Effective Physical Education Distance Learning Models during the Covid-19 Epidemic

• Published in: CEPS journal Vol. 11; no. Sp.Issue; pp. 1 - 18
• Main Authors: Petrušič, Tanja, Štemberger, Vesna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ljubljana University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education 15-10-2021; University of Ljubljana
• Subjects: Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Distance Education; Distance learning; Educational Environment; effectiveness; Flipped Classroom; Foreign Countries; Instructional Effectiveness; Middle School Students; online teaching; Pandemics; Physical Education; Teaching; Teaching Methods; teaching models; Videoconferencing; Web Based Instruction; Slovenia
• ISSN: 1855-9719; 2232-2647
• DOI: 10.26529/cepsj.1118

The Covid-19 epidemic has had a strong impact on the implementation of the entire educational process due to the closure of public life and schools. Physical education (PE) teachers were faced with the challenge of conveying at a distance the learning content that they would otherwise teach in the sports hall. Our research aimed to determine which PE distance learning models proved to be the most effective during the epidemic, resulting in a high level of pupils’ activity despite participation from home. In the process of data collection, we included 33 PE distance learning lessons at the lower secondary level, where six pupils (3 girls and 3 boys) wore accelerometers in each lesson (n = 198 pupils). The results showed that the most effective model was the flipped learning teaching model, where pupils were given an overview in advance of the different forms of teacher video recordings. Then they also actively participated with their ideas in the performance of the online lesson. A statistically significantly less efficient version of the flipped learning teaching model had prepared interactive assignments and games. This was followed by a combination of online frontal teaching with station work and frontal teaching. The least effective was independent work carried out by the pupils according to the instructions prepared by the teacher. Although the two flipped learning teaching models were the most effective in terms of exercise intensity, it is very difficult to implement them in practice because they require too much teacher time.