Original article

School Recreation to Enhance Cognitive Development of Elementary Students

0000-0002-4631-0253Gina Maribel Aguilar Osorio¹  , 0000-0003-2512-6323Natalia Marcia Julio Angamarca^{2  *}  , 0000-0003-2872-8696Katherine Gissela Rivera Quishpe³  , 0000-0003-2383-0245Silvia Elizabeth Santillán Galarza³ 

¹Unidad Educativa Fiscal 24 de Julio. Quito. Ecuador.

²Unidad Educativa "Ricardo Álvarez Mantilla". Quito. Ecuador.

³Unidad Educativa Unidad Educativa "César Arroyo". Quito. Ecuador.

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Physical recreation is a voluntary type of activity that is performed during free time as part of extracurricular activities, whose end is to produce physical and psychic relaxation, providing pleasure, and well-being, and contributing positively to human growth and balance against school-related stress and other daily duties.

Aim:

To design a program of physical exercises that contribute to cognitive development of fifth-graders during their mathematics lessons, at the 24 de Julio educational facility. It must engage students in practicing recreational activities at school often, and it is also a tool for motor, cognitive, affective, and social development of the 50 students selected for this study.

Results:

This is one of the essential tests to measure the cognitive and motor development of children. Designed to facilitate the evaluation and maintain the child's attention from a very early age.

Materials and methods:

During the research, several methods were included, such as the scientific, analytical, synthetic, and descriptive. The study relied on a pre-experimental design, which included only one group, consisting in the application of a pre-test and a post-test. The techniques used were survey and a cognitive development test.

Conclusions:

Regarding the equivalent fraction variables, semi-straight fractions, and combined operations, P 0.000 < 0.05 demonstrated that the null hypothesis was rejected, while the alternative hypothesis was accepted, thus suggesting a highly significant difference between the pre-test and post-test in the three variables related to student cognitive development during the research

Key words: school recreation; cognitive development; elementary education; mathematics.

INTRODUCTION

Physical recreation is a free-time voluntary type of activity that is part of extracurricular activities, whose end is to produce physical and psychic relaxation, providing pleasure and well-being, contributing positively to human growth and balance against school-related stress and other daily duties. It is a continuous learning process every person is entitled to; it is a spontaneous activity outside school and biological duties which are compelling, creating the necessary balance to reach spiritual and social well-being, on many occasions overlapping with other subjects.

Multi-disciplinary work is a stance that entails overcoming fragmented visions and assuming a more radical position to remove the boundaries between disciplines; multi-disciplinary work involves breaking the barriers between theory and practice. Essentially, it consists of a collective work that involves the interaction of scientific disciplines, their guiding concepts, methodologies, procedures, data, and teaching organization. From its onset, it was a novel principle of epistemological reorganization of scientific disciplines.

Multi-discipline is a process and a work philosophy that entails a way of thinking and acting that permits coming across the complexity of the objective reality, and solve the problems ahead of us. The integrative and multi-disciplinary approach states that every discipline meets a need when it relates to others in common practice, creating an integration of knowledge.

Several authors, such as, Huanca (2017), ^{Varela, (2017)}, Sinaliza (2016), Juventery (2017), ^{Clementín (2017)} , ^{Edo y Paucar (2018)}, ^{Hassinger (2018)} Clementin (2019), ^{Chipana (2019)}, Maldonado (2019), Sinaliza y Miranda (2019), ^{Ruffino (2020)}, y ^{Alcalá (2020)}, have contributed with their studies on the association of physical education to other subjects as an integrating axis, especially, mathematics and sports practice, physical and recreational activities, as part of a particular dimension of the educational process, made by a semantic unit containing the noun education and the adjective physical. However, these activities have focused on the teaching of techniques, physical efficiency, strength, organic endurance, and recreation. Very little has been done in terms of the cognitive-affective, motor, recreational, and attitudinal factors as necessary bonds, as an essential element of an integrated citizen education.

An efficient teaching-learning process is understood as one that places students in situations that challenge their way of thinking, feeling, and acting. The teachinglearning process conforms to a particular way of associating math with physical education, which establishes rules for the students, turning them into players, in which games or ludic activities qualify as imaginative, realist, imitative, discriminating, competitive, propulsive, and pleasant. Through them, students and teachers are the main actors of ludic activity.

