The effects of analogy teaching on sport skill acquisition in children

Mohsen Afrouzeh, Andisheh Jahrom Institute of Higher Education, Jahrom, IranFollow
Ferman Konukman, Qatar University, Doha, QatarFollow
Rabiu Muazu Musa, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
Mohammad Sadeq Afroozeh, Sport Sciences Department, Jahrom University, Jahrom, IranFollow
Ertan Tufekcioglu, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dharhan, Saudi ArabiaFollow
Bijen Filiz, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, TurkeyFollow

Abstract

Introduction: The primary task of physical educators is to teach motor skills to beginners, and motor learning studies continually strive to find better ways to optimize the skill acquisition process. In line with this, our study aims to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two learning methods, analogy learning and explicit learning, in promoting children's acquisition of novel motor skills. We specifically focus on skills that differ biomechanically and kinematically from skills learned through explicit instructions, and we also investigate how the physical form of the skill evolves with practice. Material and Methods: Forty-five right-handed healthy beginner male students (mean age 9.93 ±0.55 years; height 1.39 ±4.16 m; body mass 31.65±3.23 kg; beginner in basketball) participated in the study. Subjects were randomly allocated to an explicit learning condition (n = 15), an analogy learning condition (n = 15), or an uninstructed control condition (n = 15). Each participant performed ten free throws (FT) from a standing position, 3 meters away from the front of the basket board, utilizing a small ball, a customized rim with an inner diameter of 45.72 cm (18"), and an adapted net height of 2 meters. Attempts were recorded from 3 m away in a biomechanical laboratory with two-dimensional (2D) video data collection (i.e., using 240 Hz camera resolution). This comprehensive approach ensured the thoroughness and reliability of the study's results. Results: The independent ANOVA yielded a statistically significant effect across the three post-test groups: F (8,16) = 283.233, P = 0.001, η²= 0.793. A statistically significant difference was observed across the three groups: F (8, 16) = 332.057, P = 0.001, η²= 0.818. Discussion: The analogy group's superior performance in the skill taught is a significant finding of this research. It provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of analogy learning in promoting children's acquisition of novel motor skills, compared to explicit learning, where the learners achieved lower scores. Conclusions: The analogy learning training method is recommended for children aged 10–12 willing to learn FT in basketball. The findings may illuminate the innovative instructional approach for coaches seeking accelerated motor skill acquisition.

Recommended Citation

Afrouzeh M, Konukman F, Muza RM, Afroozeh MS, Tufekcioglu E, Filiz B. The effects of analogy teaching on sport skill acquisition in children. Balt J Health Phys Act. 2024;16(2):Article6. DOI: 10.29359/BJHPA.16.2.06