Significance: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of using the Sport Education curriculum model as a vehicle for promoting fitness in elementary school physical education.
Design: Over a period of five weeks, 25 fifth-grade students completed a 15-lesson season called “Obstacle Course Fitness.” Each week, one day was allocated to direct teacher instruction and guided practice around a particular fitness component (e.g. muscular endurance or cardiovascular endurance). A second day was allocated to team training, where the students worked at various stations with different pieces of fitness equipment; each team was responsible for designing fitness activities without teacher intervention. During this day, one team would be designing and preparing its obstacle course for the upcoming competition. Day 3 was competition day, when the presenting team demonstrated the obstacle course, then officiated completion of the course by the other four teams. Students were tested pre- and post-season using the PACER test of aerobic fitness. Students wore pedometers during lessons as a gauge of active participation.
Results: The means of the students' accumulated laps on the PACER test indicated statistically significant increase, Wilks's λ = .47, F(1, 24) = 26.40, p < .001, ç2 = .52. In addition, the number of students who exceeded the FITNESSGRAM healthy fitness standard increased statistically significantly from 16% at the beginning of the season, to 84% at season's end based on the results of the McNemar test of dependent proportions, p <.001. In addition, in lessons where the students were free to design their own training program during lessons, they accumulated significantly more steps than during lessons in which the teacher controlled the content of the lesson, Wilks's λ = .29, F(1, 24) = 28.41, p < .001, ç2 = .70. In addition to PACER and pedometer scores, qualitative data collection included the teacher-researcher's reflective journal, independent observer's field notes, and weekly dialogues between the two. The qualitative data provided verification of the teaching strategies and documentation that the instruction was true to the Sport Education model; as well as facilitated explanation of the quantitative findings.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that a) a largely student designed fitness obstacle course can result in significant fitness gains, and b) students had significantly more steps on days they self-monitored their practice sessions. Qualitative data describe student-led days as active, high energy involvement as the children enthusiastically acted out ideas and experimented with new obstacle designs.