The Effect of STEAM-Based Physical Education Classes on Middle School Students’ Attitudes toward Physical Education Classes and Self-Directed Learning Abilities

BACKGROUND: Efforts have often been made to improve physical education (PE) classes in response to rapidly changing societies. We applied science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education to PE classes. The purpose was to examine the effect of STEAM-based PE lessons on self-directed learning abilities, a core competency of the 21st century, and on attitudes toward PE classes related to PE alienation and avoidance. METHODS: To achieve this purpose, six out of eight classes at a middle school in Jeollabuk-do province, Republic of Korea were selected in 2019. The experimental and control groups, consisting of 87 and 88 students, respectively, were chosen from among 238 first-grade students by utilizing convenience sampling. The experimental group attended PE classes based on STEAM for 14 weeks, whereas the control group attended traditionally teacher-centered PE classes. We used a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. RESULTS: The experimental group displayed significant differences in all the sub-factors of attitudes toward PE classes and all the sub-factors of self-directed learning abilities, compared to the control group (P<0.05). PE classes based on STEAM appear to have a positive effect on students’ attitudes toward PE classes and their self-directed learning abilities. CONCLUSION: PE is struggling to solve students’ alienation and avoidance problems, despite numerous efforts. Thus, discussions have been conducted on how the STEAM philosophy can be implemented in the field of PE. Results suggest that efforts to combine STEAM education and PE are needed.