Boosting Student's Motivation through Gamification in Physical Education.

Students are becoming less motivated towards current education. For this reason, teachers are investigating several innovative methodologies to learn how they affect student motivation, such as gamification. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of gamification on the motivation of elementary physical education students. A total of 72 elementary school students from two different Spanish elementary schools participated (38 boys and 34 girls), separated into a gamified group (n = 35) and a control group (n = 37). Ten gamification sessions were performed using a technological app called ClassDojo. The gamified proposal was based on both a PBL model and an MDA model. A questionnaire, "Motivation Questionnaire in Physical Education" (CMEF-EP) was used to measure the motivation of the students before and after the intervention. An increase was observed in all the variables for the gamified group: intrinsic motivation (p < 0.001), identified regulation (p < 0.001), introjected regulation (p = 0.001), and external regulation (p = 0.002), except for the amotivation (p = 0.120). No changes were observed in the control group. A significant interaction effect over time was seen only for intrinsic motivation for the gamified group versus the control group (F(1) = 5.263; p = 0.025; η2 = 0.070). The results show the efficacy of gamification to increase the motivation of elementary physical education students. However, it does not decrease amotivation. This will enable the subject to contribute to achieving the United Nations' proposed Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is to 'Improve Quality Education'.

Gamification as a Pedagogical Model to Increase Motivation and Decrease Disruptive Behaviour in Physical Education.

The application of gamified learning in physical education is becoming increasingly popular. The aim of this work was to compare the effects of gamification versus traditional methodology to check whether there were differences in the attitudes of the students. A quasi-experimental design study was carried out. The sample consisted of 66 students in Secondary Education. Three questionnaires, POSQ (Perception of Success), BPN (Basic Psychological Needs) and CCDEF (Disruptive Behaviour in Physical Education), were used in both groups before and after carrying out each proposal. Firstly, an independent samples Student's t-test was performed. The results showed significant final differences in all variables except two: competence (p = 0.068) and aggressiveness (p = 0.136). Secondly, a paired samples t-test was performed. In this case, the control group showed a significant decrease in the variables task orientation (p = 0.004) and autonomy (p < 0.001). According to the experimental group, all variables showed significant differences (p < 0.05), except for two, competence (p = 0.223) and aggressiveness (p = 0.056). Therefore, it was concluded that, with the gamified learning, the students expressed higher levels of task orientation, all BPNs and lower levels of disruptive behaviours than the students who were subjected to the traditional methodology. This kind of intervention can help to improve the quality of education as set out in the SDGs through Quality Education.

Integrating Mindfulness into the Subject of Physical Education-An Opportunity for the Development of Students' Mental Health.

Stress, uncertainty, and the abuse of technologies are components that have a negative impact on the physical, social, and psychological health of young people. One of the aims of the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is to empower individuals to reflect on their actions, and mindfulness arises as one tool with an important potential to contribute on this matter. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effects of mindfulness practices on the ability of students to focus their attention on external, internal or kinesthetic factors, awareness in acting, and acceptance. Consequently, a quasi-experimental study was developed to compare groups between the pre and post condition. The study participants were a total of 127 students (52 women) from 4th year of secondary school and 1st year of a achelor's degree (16.5 ± 1.5 years). The sample was assigned by academic convenience, with 54 students in the experimental group and 73 in the control group. The intervention was carried out for 4 weeks. During this period, the experimental group participated in mindfulness activities such as guided meditations at the end of the PE session or challenges that stimulated the student in daily actions. The control group continued with the planned programming in physical education class. These groups were subjected to the following test: (1) Mindfulness for School Scale (MSS) and (2) Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). To analyze the results, the normality of the sample was evaluated through the Mann-Whitney U test, resulting as non-parametric. The search for possible differences between the groups was carried out by using the Wilcoxon test. The statistics showed that the experimental group presented significant improvements (p ≤ 0.05) in most of the measured parameters: external attention, kinesthetics attention, and mean of the CAMM. These results seem to show that the use of mindfulness could be an appropriate tool to be implemented in the school context in order to directly contribute to the mental health of high school students, and thus to an education for the sustainable development.

Effects of Self-Construction of Materials on the Ecological Awareness of Physical Education Primary School Students.

