DIFFERENTIAL-EFFECTS OF PEER-MEDIATED ACCOUNTABILITY ON TASK ACCOMPLISHMENT IN ELEMENTARY PHYSICAL-EDUCATION

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of peer-mediated accountability (PMA) on average male and female students and low skill ed female students during the performance of the lay-up in basketball. A multiple baseline design was used to assess the effects of PMA on t he number of trials performed and the percentage of correct trials. Pa rticipants were 9 elementary school students in Grades 4 and 5. Peer-m ediated accountability was effective in increasing the opportunities t o respond for both average and low skilled students but did not change the percentage of correct performances by the students. These results support previous findings that suggest that, though PMA is an effecti ve strategy to promote opportunities to respond, it is an inappropriat e strategy to use when students cannot perform the skill. An analysis of the data also revealed that the lower skilled students performed a similar number of trials as their counterparts.