Game-play development according to the context of practice and students’ sex and skill level: an action-research study in two invasion-games sport education seasons

Abstract

This study conducted an examination of students’ game-play development (performance and involvement) in two invasion sport-based games (handball; football) and contexts of practice (competition and team practice) according to sex and skill. A between-group comparative analysis was also conducted to examine differences in the impact of the Sport Education (SE) program on students’ game-play development while taking into account the total time of participation along the units in the game form in which students were evaluated. A quasi-experimental pre/post-test approach combined with an action-research methodology was used. One entire seventh-grade class of 10 girls and 16 boys (Mage 12.3 ± 1.3) participated in two consecutives SE seasons: handball (8 lessons = 12x45-min) and football (9 lessons = 14x45-min). Game-play performance (Performance Index) and game-play involvement (Rate of Play) were assessed in the competition and team practice context for pre-test and post-test, in both sport-based games (handball and football). Paired samples T-Test were conducted as a within-groups analysis in each season and context of practice according to sex and skill. T-Test analysis and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to analyze differences between groups. The results suggested that student participation in SE facilitates game-play development in the various groups. Nonetheless, although there was a relatively equitable performance development and participation in games for sex and skill-ability, there was a slight benefit for boys and higher-skilled students. The study showed that students’ game-play development was dependent on the context of participation. The competition context may be generally more favorable, particularly if teachers include strategies for promoting democratic, positive, and safe learning environments.