The effect of play-based methods on students’ physical fitness
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68574/sportk.396Keywords:
Learning Methods, Games, Physical Fitness, StudentsAbstract
Physical fitness is an important aspect of students’ health and ability to engage in physical activity. It can be developed through regular physical activity, including play-based activities. The playing method is considered an effective and enjoyable approach to improving physical fitness because it involves dynamic physical activity, social interaction, and intrinsic motivation. This experimental study was conducted over 16 sessions, during which participants received treatment in the form of games. The study included 36 male students aged 13–15 years who were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. The Indonesian Physical Fitness Test (Tes Kebugaran Jasmani Indonesia [TKJI]) was used as the assessment instrument. The results showed that the calculated t-value (9.375) was greater than the critical t-value (1.691), indicating a statistically significant difference between the pre-test and post-test physical fitness scores. These findings suggest that play-based activities may be a useful and enjoyable strategy for improving students’ physical fitness. By integrating physical, cognitive, and social elements, play-based activities can contribute to the development of physical fitness components such as cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, and agility.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Reffie Camelisa, Bafirman, Syahrastani, Anton Komaini, Syahrial Bakhtiar, Eri Barlian, Sepriadi, Monica Dara Pratiwi
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