Physical Education (PE) has unique features to expand the students' sustainability awareness. Being active in natural environments has been described as an opportunity to contribute on this matter. However, there is lack of related research. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a didactic proposal for PE based on the self-construction of materials on the ecological awareness of primary school students. A total of 111 students participated in this quasi-experimental study that lasted 4 weeks (eight sessions). The Mann-Whitney U test was applied for comparisons between groups, experimental and control, (SELF vs. CON) on two factors (PRE and POST). No significant differences were observed in any of them (p ≤ 0.05). On the other hand, to compare the data from the pre and post questionnaires within the same group (PRE vs. POST), the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used. No significant differences in any of the groups were observed (p ≤ 0.05). Although SELF improved on some scores such as reusing things after picking up litter from yards, the differences were not significant. This could be explained by the brevity of the intervention. These results could contribute to increasing research on the integration of sustainability in PE.

Concordance Analysis between the Segments and the Overall Performance in Olympic Triathlon in Elite Triathletes.

To date, the performance in triathlon has been measured through time or position. Although this is what defines the medals and the goal of the competition, it can have some limitations. As an alternative, the purpose of this study is to assess the degree of concordance of performance between each of the triathlon disciplines with overall performance through the triathlon performance indicator for the Olympic distance event. The official results from the World Triathlon Series for Olympic distance events from 2000 to 2019 were examined. A total of 11,263 entries were analysed, 6273 corresponding to elite men and 4990 to elite women. Moderate agreement was found between the running performance and overall performance in both elite men ICCa = 0.538 and elite women ICCa = 0.581. Moreover, moderate agreement was found between swimming performance and overall performance in both elite men ICCa = 0.640 and elite women ICCa = 0.613. Finally, good agreement was found between cycling performance and overall performance also in both elite men ICCa = 0.777 and elite women ICCa = 0.816. The main results of the present study show that the cycling performance indicator could be an alternative to anticipate the overall performance in the competition for the Olympic distance event.

Contribution of Segments to Overall Result in Elite Triathletes: Sprint Distance.

As an alternative to analysing the contribution of performance in specific segments of a triathlon to the overall result as measured in terms of time or position, which has several limitations, previous studies have instead analysed the performance indicator in triathlon. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to analyse the relationship between performance in specific segments and overall performance in terms of sprint distance in elite triathletes through the triathlon performance indicator, instead of using time or position. The official sprint distance results from World Triathlon Series elite events from 2012 to 2019 were examined. In total, 2144 entries were considered, 1143 of which were men and 1001 were women. Performance in the cycling segment presents the best concordance with the overall performance for both elite men (ICCa = 0.871, IC95% = (0.711-0.927)) and elite women (ICCa = 0.907, IC95% = (0.875-0.929)). Although the performance in the running segment does not show the best concordance with the overall performance, the position in this segment does better explain the overall position, especially in elite men and in draft-legal races. These results can support coaches and athletes to identify a specific profile of the strengths and weaknesses of triathletes in competitions, in comparison to their rivals, over a specific distance.

Relationship of Limb Lengths and Body Composition to Lifting in Weightlifting.

Weightlifting is a discipline where technique and anthropometric characteristics are essential to achieve the best results in competitions. This study aims to analyse the relationships between body composition, limb length and barbell kinematics in the performance of weightlifters. It consists of an observational and descriptive study of 19 athletes (12 men [28.50 ± 6.37 years old; 84.58 ± 14.11 kg; 176.18 ± 6.85 cm] and 7 women [27.71 ± 6.34 years old; 64.41 ± 7.63 kg; 166.94 ± 4.11 cm]) who met the inclusion criteria. A level I anthropometrist took anthropometric measures according to the methodology of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK), and the measurement of the barbell velocity was made with the software Kinovea. In terms of body composition, both genders are within the percentage range of fat mass recommended for this sport. In female weightlifters, there is a positive correlation between foot length, maximal velocity in the Snatch (ρ = 0.775, p = 0.041), and performance indicator in the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk (ρ = 0.964, p < 0.001; ρ = 0.883, p = 0.008, respectively). In male weightlifters, a positive correlation between tibial length and average velocity of the barbell in the Snatch is observed (ρ = 0.848, p < 0.001). Muscle mass percentage correlates positively with performance indicator in both techniques (ρ = 0.634, p = 0.027; ρ = 0.720, p = 0.008). Also, the relative length of the upper limb is negatively correlated with the performance indicator (ρ = -0.602, p = 0.038). Anthropometry and body composition may facilitate skill acquisition among this sport population, contributing to increase the limited body of scientific knowledge related to weightlifting.

Gamification in Physical Education: Evaluation of Impact on Motivation and Academic Performance within Higher Education.