According to several authors, such as, : ^{Andrade (2010}, ^{Catalán (2016)}. ^{Cabañas, et al. (2017)}, Herrera (2017), ^{Antonia (2018)}, ^{Charchabal (2018)}, Flores (2018), ^{Garzón (2019)}, Maldonado, E. y Villanueva, A. (2019). Araujo (2020), ^{Pérez (2021)}, prior to referring to games in math, it is necessary to note that this study not only requires concepts and procedures to address issues, but also a harmonious interrelation among all the educational actors to seek ludic, didactic, and recreational methods and strategies that permit obtaining positive results in significant teaching and learning. Accordingly, it refers that math didactics studies its teaching processes to understand related problems and solve them, through novel theories and practices that strengthen student learning through gaming and physical recreation.

^{Charchabal (2018)} said that recreation has existed throughout the history of humanity, and it pertains to the daily lives and directions of humans. It helps with personal and collective development, elucidating its existence in every manifestation through ludic recreation; an experience with transversal dimensions that goes across lives that attach to human development psychologically, socially, and biologically (p.33).

In a comprehensive analysis of recreation and cognitive development in mathematics, several authors, such as, Payá Rico, (2007) conducted the doctoral study: Ludic Activity in the History of Contemporary Spanish Education; whereas Philco Siñani (2009) published a paper in the Journal, Didactic Games as Strategies of Mathematic Development for elementary School Children. Moreover, Farías & Rojas (2010) mentioned it in the paper entitled Ludic Strategies for Math Teaching in College Freshmen. In that sense, they noted that the ludic process is enhanced the broader the variability and efficiency of student strategies are. Therefore, ludic is a motivating and creative tool to consolidate specific knowledge.

In that direction, the purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of school recreation using activities to enhance cognitive development in mathematics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The type of design is pre-experimental, so it is very important to consider that the study will include the population established. There will be a single group which underwent a pre-test-pos-test, with the same instruments that were used in the diagnostic at the beginning where a group was compared before and after the implementation of the proposal.

The individuals in the study were surveyed to know the cognitive development related to positional value, equivalent fractions, semi-straight fractions, and combined operations during the pre-test and following the implementation of the proposal. Hence, the reverse experimental results from the MacNemar nonparametric test for dichotomic nominal qualitative variables were corroborated.

The IBM statistical software SPSS Version 25 was used. The sample taken at the 24 de Julio Educational Facility comprised two levels of the fifth elementary education. The fifth elementary A consisted of students of which 14 were females and 12 males, while elementary B consisted of 24 students, of which 12 were females and 12 males. The total population was 50 students: 26 females and 24 males.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Pre-test to students results according to the MSCA scales

The research began with the application of the MSCA scales: It is one of the essential tests to measure cognitive and motor development of children. It was designed to facilitate evaluation and maintain attention on the children at early ages. The McCarthy test for attitudes and psychomotricity is one of the most relevant instruments and commonly used tools to assess the cognitive and motor skills of 2-6- and 8-6-year-old children. One of the main objectives was to help detect possible learning problems that might influence school performance. Some tests (drawing, verbal fluency) favor a clinical approach thanks to a qualitative analysis of the child’s production.

Questions:

1. Can you recognize the positional value of every figure and provide its corresponding value in accordance with the positional system?

Table 1 - P value 

Made by: Gina Aguilar Osorio. Source: Fifth-grade students at the 24 de Julio elementary educational facility.

Table 1, shows that 41 students, accounting for 82 %, answered Yes, whereas nine students accounting for 18 % answered no. In the pos-test, can you recognize the positional value of every figure and provide its corresponding value in accordance with the positional system? A total of 47 students, accounting for 94 %, answered Yes, and nine students accounting for 6.0 % answered No (Table 1)

1. Identify the fractions

Table 2.  - Equivalent fractions  

Made by: Gina Aguilar Osorio. Source: Fifth-grade students at the 24 de Julio elementary educational facility.

Table 2 (identifying equivalent fractions), 12 students accounting for 24% answered Yes, whereas 38 students, accounting for 76%, said No. Upon the post-test, 48 students accounting for 96% answered Yes, whereas 38 students, accounting for 4%, said No (Table 2).

1. Identify the fractions in the semi-straight line

Table 3.  - Fractions in the semi-straight line  

Made by: Gina Aguilar Osorio. Source: Fifth-grade students at the 24 de Julio elementary educational facility.

Table 3 (the positional value of every figure and the corresponding value depending on the positional system), shows that 41 (82%) answered Yes, whereas 9 students (18%) answered No. As to the post-test: Identifying equivalent fractions, 45 students accounting for 90% answered Yes, whereas 38 students, accounting for 10%, said No\ (Table 3).

Identify the combined operations

Table 4.  - Combined operations  

Made by: Gina Aguilar Osorio. Source: Fifth-grade students at the 24 de Julio elementary educational facility.

