Background/Purpose
Conceptually, physical education is based on a three-pillar framework: cognitive knowledge, psychomotor ability, and affective character. In addition, recent curriculum innovations have placed an emphasis on learning health-related knowledge and skills associated with physical education. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which reflective journal use in physically active lessons helped elementary school students learn essential flexibility and nutrition concepts in a 10-lesson fitness education unit (NASPE St. 2).
Method
Students in fifth (n = 576) grade from 12 randomly selected urban elementary schools from a large school district answered 34 items structured in 10 lessons (2-8 items/lesson) while learning flexibility and nutrition concepts through moderate/vigorous physical activity tasks. The students' mastery of journal concepts was determined using structured rubrics validated using a consensus-establishment validation process among four researchers. Students' knowledge acquisition was measured on a standardized flexibility/nutrition knowledge test prior to and after the 10-lesson unit.
Analysis/Results
Stepwise multiple regression with knowledge test scores as the dependent variable and reflective journal question scores as the predictors indicated that in-class journal assignments accounted for a moderate portion of variance in learning (R2 = .23, p < .05).
Conclusions
Findings suggest that students' achievement in studying concepts in the journal, while engaged in physical tasks, contributed to their achievement on the standardized test. From an educational standpoint, these findings verified the principle that writing intensive learning activities in physical education may be necessary for students to learn and effectively master vital cognitive knowledge about health-related fitness concepts.