Gamification is an innovative pedagogical approach to addressing problems related to social behaviour, student motivation and academic performance at different educational stages. Therefore, this research aimed to analyse its impact on the motivations and academic performances of university students. The research was carried out in the training of future teachers specialising in physical education during two academic courses. In total, 127 students participated in the study, divided into a gamified experimental group (n = 62) and a control group (n = 65). The participants completed a questionnaire to assess motivation in physical education before and after the intervention and performed a final exam to assess academic performance. The results indicated an increase in external regulation in the experimental group only. Furthermore, this group achieved significantly better academic performance. The findings of this study suggest that gamified implementation is beneficial for academic performance at the university stage, even though intrinsic motivation does not change. Furthermore, the nature of rewards or punishments, as characteristic of this pedagogical approach, could play an important role in the expected results, since external regulation increased significantly after the intervention.

Perfil antropométrico de jóvenes triatletas y su asociación con variables de rendimiento / Anthropometric profile of young triathletes and their association with variables of performance

La diferente naturaleza de cada disciplina en triatlón dificulta el consenso en relación a los factores antropométricos óptimos para un alto rendimiento global, especialmente en jóvenes. Por eso, el objetivo fue analizar la correlación de los factores cineantropométricos con el rendimiento observado en los diferentes test. Triatletas infantiles y cadetes (44 masculinos y 20 femeninos) fueron sometidos a una medición antropométrica completa, así como a la evaluación del rendimiento (100 my 400 m en natación, potencia crítica en ciclismo y 1.000 m en carrera). Las variables fueron sometidas a una prueba de normalidad (Shapiro-Wilk) y un análisis correlacional (coeficiente de correlación de Spearman). Los resultados muestran que tanto en el test de 100 m como en el de 400 m, las medidas corporales básicas, los diámetros Biacromial y Biileocrestal, así como los perímetros del brazo, muslo y tórax (perímetros sólo en chicas) tienen las correlaciones más altas con el rendimiento. En el test de ciclismo se observa una correlación moderadamente significativa y negativa (p = -0,556) entre el pliegue de la pierna y la potencia crítica relativa sólo en chicas. Finalmente, el test de carrera a pie correlacionó negativamente con el porcentaje de masa grasa en ambos sexos (Chicos: p = -0,323; chicas: p = -0,646). Estos resultados indican que se deberían tener en cuenta, especialmente, la estatura y la envergadura en el rendimiento en natación, así como el tejido graso en el rendimiento de carrera, especialmente en chicas, por aquellos profesionales que intervienen en el proceso de desarrollo y selección de talento en jóvenes triatletas

The different nature of each discipline in triathlon makes consensus difficult for optimal anthropometric factors for a high global performance, especially in young people. The aim was to analyse the correlation of the cineanthropometric factors with the performance observed in the different test. Young triathletes (44 male and 20 female) were subjected to a full anthropo-metric measurement as well as to the performance assessment (100 m and 400 m in swimming, cycling critical power and 1000 m run). Variables were subject to a normal test (Shapiro-Wilk) and correlational analysis (coefficient of Spearman). The results show that both in the 100 m and 400 m test, basic body measures, Biacromial and Biiliocrestal diameters, as well as arm perimeters, thigh and chest (perimeters only in girls) have the highest correlations with performance. The cycling test shows a moderately significant and negative correlation (p = .556) between the leg fold and the relative critical power only in girls. Finally, run correlated negative to the percentage of fat mass in both sexes (boys: p = -.323; girls: p = -.646). Results indicate that arm span and height should be taken into account in swimming performance, as well as the fat tissue in career performance, especially in girls by professionals involved in the development process and selection of talent in young triathletes

Changes in Triathletes' Performance and Body Composition During a Specific Training Period for a Half-Ironman Race.

The number of recreational athletes completing a Half-Ironman triathlon has increased exponentially in recent years. However, there is a lack of research on how to train for this kind of an event. The purpose of this study was thus to analyse triathletes' changes in performance and body composition following a triathlon-specific training period. Fourteen male amateur triathletes completed a 7-week period of general training and a 13-week period of specific training for a Half-Ironman triathlon. Anthropometric measures and performance tests were carried out to assess the effects of the specific training program. Results showed that the pre-test value of VO2max for cycling was inversely correlated not only with the percentage of change in cycling performance, but also with the percentage change in several variables of running performance. In swimming, inverse correlations were observed between the time of the first 800 m test and the time percentage change for this test, but not with the percentage change in the performance of other segments of the race. Moreover, the somatotype component of endomorphy and the fat mass percentage of the first anthropometry were highly correlated with the percentage change in VO2max in the run segment. These results highlight the importance of providing individualised training, considering that the same training program had a different impact on recreational triathletes belonging to the same group. Amateur athletes with higher initial performance levels probably need a greater amount of training to achieve improved adaptation.

