‘Involve me, and I learn’: Effects of social status on students’ physical activity, skill, and knowledge during group work

Abstract

The limited amount of research on the influence of social status during group work in physical education has typically focused on interactions and power. What is less understood is whether social status has an impact on various physical education outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine physical activity, game performance, and knowledge outcomes of high- and low-status fifth-grade students during a physical education field hockey unit delivered utilising the Sport Education model. 44 students completed sociometric peer nomination surveys to determine the social status hierarchy of all students in the class. Students wore accelerometers to measure moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the unit. Pre- and post-unit game performance and knowledge were assessed through the Team Sport Assessment Procedure and cognitive tests, respectively. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed no significant difference between high- and low-status students’ average MVPA over all phases of the unit (pre-season, season and post-season), while analysis of covariances revealed significant differences in game performance and field hockey knowledge based on social status. Results suggest while physical activity levels were similar between high- and low-status students, some lower-status students were at risk in terms of developing skills and knowledge.