Effects of implicit beliefs of incremental physical and sports ability in high school students in Physical Education

Abstract

Objective: To identify the effect of an intervention on the incremental implicit belief about physical and sports ability (CIHFD) in high school students aged 14 to 17 years, during Physical Education classes. Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, the sample consisted of 80 students (15.86 ± 0.19 years old, 51% female), distributed into an experimental group (n=34) and a control group (n=46). The intervention consisted of a 20-minute weekly session over 10 weeks at the beginning of the class. The Implicit Beliefs About Sports Ability Questionnaire (CNAAQ-2) was used at the start and end of the intervention. Results: Significant differences were found in incremental CIHFD in the pre-test for the experimental group (F=515.50, p=0.01) with a moderate effect size (d=0.68). However, no significant differences were reported in incremental CIHFD between the control and experimental groups (F=663.50, p=0.25). On the other hand, entity CIHFD remained unchanged, showing similar scores in both groups in both the pre-test and post-test. Conclusion: It is important to develop and implement specific strategies to improve students' self-perceptions of abilities and skills, especially in areas that will be relevant in future years.