Utilizing Social Media in a Sport Education Season to Promote Out-of-School Physical Activity

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine if the inclusion of a group-based contingency involving social media would have a positive impact on a cohort of middle school students’ out-of-school physical activity. Ninety-two eighth-grade students (50 females, 42 males; average age = 12.98) from three physical education classes in a middle school in the Midwest region of the United States participated in a 22-lesson Sport Education season of disc golf (an activity selected by students). During the competitive parts of the season, students were able to earn bonus points for their teams by practicing outside of school time with family/friends, or with members of their class. For these points to be registered on the class league table, at some point while playing, students would create a Snapchat story which they then sent to their classmates and the teacher. Out-of-school activity was measured by each student wearing a Yamax DigiWalker SW 701 pedometer. Results showed significant increases in out-of-school step counts during those phases of the season in which the Snapchat contingency resulted in team points accrual. These results provide support for the utility of providing group-oriented contingencies within Sport Education, as they appear to be an effective and authentic context for promoting autonomous out-of-school time physical activity.