The Effect of the Flexible Grouping Strategy on Fast and Slow Thinking and the Learning of Lay-up Shooting and Low Dribbling Skills in Basketball among Female Students

Abstract

To investigate the impact of the "flexible groups" strategy on fast and slow thinking in basketball, the researchers employed an experimental design featuring experimental and control groups. The study was conducted on a sample of 25 second-year female students from the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences for Women at the University of Baghdad. Following the implementation of the experimental intervention, the administration of pre- and post-tests, and the analysis of results, the researchers reached several key conclusions, including the effectiveness of the instructional program designed for the experimental group based on the flexible groups strategy. The study focused on developing "fast-slow" thinking and teaching the basketball skills of the layup and low dribble to female students. The learning process, conducted using the flexible grouping strategy, fostered the development of the students' thinking—a result evidenced by the differences between the pre- and post-tests for both the experimental and control groups. The experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-tests. The researchers recommend adopting instructional units designed according to the flexible grouping strategy to develop fast-slow thinking and skill acquisition, given their effectiveness in teaching basketball skills. They also recommend diversifying teaching strategies to encourage students to learn, foster a sense of excitement and engagement, and avoid boredom and monotony.