Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Phd student of Motor behavior Physical Education & Sport Sciences Faculty, University of urmia, Iran
2
Professor, Department of Motor Behavior and sport management, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
Abstract
Background and Purpose
Contemporary trends in education reflect a shift toward more participatory and effective teaching methodologies aimed at enhancing student engagement and improving learning outcomes. Within motor learning, the nonlinear constraint-led approach (CLA) has been proposed as a superior alternative to traditional teaching methods for fostering fundamental skill development in students. Rooted in dynamic systems theory and ecological psychology, this framework conceptualizes the learner as a nonlinear dynamic motor system.
Concurrently, since the late 1970s, the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGFU) model emerged as a response to growing dissatisfaction with conventional technical approaches. Developed during the 1980s, TGFU represents a learner-centric alternative designed to facilitate game-based learning in physical education. Alongside these nonlinear methods, play serves as a crucial educational and psychological modality. Researchers emphasize play as a potent vehicle for lifelong skill acquisition, significantly contributing to the enhancement of cognitive and social capacities within educational settings.
Vygotsky’s theory reinforces the inseparability of cognitive and social abilities, highlighting their interdependence in human development. Cognitive abilities encompass innate neurological capacities responsible for executing both simple and complex tasks. Social abilities, conversely, are foundational tools enabling communication, learning, social bonding, and the formation of healthy relationships—essential competencies fostering children’s early development.
A fundamental objective of schooling is to facilitate optimal learning for every student, necessitating tailored support aligned with their abilities, interests, and motivations. Despite the evident advantages of CLA and TGFU, no singular approach sufficiently addresses the breadth of educational content or contexts encountered, leading to advocacy for hybridized methodologies that integrate critical elements from both. In this context, the current study investigates whether a hybrid approach combining native-local games with CLA and TGFU methods positively influences fifth-grade students’ cognitive and social abilities.
Methods
This semi-experimental field study utilized a pre-test/post-test design. The population comprised all fifth-grade students in Tabriz city, with a purposive sample of 55 girls aged 10 to 11 years (mean 10.78 ± 0.93) randomly assigned to one of four groups: CLA (n=14), TGFU (n=14), a hybrid CLA/TGFU group (n=13), and a traditional instruction group (n=14). Inclusion criteria mandated physical and mental health, written parental consent, and no prior exposure to nonlinear pedagogies or native-local games within physical education classes. Participants unable to engage fully or those with injuries as certified by physical education teachers were excluded.
Four physical education teachers, each with 10 to 20 years of elementary teaching experience, administered the interventions. Three instructors taught CLA, TGFU, and the hybrid program respectively through local games, while the fourth conducted traditional instruction. The program spanned 12 weeks, with three 60-minute sessions per week aligned with each group’s designated pedagogical framework.
Cognitive and social abilities were assessed utilizing the Caglab software and the Social-Emotional and Resilience Scale, respectively.
Nonlinear approaches incorporated the following characteristics:
A student-centered environment facilitating learner exploration and problem-solving.
Manipulation of constraints across task, environmental, and individual domains, such as varying equipment and play area dimensions to tailor challenges for individual skill acquisition.
Traditional instruction was characterized by:
A teacher-centered model emphasizing direct instruction.
Comparison of student progress among peers.
Repetitive practice of predetermined skills with fixed exercise tempos.
Rigid adherence to game structure and rules.
Results
Mixed-design ANOVA revealed significant improvements in both cognitive and social abilities in the hybrid group from pre-test to post-test. Analysis suggested that the hybrid program accounted for approximately 66% of the variance in cognitive ability improvement and 75% in social ability enhancement. Conversely, the traditional instruction group exhibited no significant changes in these domains.
Conclusion
Findings indicate that combining the constraint-led approach with Teaching Games for Understanding substantially enhances children’s cognitive and social capabilities simultaneously. These results underscore the imperative to equip physical education teachers with the skills and knowledge to implement hybrid pedagogical approaches effectively. Through mindful facilitation, educators can guide learners to engage reflectively with social interactions and cognitive challenges inherent in gameplay.
Keywords: Traditional Games, Hybrid Approaches, Cognitive Ability, Social Ability, Students
Ethical considerations
The ethical considerations pertain to a research project under the ethical code IR/SSRI.REC.1401.1366, which is derived from the doctoral dissertation of Mina Keshavarz titled "The effectiveness of local-traditional games using constraint-based teaching methods, teaching games for understanding, and game sense on motor skills, knowledge structure, and cognitive and social abilities of children." This research is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Hassan Mohammadzadeh at the Faculty of Physical Education, Urmia University.
Authors’ Contributions
Conceptualization: Hasan Mohammadzade, Mina Keshavarz
Data Collection: Mina Keshavarz
Data Analysis: Hasan Mohammadzade, Mina Keshavarz
Manuscript Writing: Hasan Mohammadzade, Mina Keshavarz
Review and Editing: Hasan Mohammadzade
Funding: Hasan Mohammadzade
Literature Review: Mina Keshavarz
Project Management: Hasan Mohammadzade
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Acknowledgments
The authors sincerely thank all individuals who participated in and supported the implementation of this research.
