting the development of personality and enabling the development of current movement and sports culture. However, there are still only a few studies examining the positive effects of cooperative learning in PE classes on personality development and the psychosocial health of school children. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of cooperative learning in PE classes on the self-esteem of fourth-graders in comparison to traditional forms of learning. A total of 127 girls and boys took part in the study (66 intervention group, 61 control group, 60% male). The mean age of the total sample at the beginning of the study was 10.2 ± 1.4 years. The intervention group received PE according to the curriculum, which was carried out through cooperative forms of learning, e.g. cooperative games. The control group received no cooperative learning intervention. There were no group differences with regard to age, sex or number of participants at the beginning of the study. Statistical analysis revealed significant time-by-group differences resulting in self-reported general athleticism (p<.001), attractiveness (p=.015), agility (p=.014), strength (p<.001), coordination (p<.001) and overall self-esteem (p<.001) with a significantly greater improvement within the intervention group. Overall, this research was able to show the positive effects of cooperative learning in PE lessons on the self-esteem of fourth-graders. Cooperative learning in PE requires appropriate qualification offers for future teachers in order to expand their repertoire of methods for this learning structure. The new understanding of teaching aims to help students actively experience their own knowledge and skills during cooperation with classmates.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0963/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>