Impact of the constraints-led approach on students' motor performance

To optimise motor skill acquisition, physical education learning design should beinformed by up-to-date motor learning theory. The Constraints-led Approach (CLA) is therefore a viable physical education teaching approach as its learning design and delivery of instruction is informed by the contemporary motor learning theory of ecological dynamics. Problem Statement:Critics have argued that more applied research studies are required to provide empirical evidence to support the efficacy of the CLA on motor performance. Purpose:The purpose of this study was tobuild on the current body of empirical evidence by investigating the impact of a constraints-led physical education lesson on the hurdling performance of university students. Approach:A total of 42 undergraduate university students voluntarily submitted the video recordings of their hurdling performance, before and after participation in a 40-minute, constraints-led hurdling lesson. To evidence any improvement in students’ performance, three hurdling coaching experts were recruited to qualitatively assess the hurdling technique in each of the 84 randomly ordered video recordings. Results:Students’ hurdling technique was presented as both averages across all three experts and for each individual expert. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to assess the interrater reliability across the three experts, based on a mean rating (k=3), two-way mixed model and absolute agreement. Intra-rater reliability was assessed by ICC and 95% confidence intervals, using a random sample of 15 video recordings rated a second time.The ICC for inter-rater reliability indicated good to excellent reliability or agreement among the expert coaches’ ratings. The ICCs for intra-rater reliability indicating excellent reliability or consistency of each experts’ individual ratings. Mean scores across all experts revealed that there was a significant difference in hurdling performance from pre to post intervention. Conclusion:The results from this study provide additional empirical evidence of the efficacy of the CLA in improving motor performance of students in a technically complex athletic event, strengthening its validity as a viable alternative pedagogy within the discipline of physical education.