Efecto de la distribución de intensidad del entrenamiento sobre la composición corporal en triatletas amateur / Effect of training intensity distribution on body composition in amateur triathletes / Efeitos da distribuição da intensidade do treinamento sobre a composição corporal em triatletas amadores

Objetivo: Comparar cómo afectan dos modelos de distribución de la intensidad del entrenamiento diferentes (modelo polarizado y modelo piramidal) sobre la composición corporal de triatletas amateur de larga distancia. Método: Después de un periodo de entrenamiento de base de seis semanas, 14 triatletas varones (edad=29.5±6.4 años; peso=71.2±4.0 kg; altura=173.6±4.4 cm; VO2máx=56.92±5.78 ml/kg/min) fueron aleatoriamente divididos en dos grupos: polarizado y piramidal. Cada grupo siguió un modelo de distribución de la intensidad del entrenamiento diferente. La duración del periodo de entrenamiento específico fue de 11 semanas, realizándose mediciones antropométricas pre y post a este periodo para comparar los efectos de los modelos de distribución de la intensidad del entrenamiento sobre la composición corporal. Resultados: El grupo polarizado redujo de manera estadísticamente significativa su peso total (p=0.046) y su sumatorio de pliegues cutáneos (p=0.046). El grupo piramidal aumentó de manera significativa el perímetro corregido de la pierna (p=0.017). En el grupo polarizado se incrementó el componente del somatotipo de ectomorfia de manera significativa (p=0.046) y en el piramidal el de mesomorfia (p=0.043). Conclusiones: La distribución polarizada tuvo un mayor efecto sobre la pérdida de peso y masa grasa que la distribución piramidal

Objective: To compare how affect two models of different training intensity distribution (polarized model and pyramidal model) on body composition in amateur long-distance triathletes. Method: After a general training period of six week, 14 male triathletes (age=29.5±6.4 years; weight=71.2±4.0 kg; height=173.6±4.4 cm VO2max=56.92±5.78 ml/kg/min) were randomly divided into two groups: polarized and pyramidal. Each group followed a different training intensity distribution model. The duration of the specific training period was 11 weeks. Anthropometric measurements were taken before and after this period to compare the effects of the two models of training intensity distribution on body composition. Results: Significant reduces were observed in polarized group in the total weight (p=0.046) and summatory of the 8 skinfolds (p=0.046). Pyramidal group significantly increased the corrected perimeter of the leg (p=0.017). In polarized group the somatotype component of ectomorphy was significantly increased (p=0.046) and the mesomorphy component was significantly increased in pyramidal (p=0.043). Conclusions: Polarized distribution had a greater effect on weight loss and fat mass than pyramidal distribution

Objetivo: Comparar a influência dos modelos de distribuição de diferentes intensidade de treinamentos (modelo polarizado e modelo piramidal) sobre a composição corporal de triatletas amadores de longa distância. Métodos: Depois de um período de treinamento básico de seis semanas, 14 triatletas do sexo masculino (idade = 29.5±6.4 anos; peso = 71.2±4.0 kg; altura = 173.6±4.4 cm; VO2máx = 56.92±5.78 ml/kg/min) foram aleatoriamente divididos em dois grupos: polarizado e piramidal. Cada grupo seguiu um modelo diferente de distribuição da intensidade de treinamento. A duração do período de treinamento específico foi de 11 semanas, realizando medidas antropométricas pré e pós intervenção para comparar os efeitos dos modelos de distribuição da intensidade do treinamento sobre a composição corporal. Resultados: O grupo polarizado reduziu de maneira estatisticamente significativa o peso total (p=0.046) e o somatório de dobras cutâneas (p=0.046). O grupo piramidal aumentou de maneira significativa o perímetro corrigido da perna (p=0.017). No grupo polarizado houve incremento significativo do componente do somatório da ectomorfia (p=0.046) e no piramidal o da mesomorfia (p=0.043). Conclusão: A distribuição polarizada teve maior efeito sobre a perda de peso e massa gorda do que a distribuição piramidal