The Effect of Pedagogy Content Knowledge in Linear and Differential Method on Athletes' Performance and Coaches' Knowledge in Breaststroke

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of pedagogy content knowledge in linear (LP) and differential (DL) methods on athletes' performance and coaches' knowledge in breaststroke. Methods: For this study, 45 physical education students (age mean = 22.17 ± 2.59) were purposefully selected. Based on their performance, they were divided into three groups of 15 individuals each: Control (G1), linear (G2), and differential (G3). G1 underwent ten days of initial training. The coach then attended an LP workshop and trained G2 for the following ten days. Subsequently, the coach attended a DL workshop and trained G3 for the final ten days. The coach's behavior was assessed in three domains: Verbal communication, visual representation, and appropriateness of descriptive evaluation method. Results: The findings indicated that the trainer's actions decreased as they progressed from G1 to G3, with noticeable changes in behavior based on the training method. The results revealed significant differences between the groups in terms of group and test * group interaction. Specifically, G3 outperformed G2 and G1 in both record variables and hand strokes. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that pedagogy content knowledge (PCK) workshops are beneficial for enhancing a coach's behavior to support learners and enhance their skills.