Using Three Cognitive Models to Teach Football Playing Phrases and Their Impact on Complex Skill Performance and a Number of Physical Attributes for Fifth-Grade Middle School Students

This research aims to develop three educational programs focusing on two cognitive styles (focusing/scanning) to teach certain football skills. The study also seeks to examine the impact of these educational programs on diagnosing the two cognitive styles (focusing/scanning) in the three research groups and to identify their impact on complex skill exercises and several physical attributes. The research population consisted of 225 fifth-grade middle school students for the academic (2022/2023), distributed across five sections (A, B, C, D, and E) with 45 students in each section. The four research groups were randomly selected. A total of 23 students were excluded due to absence, bringing the number of students in the research sample to 157. This included 39 students in the first experimental group, 40 students in the second experimental group, 40 students in the third experimental group, and 38 students in the control group. The experimental method was used with the post-test design for equivalent groups, which requires four groups: three experimental groups and one control group. The research groups were tested using the diagnostic test for cognitive style (focusing/scanning) developed by Nashet Mahdi, which consists of 20 scenarios, each with two alternatives. The program comprised 12 instructional units, with two instructional units per week for each group. The program lasted for six weeks. Subsequently, the complex skill tests were conducted using statistical methods, including mean, standard deviation, simple correlation coefficient, percentage, one-way analysis of variance, two-way analysis of variance, and the least significant difference (Duncan) test. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used for the statistical analysis. The researcher concluded that the students in the third experimental group, who were taught using the focusing/scanning style, outperformed the students in the other research groups in diagnosing the dominant learning style and in complex skill exercises.

Cite this article as: Najm, M. S. (2025). Using three cognitive models to teach football playing phrases and their impact on complex skill performance and a number of physical attributes for fifth-grade middle school students. Research in Sports Science, 15, 0035, doi: 10.5152/rss.2025.24035.