Table 4, in relation to the pre-test: Solving equivalent fractions, 3 students accounting for 6% answered Yes, whereas 3847 students, accounting for 94%, said No. During the post-test (solve combined operations), 43 students accounting for 86.0% answered Yes, whereas 7 students, accounting for 14%, said No (Table 4). To corroborate the stated hypotheses, the McNemar test was performed; it permitted to computing the results of cognitive development through three variables: p value, equivalent fractions, semi straight-line fractions, and combined operations, comparing the results during the pre-test and post-test, which led to the following results (Table 5).

Table 5 - Test^a statistics  

	Positional and positional test	Fractions and post-test fractions	Semi straight line and posttest semistraight line	Combined and post-test combined
N	50	50	50	50
Chi-square		34.028		38.025
Asymptotic sig.		.000		.000
Exact sig. (two-sided)	.031^b		.000^b

a. McNemar test. Binomial distribution used. Corrected continuity

As the positional value was P 0.031 < 0.05, the null hypothesis was rejected, while the alternative hypothesis was accepted, thus suggesting a little significant difference between the pre-test and post-test. Regarding the equivalent fraction variables, semi-straight fractions, and combined operations, P 0.000 < 0.05 showed that the null hypothesis was rejected, accepting the alternative hypothesis, thus suggesting a highly significant difference between the pre-test and post-test in the three variables related to student cognitive development during the research (Table 6).

Table 6.  - Physical ludic activities through competitive technical games  

According to the hypothesis stated, the implementation of recreational strategies will produce better results in learning mathematics by fifth-grade students at the 24 de Julio Elementary Educational Facility. This was evidenced in the study whose outcome led to the evaluation of the indicators of recreational activity associated with the cognitive development of the individuals, enabling the analysis of the following hypotheses:

Ho: If P ≥ 0.05. There are no significant differences between the results of the variables associated with cognitive development before and after the implementation of the recreational strategy.

Hi: If P < α=0.05. There is a significant difference between the results of the variables associated with cognitive development before and after the implementation of the recreational strategy. Hence, the results of this research study permit the confirmation of the hypothesis. The implementation of recreational strategies will produce better results in learning mathematics. Throughout history, these subjects are still the big issue of Ecuadorian education, in terms of learning, which has been confirmed by this study. However, the same practices and methodologies are still being implemented.

CONCLUSIONS

This research paper has brough about a change of mindset among teachers, students, and parents, by adopting recreational mechanisms that improved the students’ conceptual map, and learning how to reason and play with numbers. Accordingly, their interest over this subject as an ally for life, was widened. Its insertion and relevance make mathematics a part of almost all subjects and sciences established by school curricula, even at the universities. As the p value was 0.031 < 0.05, the null hypothesis was rejected, while the alternative hypothesis was accepted, thus suggesting a little significant difference between the pre-test and post-test.

REFERENCIAS BIBLIOGRÁFICAS

Alcalá, M. (2020). Matemáticas Recreativas. Editorial Docer Argentina. Argentina. Pp. 161, https://docer.com.ar/doc/svx0ns

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Andrade, A. L. (2020). El juego y su importancia cultural en el aprendizaje de los niños en educación inicial. Journal of Science and Research: Revista Ciencia e Investigación, 5(2), 132-149. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=7398049

Catalán, S. (2016). ¿Qué es la memoria? Cipsiapsicólogos https://www.cipsiapsicólogos.com

Cobeñas, P., et al. (2017). Educación inclusiva y de calidad, un derecho de todos. COPIDIS https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324260222_Educacion_Inclusiva_y_de_Calidad_un_derecho_de_todos

Charchabal, D., et, al. (2018). La recreación laboral en el bienestar empresarial y público y privado. Editorial Académica Española, ISBN. 9786133115600. https://www.eae-publishing.com/catalog/details/store/es/book/978-613-911560-0/la-recreaci%C3%B3n-laboral-en-el-bienestar-empresarialp%C3%BAblico-y-privado

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Clementín, F., Armero, P., y Rodríguez, J. (2017). La lúdica en el desarrollo del pensamiento lógico matemático en los estudiantes del grado primero de la Institución Educativa Municipal ITSIM sede San Vicente II de San Juan de Pasto (tesis de posgrado). Universidad de Manizales, Colombia. https://ridum.umanizales.edu.co/xmlui/handle/20.500.12746/2867

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Received: April 30, 2022; Accepted: May 20, 2022

^*Autor para la correspondencia: [e-mail]

Los autores declaran no tener conflictos de intereses.

Los autores han participado en la redacción del trabajo y análisis de los documentos.