Abstract

Research in motor learning has always been looking forward to find out the best way to help the acquisition and the retention of different motor skill teaching (Fialho et al, 2006). An effective factor on measures of learning is scheduling of practice session (Zeto et al, 2007). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of low and high contextual interference on acquisition, transfer and retention of volleyball service skill of the first grade female high school students, aged 15-17 years. 30 students were assigned by random method in two groups: low interference (blocked practice) and high interference (random practice). In order to make sure that the two groups are the same, both groups participated in a pre- test. AAHPERD volleyball test (1969) was used to measure volleyball service. Both groups performed practical programs for six week, two sessions per week. The blocked group performed 20 services which consisted of 10 simple services and 10 tennis services successively. And random group performed 20 services, one simple service and one tennis services consecutively. The transfer test was performed 24 hours after the completion of the last acquisition practice, and the retention test was performed 48 hours after transfer test. The results of repeated measures showed that both groups (random and blocked) improved significantly their volleyball skills in acquisition, transfer, and retention phases. When the blocked and random groups were compared together across the acquisition, transfer, and retention phases, the result of analyses of variance indicated that there were no significant effects between the two groups in acquisition and transfer phases. However, a significant effect was found between the two groups in retention phase. It means that the random group only showed better performance than the random group in retention phase. Base on the findings of this study, it is therefore recommended that the coaches can mostly rely on random practice to improve the acquisition and retention of basic volleyball skills.