Learning Halfpipe Pumping

A wide range of methods raises questions for suitable learning settings in physical education in newcoming sports like skateboarding. To find out whether lessons in skateboarding differ in effectiveness between teacher-centred and student-centred approaches, this study compared the opposite ends of spectrum teaching theory in performance and improvement of 4th -6th graders in an experimental design. Measurements in performance “Number of swings” and “maximum Distance” were taken before and after learning in a lesson of command teaching style (n = 3) or self-teaching style (n = 3). non-parametric testing on effect size was done for both groups by Wilcoxon W and compared by Mann-Whitney-U, showing no significant difference between groups (α = .05). For deeper understanding despite the small sample size, data on performance and improvement was exploratively analysed in descriptives. Differences in results of variables “Average Number of Swings” and “Average maximum Distance” and calculated improvements between pre-test and post-test occurred in level and distribution between groups. In learning setting command teaching, participants performed and improved more in “Average Number of Swings”, while learners in self-teaching did so in “Average maximum Distance”. Effects of learning settings on heterogeneity of results in “Average maximum Distance” were found, as command teaching led to more homogenous outcomes than self-teaching. Findings are discussed within literature of skateboarding, spectrum theory and feedback theory. Implications for teaching skateboarding and recommendations for further research are made.