Journal of Sports and Motor Development and Learning
Scientific Journal

Comparison of the Linear and Nonlinear Teaching Methods of Heidelberg Ball School Games on Physical Activity Levels: Emphasizing Self-Efficacy and Enjoyment in 7 to 9-Year-Old Girls

Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under CC BY-NC 4.0 license

Authors

Razie parnow 1
Ayoob Sabaghi 2
Behrooz Ebrahimi 3

1 Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

2 Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences , Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

3 Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences , Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran .

https://doi.org/10.22059/jsmdl.2025.383894.1803
Abstract
Introduction: This study aimed to compare the effects of linear and nonlinear teaching methods of Heidelberg Ball School games on physical activity levels, self-efficacy, and enjoyment of activity in girls aged 7 to 9 years.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with 30 girls aged 7 to 9 years, who were assigned to two groups of 15 (linear and nonlinear teaching). The intervention consisted of 8 weeks of training (three sessions per week). Participants' physical activity levels were measured during the intervention and two months post-intervention using the Youth Physical Activity Questionnaire (Zamani et al., 2019). Additionally, the Self-Efficacy and Enjoyment of Physical Activity questionnaires by Murano et al. (2019) were administered before and after the intervention.
Results: The results of mixed ANOVA analysis revealed that the nonlinear teaching approach had a significant effect on increasing physical activity levels, self-efficacy, and enjoyment of physical activity (P<0.05). The main effect of group was significant across all dependent variables, indicating notable differences between the linear and nonlinear groups. However, the main effect of time and the interaction effect of time × group did not reach statistical significance for any of the dependent variables (P>0.05).
Conclusion: The nonlinear teaching of Heidelberg Ball School games, by enhancing self-efficacy and enjoyment of physical activity, has a greater impact on improving and sustaining physical activity levels among 7- to 9-year-old girls compared to linear teaching. These findings can serve as a scientific basis for designing more effective educational programs to promote children's participation in physical activities.

Keywords

Ball Games
Enjoyment
Pedagogy
Physical Activity
Self-Efficacy
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Journal of Sports and Motor Development and Learning
Volume 17, Issue 4
Autumn 2025
Pages 91-110

  • Receive Date 16 October 2024
  • Revise Date 01 February 2025
  • Accept Date 05 February 2025

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