Effects of cooperative learning and concept mapping intervention on critical thinking and basketball skills in elementary school

- A mechanism of effective teaching for developing basketball skills is proposed.
- The mechanism for skillful movers relies on critical thinking in practicing motor skills.
- The CL method for peer interaction should be encouraged through group discussions.
- Use of the CM method for accessing learners' conceptualizations should be encouraged.
- The CL and CM methods explain the full cognitive process in learning motor skills.

Helping students develop their critical thinking potential may assist them in effectively developing motor skills. This study examined the effects of cooperative learning and concept-mapping interventions on students' critical thinking and skill learning during physical education. 170 fifth-grade students were assigned to a cooperative learning condition (n = 54), a concept-mapping condition (n = 57), and a control condition (n = 59). The students were subsequently assessed in terms of their basketball skills and critical thinking skills. The results showed greater improvements of basketball skills improvements and critical thinking skills among the students in the cooperative learning condition and the concept-mapping condition than among those in the control condition. The results indicated that peer-cooperation and concept-mapping mediated the learning of motor skills and offered a learning environment that assisted critical thinking in the context of physical education.