Enhancing critical thinking skills through rhythmic gymnastics activities
This study explored the potential of gross motor activities—particularly rhythmic gymnastics—as a medium for enhancing students' critical thinking skills. Conducted as true experimental research with a quantitative descriptive approach, the study employed a time-series design involving three co...
| Autores: | , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de Murcia |
| Repositorio: | DIGITUM. Depósito Digital Institucional de la Universidad de Murcia |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:digitum.um.es:10201/184289 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doi.org/10.6018/sportk.665281 http://hdl.handle.net/10201/184289 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Rhythmic Gymnastics Gross Motor Skills Physical Education Cognitive Development Critical Thinking No relacionado con ningún objetivo de desarrollo sostenible |
| Sumario: | This study explored the potential of gross motor activities—particularly rhythmic gymnastics—as a medium for enhancing students' critical thinking skills. Conducted as true experimental research with a quantitative descriptive approach, the study employed a time-series design involving three consecutive rhythmic gymnastics learning sessions using the SENSITIF (Senam Siswa Kreatif) program. The program emphasizes creative movement tasks designed to stimulate both physical and cognitive development. A total of 26 eighth-grade students from Junior High School 2 Pengasih, Yogyakarta, participated in the study, consisting of 13 female and 13 male students. Students’ critical thinking performance was assessed through structured observational instruments embedded in the SENSITIF program. The results showed statistically significant improvements in students’ critical thinking skills across the three sessions (p < 0.05). The highest gain was observed between the first and third sessions, indicating a cumulative effect of the rhythmic movement intervention. These findings suggest that rhythmic gymnastics, when delivered through pedagogically sound and student-centered approaches, can foster critical thinking by engaging students in decision-making, reflection, creativity, and collaboration. The study highlights the need to redefine PE curricula to support holistic learning—where physical, cognitive, and affective domains are developed in synergy. |
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