Twelfth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

Sports biomechanics and sports psychology courses are considered the core of undergraduate physical education diplomas. Biomechanics depend on active learning concepts (practical and theoretical). Psychology relies mainly on a theoretical approach; under the circumstance of distance learning, students’ disposition, interests, and motivation have been hypothesized to differ between active and theoretical concepts courses and their influence on course outcomes. This study investigates whether Students’ Self-Efficacy or conceptual barriers interfere with the sports biomechanics and psychology course outcomes from students’ points of view. 564 sport students signed for Sports biomechanics, and sports psychology answers were assessed during 2019/2020. A modified Banduras’ Self-Efficacy scale was used to indicated student commitment to attending online classes, and a five approach barriers scale of distance learning was applied too. The correlations between student distance learning barriers and their commitment to attending online sports biomechanics and psychology classes were calculated. The results of this study indicate that overall, students who showed low self-efficacy tended to address more barriers and related their lack of attendance to the depression factor. The main barrier indicated in general was computer aptitude. In contrast, both low and high self-efficacy students reported that they mainly used cell phones during the semester that might interfered with the quality of distance learning experience, influencing this course’s outcomes. Non-significant differences were indicated between the two courses despite the differences in their learning approach. Institutions and instructors should consider study’s results, to develop supportive, effective, and adaptive distance learning courses.