Teaching Critical Thinking to Improve Soccer Skills
Author Information
Author(s): Gaviria Alzate Samuel Jose, Valencia-Sánchez Wilder Geovanny, Espinal Frank Esteban, Bustamante Jorge Luis, Arias-Arias Elkin
Primary Institution: University of San Buenaventura-Medellín
Hypothesis
Can a critical thinking program enhance tactical efficiency and knowledge in young soccer players?
Conclusion
The study suggests that integrating critical thinking into soccer training can significantly improve tactical performance.
Supporting Evidence
- Players showed a 41% increase in tactical efficiency after the intervention.
- Declarative knowledge increased by only 0.31%, indicating minimal improvement.
- Procedural knowledge increased by 3.53%, but this was not statistically significant.
Takeaway
This study shows that teaching kids to think critically can help them play soccer better by making smarter decisions on the field.
Methodology
Thirteen male U-14 soccer players underwent a critical thinking intervention over 22 sessions, with assessments before and after the program.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to the lack of random sampling and the specific context of the study.
Limitations
The study design lacks a control group, limiting causal inferences, and the sample may not represent the broader population.
Participant Demographics
Thirteen male U-14 soccer players with a mean age of 13.54 years and an average of 3.92 years of soccer experience.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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