Background and Purpose
Contemporary trends in education reflect a shift toward more participatory and effective teaching methodologies aimed at enhancing student engagement and improving learning outcomes. Within motor learning, the nonlinear constraint-led approach (CLA) has been proposed as a superior alternative to traditional teaching methods for fostering fundamental skill development in students. Rooted in dynamic systems theory and ecological psychology, this framework conceptualizes the learner as a nonlinear dynamic motor system.
Concurrently, since the late 1970s, the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGFU) model emerged as a response to growing dissatisfaction with conventional technical approaches. Developed during the 1980s, TGFU represents a learner-centric alternative designed to facilitate game-based learning in physical education. Alongside these nonlinear methods, play serves as a crucial educational and psychological modality. Researchers emphasize play as a potent vehicle for lifelong skill acquisition, significantly contributing to the enhancement of cognitive and social capacities within educational settings.
Vygotsky’s theory reinforces the inseparability of cognitive and social abilities, highlighting their interdependence in human development. Cognitive abilities encompass innate neurological capacities responsible for executing both simple and complex tasks. Social abilities, conversely, are foundational tools enabling communication, learning, social bonding, and the formation of healthy relationships—essential competencies fostering children’s early development.
A fundamental objective of schooling is to facilitate optimal learning for every student, necessitating tailored support aligned with their abilities, interests, and motivations. Despite the evident advantages of CLA and TGFU, no singular approach sufficiently addresses the breadth of educational content or contexts encountered, leading to advocacy for hybridized methodologies that integrate critical elements from both. In this context, the current study investigates whether a hybrid approach combining native-local games with CLA and TGFU methods positively influences fifth-grade students’ cognitive and social abilities.
Methods
This semi-experimental field study utilized a pre-test/post-test design. The population comprised all fifth-grade students in Tabriz city, with a purposive sample of 55 girls aged 10 to 11 years (mean 10.78 ± 0.93) randomly assigned to one of four groups: CLA (n=14), TGFU (n=14), a hybrid CLA/TGFU group (n=13), and a traditional instruction group (n=14). Inclusion criteria mandated physical and mental health, written parental consent, and no prior exposure to nonlinear pedagogies or native-local games within physical education classes. Participants unable to engage fully or those with injuries as certified by physical education teachers were excluded.
Four physical education teachers, each with 10 to 20 years of elementary teaching experience, administered the interventions. Three instructors taught CLA, TGFU, and the hybrid program respectively through local games, while the fourth conducted traditional instruction. The program spanned 12 weeks, with three 60-minute sessions per week aligned with each group’s designated pedagogical framework.
Cognitive and social abilities were assessed utilizing the Caglab software and the Social-Emotional and Resilience Scale, respectively.
Nonlinear approaches incorporated the following characteristics:
A student-centered environment facilitating learner exploration and problem-solving.
Manipulation of constraints across task, environmental, and individual domains, such as varying equipment and play area dimensions to tailor challenges for individual skill acquisition.
Traditional instruction was characterized by:
A teacher-centered model emphasizing direct instruction.
Comparison of student progress among peers.
Repetitive practice of predetermined skills with fixed exercise tempos.
Rigid adherence to game structure and rules.
Results
Mixed-design ANOVA revealed significant improvements in both cognitive and social abilities in the hybrid group from pre-test to post-test. Analysis suggested that the hybrid program accounted for approximately 66% of the variance in cognitive ability improvement and 75% in social ability enhancement. Conversely, the traditional instruction group exhibited no significant changes in these domains.
Conclusion
Findings indicate that combining the constraint-led approach with Teaching Games for Understanding substantially enhances children’s cognitive and social capabilities simultaneously. These results underscore the imperative to equip physical education teachers with the skills and knowledge to implement hybrid pedagogical approaches effectively. Through mindful facilitation, educators can guide learners to engage reflectively with social interactions and cognitive challenges inherent in gameplay.
Ethical considerations
The ethical considerations pertain to a research project under the ethical code IR/SSRI.REC.1401.1366, which is derived from the doctoral dissertation of Mina Keshavarz titled "The effectiveness of local-traditional games using constraint-based teaching methods, teaching games for understanding, and game sense on motor skills, knowledge structure, and cognitive and social abilities of children." This research is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Hassan Mohammadzadeh at the Faculty of Physical Education, Urmia University.
Authors’ Contributions
Conceptualization: Hasan Mohammadzade, Mina Keshavarz
Data Collection: Mina Keshavarz
Data Analysis: Hasan Mohammadzade, Mina Keshavarz
Manuscript Writing: Hasan Mohammadzade, Mina Keshavarz
Review and Editing: Hasan Mohammadzade
Funding: Hasan Mohammadzade
Literature Review: Mina Keshavarz
Project Management: Hasan Mohammadzade
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Acknowledgments
The authors sincerely thank all individuals who participated in and supported the implementation of this research.
Keywords
