Effects of Portfolio Learning Approach on Students' Social Skill Modification in University Physical Education Classes

<p>Interpersonal problems among students have become one of the critical issues in Japanese universities. The purposes of this study were 1）to develop a social skill scale for university physical education classes（SSUPEC）and 2）to investigate the effects of portfolio learning approach on students' social skill modification in a physical education program.</p><p>In our first study in April 2010, the sample of 447 Japanese university students（male=212, female=235, mean age=19.58, SD =1.35）were asked to answer a questionnaire composed of socio−demographic questions and 24 questions concerning social skills in physical education classes. Exploratory factor analysis, reliability analyses and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted, and the results identified a four−factor solution with sixteen items on SSUPEC with acceptable reliability and structural validity.</p><p>In our second study, the subjects were 383 university students enrolled in two separate regular classes from April and July 2010: Basketball（male=48, female=39, mean age=20.04, SD =1.30）and Sports and Health Care（male=130, female=166, mean age=19.46, SD =1.35）. Basketball, one of the PE courses, used portfolio learning approach while the lessons of Sports and Health Care were traditional lecture−style. The subjects of both classes were asked to answer a questionnaire composed of socio−demographic questions, SSUPEC that was developed in our first study, Effective Cognition Scale for University Physical Education Classes（ECSUPEC）and Stress Response Scale for University Physical Education Classes（SRSUPEC）during lesson in Apri（lpre−test）and July（post−test）．Two−way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni's post hoc tests were conducted on SSUPEC, ECSUPEC and SRSUPEC.</p><p>The results of two−way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni's post hoc tests revealed significant changes of the scores of the subjects in Basketball between the pre−test and post−test; the mean scores of the subscales “Diet Effect,” “Promotion for Interpersonal Relationship,” “Improvement of Feelings,” “Lifestyle Improvement” in ECSUPEC, and “Comprehension of Interpersonal Relationship,” “Attitude of Interpersonal Sympathy” and “Self−Assertion Ability” in SSUPEC decreased significantly while those of “Emotional Stress Response,” “Psychological Stress Response” and “Behavioral Stress Response” in SRSUPEC increased significantly.</p><p>The findings of the first study confirm that SSUPEC can be a beneficial tool in assessing the social skills of university students in the physical education classes. The findings of the second study, however, does not support our assumption that PE lessons with portfolio learning approach help students to improve their social skills, effective cognitions and stress responses. This might be due to limitation of data or to too many factors examined. Further research will be needed to explore the mechanism of influence of portfolio learning approach on an individual’s social skills, effective cognitions and stress responses.</p>