Date of Award

Fall 2023

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

First Advisor

Ismahan Arslan-Ari

Abstract

Technology integrated, flipped classroom design offers opportunities to engage students on various levels and through meaningful ways. Introducing this learning environment to students at an early age is likely to change their motivation for learning towards physical literacy and influence their lifelong participation in physical activity. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the implementation of a new technology integrated, Flipped Classroom in a physical education class, to increase eighth -grade students’ physical literacy at an international middle school. The following research questions guided this study: (a) How and to what extent does a technology integrated, flipped classroom, physical education unit, enhanced with the STEAM model, impact eighth-grade students’ motivation to learn about physical literacy?, (b) How and to what extent does a technology integrated, flipped classroom, physical education unit, enhanced with the STEAM model, impact eighth-grade students’ physical literacy skills?, and (c) What are eighth-grade students’ perceptions of how a technology blended physical education curriculum, enhanced with the STEAM model, impacted their physical literacy skills? There were 31 eighth-grade students from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, at an international middle school in the Netherlands participating in this action research. In order to address the research questions, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected, including (a) pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, (b) student journals, (c) student interviews, and (d) student observations. Open-ended data from student observations, student interviews, and student journals were analyzed using inductive analysis. The student survey data was analyzed quantitatively, with inferential statistics, a paired samples t-test and descriptive statistics. The paired samples t-test findings demonstrated that there were no significant changes observed during the six-week intervention period to participants’ motivation and physical literacy scores. Contrary to this, the qualitative findings of the flipped classroom design revealed, that the engagement and motivation to learn about physical literacy increased as a result of the intervention. Limitations to the study were presented in the quantitative findings in regards to the amount of time between the pre- and post- intervention questionnaires.

Rights

© 2024, Euan M. S. Frew

Share

COinS