Heuristic Learning as a Method for Improving Students' Teamwork Skills in Physical Education.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Sports Science
• Pedagogy

Background:

• Transversal skills, also known as soft skills, are crucial for professional and daily life.
• The European Union recommends developing eight key competencies for lifelong learning.
• Physical education (PE) plays a role in cultivating these essential skills in students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of prescriptive teaching and heuristic learning methods in enhancing teamwork skills.
• To investigate the impact of different PE teaching approaches on primary school students' soft skills development.

Main Methods:

• The study involved primary school students participating in PE classes over 3 months.
• Statistical analysis included Student's t-tests for dependent and independent samples to compare pre-test and post-test results.
• Data normality was assessed prior to statistical analysis.

Main Results:

• Heuristic learning demonstrated a greater positive impact on improving students' teamwork skills compared to prescriptive teaching.
• Significant differences in teamwork skill development were observed between the two teaching method groups.

Conclusions:

• Heuristic learning is a more effective pedagogical approach for developing teamwork soft skills in primary school physical education.
• Findings can inform teacher training programs on optimal methods for fostering students' soft skills.
• Early intervention through effective teaching methods is vital for lifelong learning competencies.