The Effect of Blended Learning on the Acquisition of Dribbling and Passing Skills in Football among Students

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of blended learning on the acquisition of dribbling and passing skills in football among students. The research hypothesis stated that blended learning has a positive effect on learning dribbling and passing skills in football.

The researchers adopted an experimental design involving two groups (experimental and control) with pre-test and post-test measurements. The research population consisted of intermediate school students affiliated with the General Directorate of Education in Diyala Governorate, Iraq. The research sample comprised 40 second-grade intermediate students from Martyrs’ Courtyard Intermediate School for Boys. The sample was randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group, with 20 students in each group.

The experimental group was taught using a blended learning approach through 12 instructional lessons conducted over six weeks at a rate of two lessons per week. Each lesson included three exercises, totaling 38 exercises distributed equally between the dribbling and passing skills. The researchers administered pre-tests, implemented the instructional program for the experimental group, and subsequently conducted post-tests for both groups.

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-26) was used to analyze the data. The statistical methods employed included the arithmetic mean, median, standard deviation, Pearson’s simple correlation coefficient, percentage, independent-samples t-test, and paired-samples t-test.

The findings revealed significant improvement in the performance of the experimental group in both dribbling and passing skills following the application of blended learning, whereas the control group did not demonstrate significant improvement in these skills. Furthermore, the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test, confirming the effectiveness of blended learning in developing basic football skills among second-grade intermediate students.

The researchers concluded that blended learning contributes positively to the development of dribbling and passing skills. The variety of educational activities and exercises provided through this instructional approach facilitated skill acquisition, retention, and performance enhancement. The findings also indicated that blended learning is an appropriate instructional method for intermediate school students and contributes to improving their skill performance.

The study recommends adopting blended learning in physical education curricula at the intermediate school level, utilizing it to develop students’ skills in various sports, and integrating modern educational technologies in line with contemporary developments in the field of sports education. The researchers also suggest conducting similar studies at different educational levels, applying blended learning to other sports skills and games, and investigating its effects on additional physical, psychological, and cognitive variables related to sports activities.