SummaryStudy aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a student centered curricular intervention on students' selfefficacy and soccer skills performance. Materials and methods: One group of 25 mixed-gender students (ages 11-13) participated in this study of student centered soccer lessons twice per week (30 minutes) on a soccer field for three weeks at a Southwestern USA Middle School. The intervention was designed to engage students in the skill lessons by adopting a student-centered approach, and reciprocal/peer teaching of the soccer skills. Students' self-efficacy was assessed using the modified Traits Sport-Confidence Inventory. Soccer skill performance was assessed using previously validated skill tests. Further, students' perception of reciprocal teaching were gathered using exit slips. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests to explore pre/post differences. Results: The students' skill performance slightly improved. Students' self-efficacy related to soccer skills was significantly higher at post-test. Students' positively perceived the opportunities to participate in student-centered lessons and the use reciprocal teaching styles to work together in skill development. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that seventh-grade students could learn soccer skills, develop desirable perceptions and efficacy and improve their physical activity/sport participation levels as they engaged in student-centered teaching and learning.

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Outdoor Education (OE) is usually associated with challenging activities and developing skills among students.  It also teaches learning through the interaction with the nature world which helps to educate for environmental appreciation. Is the frequency of involvement can determine the appreciation among its participants?  So, the objectives of this study are to identify the involvement of outdoor activities, its enjoyment of participation and its relationship with nature appreciation among undergraduate students in a higher learning institution in Malaysia. One hundred and sixty-nine (n=169) students who participated in this study were from a Physical and Health Education Program. Results from the study indicated high levels of participation with much pleasure from diverse outdoor activities in water and land based. Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed between each type of water and land-based activity with nature appreciation. Analyses were found to have significant relation of several activities with nature appreciation. Findings indicated a significant but weak relationship between the overall activities and nature appreciation among the students. It was suggested that integrating together new area of studies related to mother nature should be incorporated during the activities.

SummaryStudy aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of astudent-centered approach and alternative assessments on students’ learning domains (i.e., cognitive, affective, psychomotor) during health education learning sessions.Material and methods: Four groups totaling 65 mixed-gender undergraduate students (ages 20–25) of physical and health education participated in this study of alternative assessments’ effects on students’ learning once per week (3 hours) in their respective classrooms for seven weeks at a central Malaysia university. Students’ knowledge on the lesson contents was gathered using a series of quizzes. Students’ self-efficacy was assessed using the modified Traits Sport-Confidence Inventory (TSCI), and students’ levels of physical activity were assessed using a mobile pedometer. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests to evaluate pre/post differences.Results: The students’ perception and knowledge on health education improve across interventions with greater efficacy (7.64± 0.97) at the post-test compared to the pre-test (7.30± 1.38). Students’ recorded improvement in step counts between week two and week five. A slight reduction during weeks six and seven may be due to the end of the semester and preparation for the final examinations.Conclusions: This study demonstrated that astudent-centered approach and alternative assessment of learning were effective to engage students with contents and developing whole learning domains within the classroom.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current understanding and perception of cooperative learning in teaching and learning in Malaysia High School. This study emphasized on teachers’ views on cooperative learning approach to support their students’ teaching and learning in classroom. The study uses the qualitative approach involving 10 academic staff of a local high school located at Subang Jaya, Selangor by using semi structured interview method. The findings showed positive perceptions and interest towards the cooperative learning approach in teaching and learning in secondary schools. There were many advantages of cooperative learning in teaching and learning both for staff and students. Nonetheless, this study founded time constraints, nature of the subject, students’ capabilities, monitoring student learning, and learning assessments to be the barriers which influence teachers’ disengagement with this student-centered approach. To summarize, data from this study warranted the authors to recommend educator to shift their teaching and learning from teacher-centered toward student-centered approach. Educators should also adopt the cooperative learning approach in classroom as it may help students to better link between the concepts and real world. Therefore, educators should invest considerable time to learn and practice this concept and plan their teaching and learning around their learners.