The effect of Physical Activity Cards (PACs) on the level of realization of secondary school physical education and sports lesson achievements

Physical education and sports are recognized as a holistic set of activities aimed at fostering healthy mental and physical development in the evolving generation. The Ministry of National Education (2018) expressed that the most crucial change in the 2018 Physical Education and Sports Course curriculum was the introduction of Physical Activity Cards to guide teachers and students in reaching the program's objectives. The PACs was developed as a supportive tool, drawing inspiration from the TOPs cards covering physical education and activities. There have been very few studies focusing on the functionality of PACs for middle school teachers and students. Moreover, there hasn't been any comprehensive study encompassing both the Yellow and Purple Card groups within the PACs. This research aimed to determine the extent to which the envisaged objectives in the Physical Education and Sports Course curriculum in middle schools were achieved through PACs, intending to create an impact within the learning-teaching process. The research group comprised 5th and 7th grades from a state school located in a province within the Western Black Sea region, selected via typical case sampling. One experimental and one control group were randomly assigned at each grade level. The research employed a mixed-method approach. Within the quantitative aspect, a quasi-experimental design called the Matched Design was used. The experimental study examined how the level of realization of Physical Education and Sports course achievements among students in the experimental groups changed with the implementation of lesson plans prepared using PACs. An 8-week study commenced after the pre-test, concluding with the post-test after a total duration of 10 weeks. Additionally, Qualitative Research Methods were used to support the quantitative data. The study commenced with focus group interviews conducted with physical education and sports teachers. These interviews analyzed the current situation from the teachers' perspective, providing a needs analysis for the study. Semi-structured interview forms were utilized in these focus group discussions. Moreover, reflective diaries written by students in the experimental group contributed to the qualitative aspect of the research. The quantitative data obtained from the research were analyzed using the SPSS program, while qualitative data analyses were presented using content analysis and descriptive analysis. The results are expected to be beneficial to decision-makers, teachers, program development experts, and teacher trainers in Sports Sciences faculties.