The Effect Of Cooperative School Games On Self-concept And Position In Group Evaluative Method Of 12-14 Year School Girls

Introduction
Most research has investigated children’s self-concept development through intellectual abilities (Black & Bornholt,
2000), & others). Uring (1980) believes that sociometric status is determined mainly by academic performance, socially
accepted individual characteristics and cooperative attitude. Our study examines the modification of self-concept and
the structure of student groups after regular participation in cooperative school games for three semesters.

Methods
We studied 12 to 14 year ikd girls (experimental N=74, control N=71) from three secondary schools. The groups
practiced cooperative school-games in PE class for 10-15 minutes twice weekly. The games were adapted to the subject
and location of each lesson as the class progressed through the year. We hypothesized that the cooperative games would
have a favorable impact on moral and social self-concept. We selected students with high/low moral and social selfconcept.
Self-concept was measured by the Hungarian Tennessee-Fitts Scales (Dévai & Sipos, 1986). Sociometric
status was measured by the Group-Evaluative Method (Shellengberger, 1980). The items evaluated were study, free
time and decision. The results were analyzed with the t-test for dependent variables.

Results
Girls with low moral self-concept in both groups showed significant development while girls with high moral self
concept deteriorated significantly in the control group and stagnated in the experimental group (graph 1). Students in
the control group with low social self-concept displayed significant development only after the 2 month summer break;
and this disappeared by the end of the following semester. The experimental group registered significant development
after each semester (graph 2). All girls with high social self-concept demonstrated significant deterioration. In the
control group this was seen each semester, while in the experimental group it only appeared after the second semester.