Multidisciplinary approach to physical education and sports: Example of mathematics

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of physical education and sports lessons, which are organized with the understanding of interdisciplinary teaching, on some students' mathematics learning objectives and their attitudes towards to physical education and mathematics lessons. The sample of the study consists of 5th grade students ( n=217) from Ferit Bahriye Ergil Secondary School in İzmir. 97 of these students were the control group (51 female-69 male) and 120 were the experimental group (44 female-53male). "Attitude Towards To Physical Education Lessons Scale" (Güçlü and Güllü 2009), "Attitude Towards To Mathematics Lesson Scale" (Önal 2013) and mathematics lesson learning objectives test which is prepared by expert teachers at mathematics were used in data collection. In the study, one of the quantitative research methods, the quasi-experimental model with pre-test and post-test control group was used. Firstly pre-tests were applied to all students (control-experimental group). After the pre-tests, the research application was carried out during the first hours of physical education and sports lessons for 8 weeks. For the control group, contests were performed in game form according to the physical education and sport lesson curriculum. On the other hand; specially adapted forms of similar games which are related with mathematics learning objectives were applied to the students which were in the experimental group. After the 8-week lessons period, post-tests were applied to all students. Obtained data were analyzed by IBM SPSS Statistic 20.Improvements were achieved in mathematics learning objectives of control (t=-2.60, p=0.011*) and experimental groups (t=-6.17, p=0.000***). On the other hand, as a result of the effect sizes examined, it was found that the mathematics learning objectives in the experimental group (Cohen's d = 0,66 ) were higher than the control group (Cohen's d = 0,66 ). As a result, it has been concluded that physical education and sports lessons and mathematics lessons which are carried out with a multidisciplinary approach increase students' mathematics learning objectives. It is suggested that similar studies carried out with a multidisciplinary teaching model should be added to the curriculum.