Teaching Social Skills in Physical Education: A Self-Management Package Intervention

Abstract

Self-management (SM) interventions in which students manage their own behaviors are well documented as effective and socially and ecologically valid strategies for enhancing students’ social skills in the classroom. Despite the strong empirical support for SM interventions in general and special education settings, only a few SM studies have been conducted in physical education settings. In this study, we used a multiple baseline design across behaviors to examine the effects of a self-management intervention package implemented within a second-grade physical education class on three social skills of four participants: (a) cooperation, (b) impulsivity, and (c) persistence. We also collected data on (a) a physical education task referred to as correct lags and (b) on-task behavior. Results suggest a functional relation between the SM package intervention and the students’ social skills.