Cognitive Engagement and Knowledge Achievement in Physical Education: Integrating the Nature of Learning Tasks

• In Event: 14.044 - Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: 14.044-15 - Diverse Approaches to Achievement, Learning, and Understanding in Physical Education

Abstract

Learning scientific knowledge about physical activity is necessary for students to become physically literate for life. Cognitive engagement and levels of knowledge tasks are two components that determine knowledge learning effectiveness with physical tasks. This study examined relationship between students’ engagement in different levels of learning tasks and knowledge achievement. Students’ performance on descriptive, relational, and reasoning tasks and knowledge gain were measured in 992 middle school students. Path analysis revealed that students’ performance on high-order cognitive tasks (reasoning) directly contributed to their knowledge achievement. Although students’ performance on low-order cognitive tasks (descriptive) did not directly contribute to knowledge achievement, it did contribute to performance on high-order cognitive tasks and consequently to their understanding of science about physical activity.

Authors

• Yubing Wang, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Ang Chen, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Ray Schweighardt, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Tan Zhang, Arkansas State University

• Elizabeth Stoffa, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Stephanie Wells

• Catherine D. Ennis, University of North Carolina - Greensboro