ECSS Paris 2023: CP-SH09
This study presents preliminary findings of the “Co-Designing Learning Environments from a Bio-Psycho-Social Perspective”, a project aimed to identification of teachers’ needs and Co-Construction of an Instructional and Digital Design Model” and to implement effective and meaningful learning environment in primary school according to non-linear pedagogy principles. Considering the new professional profile of primary school Physical Education teachers in Italy, the project aims to foster co-planning competencies between both the generalist and PE teachers, and promote the body’s mediating function in learning processes through the development of web app demo. The project’s main goals are defined as follows: • promote innovation in education enhancing the embodied dimension of learning; • improve teaching practices by identifying real criticalities/threats and strengths/opportunities that affect the implementation of co-education processes and the design of innovative learning environments; • set a co-construction process for educational design tools; • develop a platform Web App for the co-educational design model that meets the needs identified by research and training. This preliminary study involves 230 (primary school teachers aged 30-60 years mainly from Southern Italy. Teachers were asked to complete a self-constructed survey about co-planning behaviors, focusing on the following areas: teacher’s training and years of service, self-perceived co-planning competence, individual co-planning and co-design behaviors in school setting. One of the main problems that emerged was the lack of collaboration between teachers and other professionals for co-educational planning. This was identified as one of the main obstacles to realizing effective educational pathways. The most commonly reported difficulties concern the planning of multidisciplinary objectives and the personalization of learning according to students needs. This suggests that teachers require more effective tools and methodologies to address these challenges. Despite the strong interest in innovative methodologies and strategies, the responses indicate that the integration of technologies in teaching is still uneven. Some teachers report difficulties in selecting appropriate assessment and testing tools. Many participants feel that opportunities for professional development are limited, a factor that may adversely affect their ability to innovate and collaborate effectively. The majority expressed a strong interest in tools that facilitate the co-design and sharing of teaching strategies and assessment tools. This suggests that a web app demo with these functionalities could meet the prioritized needs.
Read CV Domenico MonacisECSS Paris 2023: CP-SH09
The guide discussed in this study is a specific method for the competitions with visually impaired athletes in Paralympics, in which the guides directly assist athletes to run by holding a guide rope with the athlete, so as to ensure their smooth participation of the competitions. Yabe (2004) states that "a rope is a means to remove the barrier between people with impairments and those without, and can be a bond as a symbol of inclusion". It could be therefore considered that guide running may have an underlying concept of leading to help to build an inclusive society. This study aimed to understand from the study-notes of the students what they have learnt through the guide running practice. In order to conduct that, the junior high schools whose education curriculum includes the “guide running practice”, (three hours of “Physical Education Theory" and six hours of "Track and Field - Short Distance Running") were selected for this study. Also, based on the descriptions by the students, presenting ways of potential management of their future classes became another purpose of this study. The subjects were 10 junior high school students who had permission to participate in this study from their teachers. It was inferred that, through this study with guide running, the students recognised the factors such as "mutual understanding," "cooperative relationships," and "empathy". Besides, they were also aware of having a wider view for “inclusive perspective”, “value of sports” and “sports culture” according to the hints by their teachers such as “adjusting the rules to the situations”, “regardless of whether people have an impairment or not” and so on. Also, it was inferred that "learning content" on the education curriculum for this study may have given the students the perspective which is necessary to seek the inclusive society such as “importance of communication”, ”building relationship” and “multiple way of involvements”. From the above, learning through guide running has created an understanding, which may also be common with the idea of adapted sports, of what kind of considerations would be required in order to allow every single person to participate in sports. At the same time, the students as subjects of this study, were given the opportunity to have a perception of inclusivity, which is free from gender bias, having disabilities or not, age and racial difference etc. To practice guide running, it is necessary to hold a rope, called a “tether”, tightly to synchronise the movement of running. This restricted arrangement where free movement is limited, could probably trigger students to have a proactive attitude and to consider the importance of communications and relationship-building. Furthermore, the combination of physical education theory and the experience of learning guide running was effective in terms of the class management. Yabe, K. et al (2004) Science of Adapted Sport. Ichimura: Tokyo, Japan.
Read CV Katsuyuki KONDOECSS Paris 2023: CP-SH09
This study aimed to investigate the effects of constant interventions incorporating play experiences that include throwing motions－activities rarely encountered in everyday play－on throwing techniques, abilities, and movement diversity during free play among preschool children. The participants were 21 children (11 boys and 10 girls) enrolled in a preschool class for 5-year-olds. The intervention consisted of a cycle combining a one-week intervention period conducted twice weekly with a subsequent two-week period without intervention. This cycle was repeated three times consecutively. Movement diversity during free play was observed in the preschool yard for approximately one hour twice a week throughout the study period. These sessions were recorded using two video cameras placed on a terrace of second floor. The number of different movements and their frequencies were analyzed. To assess throwing performance, participants performed maximum-effort overhand throws both before the intervention and after each cycle’s post-intervention period. Throwing motions were captured using motion sensors attached to eight points on the body (pelvis, lower spine, upper spine, upper arms [right or left], forearms, and hand [right or left]) and recorded from the side with a high-speed camera. The diversity of movements and their frequencies (sex × movements system × period) were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA to compare mean differences. Throwing distance and specific measurements of throwing motions were evaluated using two-way ANOVA (sex × measurement point). A significance level of 5% was applied to all analyses. The intervention resulted in: 1) an increase in both the variety and the frequency of ball-manipulative movements, including throwing motions, during free play for both boys and girls; 2) improved overhand throwing ability in both boys and girls; 3) increased ball release speed for both boys and girls; 4) enhanced movement speed of the lower spine, upper arms, and forearms during throwing motions in boys; and 5) improved movement speed of the upper arms, forearms, and hands during throwing motions in girls. However, when the intervention involved group play with a single ball, it did not lead to an increase in individual throwing frequency. In conclusion, constant interventions that incorporate throwing experiences－rarely encountered in typical play－led to an increase in both the variety and frequency of ball-manipulative movements during free play for both boys and girls. Additionally, it improved lower back and arm movement speed during throwing in boys, arm movement speed in girls, and overall overhand throwing ability.
Read CV Mayu IidaECSS Paris 2023: CP-SH09