ECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH22
Introduction: Schools are an important setting for promoting health and physical activity in adolescents. Integrating digital media into physical education may support reflection, self monitoring and individualized learning processes and thereby contribute to the development of physical activity related health competence. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a digitally supported physical education unit implemented under real school conditions. Methods: A school based cluster randomized intervention study with a pre post design was conducted (N = 222 students, mean age 16.8 years). Three groups were compared: (1) digitally enriched physical education using tablets, apps, wearables and video feedback, (2) an analogue but content equivalent teaching unit, and (3) regular physical education. The intervention consisted of a 90 minute endurance focused lesson integrated into regular classes. Physical activity related health competence was operationalized as control competence and assessed before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using mixed ANOVA. Results: A significant time by group interaction was found (p < .001). Both the digital intervention group and the analogue comparison group showed significant improvements in health competence (both p < .001; d approx. 0.45-0.46), whereas no comparable change occurred in regular physical education. Students with low baseline levels benefited particularly strongly. In this subgroup, the digitally supported condition showed large effects (d = 1.36). Discussion: Structured physical education units that integrate reflection and feedback elements can strengthen health related competences in adolescents. Digital media appear to support individualized engagement and may be particularly beneficial for students with lower initial competence levels. Implemented within regular school practice, digitally supported teaching approaches can contribute to health promotion in youth populations. References Sudeck, G. & Pfeifer, K. (2016). Physical activity related health competence as an integrative objective in exercise therapy and health sports: conception and validation of a short questionnaire. Sportwissenschaft, 46:214-226.
Read CV Carolin Katharina KnokeECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH22
Improving student engagement and learning quality in secondary physical education (PE) remains a persistent challenge, particularly in skill-based individual sports such as table tennis. In response, hybrid pedagogical designs that integrate game-based approaches with digital learning environments have been increasingly advocated. However, empirical research exploring students’ lived experiences of such hybrid models in authentic school contexts remains limited. This pilot study explored high school girls’ perceptions of a Blended Learning–Step Game Approach (BL–SGA) compared with a Step-Game Approach (SGA) alone during a 10-week table tennis unit. Participants were 65 twelfth-grade girls from a public girls’ high school in eastern Taiwan, assigned to either a BL–SGA group (n = 33) or an SGA group (n = 32) through intact class allocation. Both groups followed a Step-Game curriculum featuring progressive modified games, role rotation, and formal competition phases. The BL–SGA group additionally engaged in a flipped-classroom design, including short online video modules, formative quizzes, and guided pre-class preparation. A qualitative, phenomenological approach was adopted to capture students’ experiences through written reflections, instructor diaries, and semi-structured focus group interviews conducted across key instructional phases. Thematic analysis revealed four interrelated experiential dimensions: learning motivation, enjoyment and engagement, social interaction, and perceived skill development. Students in both groups reported heightened motivation and enjoyment during structured game challenges and competition phases, particularly when role-based participation fostered purpose and peer accountability. BL–SGA participants highlighted the value of self-paced video learning in supporting preparation, confidence, and tactical understanding, while SGA participants emphasized in-class social interaction as a primary motivational source. Across both groups, perceived skill development was closely linked to opportunities for repeated practice and contextualized gameplay. However, students also reported diminished motivation, enjoyment, and social engagement during a short-term transition to fully online instruction, underscoring the importance of embodied interaction in PE. These findings suggest that integrating blended learning into a game-based pedagogical framework is feasible and meaningful from students’ perspectives, provided that digital components complement rather than replace in-person, socially interactive learning. As a pilot study, this research offers exploratory insights into the pedagogical affordances and constraints of hybrid instruction in girls’ secondary PE and informs the design of future large-scale and mixed-method investigations.
Read CV Chia-Yu LinECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH22
With the advancement of digital campuses, AI sports attendance systems have been integrated into the physical education evaluation systems of Chinese universities. While these systems encourage students to exercise and set a minimum required frequency, the negative impact of "rigid monitoring" driven by algorithms needs to be examined. Based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study explores how AI attendance systems affect students' exercise motivation and sense of psychological fairness. We conducted a random survey and in-depth interviews with 500 university students who use AI attendance system. The study tests three main issues: 1) whether the system weakens students' sense of competence and autonomy; 2) whether evaluation mechanisms that rely too much on physical data (such as GPS tracks and movement frequency) cause a sense of unfairness; and 3) whether algorithmic errors and the lack of appeal ways lead to student resentment. This research aims to build a human-machine collaborative evaluation model. We suggest introducing explainable algorithms to increase transparency and increasing the weight of human evaluation for subjective effort. These steps will help physical education return to its core goal of inspiring lifelong exercise motivation.
Read CV Jiaxin LiECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH22