Exploring the effects of a running program on self-efficacy and enjoyment of high school students: a case study

Abstract

In Taiwan, the running race has become a prevalent physical activity (PA) over the past decade. A personalized running program, Run-Up, is a middle distance running unit that integrates a series of educational activities into an existing high school physical education (PE) course for enhancing students’ efficacy beliefs and enjoyment of running. Self-efficacy theory (SET) provided a framework to help the researcher understand how and why the Run-Up program activities affect students’ efficacy beliefs and perspectives on running. This qualitative case study was designed to explore the effectiveness of the Run-Up program in promoting high school students’ self-efficacy and enjoyment of a middle distance running in a single class of grade twelve students in Taiwan. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews with students and the teacher, their course feedback forms, and the samples of their journal entries including the students’ course work and teacher’s teaching notes. Data were analyzed by using constant comparison. Three resulting themes explicated how diverse learning activities integrated with multiple learning strategies in the Run-Up program could serve as an avenue to foster high school students’ self-efficacy and enjoyment of running. Comments from both the teacher and students highlighted the value of the Run-Up program as an educational PA program.