Cooperative learning projects in the primary education teaching degree module of physical education

Abstract

This study is based on the experience of a coordinated interdisciplinary project around the content of acrosport involving three subjects (individual physical activities; competitive and collaborative physical activities; artistic-expressive physical activities) that form a part of the Physical Education module of the Primary Education Teaching Degree at the University of Zaragoza, Spain. There were two objectives: i) To identify significant differences in the grades obtained by the students in the three integrated subjects that comprised the project. ii) To analyze the evaluation and opinions of the students regarding the value of the subjects, the individual work and the acquisition of transversal competences. The study group was made up of 66 students with an average age of 22.9 years. There were 34 men and 32 women. All the participants were studying the Physical Education module of the Primary Education Degree at the Zaragoza University Faculty of Education. The teachers involved with the module designed a rubric to assess the acrobatic gymnastics project. To understand students’ opinions regarding the project, a questionnaire was designed. The results of the grades given to the students by the teachers showed significant differences in the three subjects. The results of the evaluations given by the students were lower for the subject of artistic-expressive physical activities. The students gave very high scores for the evaluation of individual work and the acquisition of transversal competences.