The impact of a hybrid Sport Education–Invasion Games Competence Model soccer unit on students’ decision making, skill execution and overall game performance

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a hybrid Sport Education–Invasion Games Competence Model (SE-IGCM) unit application on students’ improvements in decision making, skill execution and overall game performance, during a soccer season. Twenty-six fifth-grade students from a Portuguese public elementary school participated in a 22-lesson season, in which pre-test, post-test and retention test measures were analyzed through the instrument developed by Blomqvist et al. (2005). Results showed that teaching a soccer unit in a SE environment sustained by the learning tasks structure provided by the IGCM offered students a chance to improve skill execution, as well their tactical decision making. The overall results showed a strong impact on students’ learning, especially for girls and low skill-level students, fostered by the equitable participation. The retention test was particularly important to assess gains of students of all skill levels, particularly the low-skilled students.