High school students’ experiences and perspectives of group processing in Physical Education classes

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Instructional Innovation and Learner Outcomes in PE/PETE

Abstract

This study investigated high school students’ experiences and perspectives about Group
Processing (GP) as a pedagogical strategy in physical education (PE). Guided by Dewey’s work,
this case study involved 42 high school students and drew on data from observations, interviews,
and reflective analyses. Using Braun and Clarke’s (2021) Thematic Analysis, four themes were
generated : A good way to share, Smaller groups can be more comfortable, A reflection on what
we did and what we want to do, and Challenges and room for improvement. Students shared that
GP fostered respectful dialogue, self-expression, and reflective learning, while also noting
challenges such as the length of GP sessions and group dynamics. This research highlights the
potential for GP to support student-centered learning.

Authors

• Ben Dyson, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Yongjin Lee, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Lars Bjørke, Inland Norway University

• Seunghyun Baek, SUNY - College at Cortland

• Judy A. Fowler, University of North Carolina - Greensboro