The impact of task progressions on students' practice quality and task-related thoughts

A major focus of research on teaching and learning for the past decade has been directed toward developing an understanding of student behaviors and t hought processes related to achievement. Using a mediational-processes appr oach, researchers have identified engagement Variables that predict skill l earning gains, most notably the quality and quantity of practice and studen t self-perceptions of efficacy and competence. We sought to extend this cor relational research by examining how one aspect of instruction, task progre ssions, influenced students' practice quality and task-related cognition. U niversity students enrolled in tennis classes were taught and practiced the serve under one of three conditions, two characterized by easy-to-difficul t task sequences, and the third involving practice of the criterion task. D ata were collected on students' practice trials and three task-related cogn itions: motivation, self-efficacy, and perception of success. The results i ndicated student practice and task-related thoughts varied according to ent ry skill level and the condition under which they practiced. Instructional conditions involving easy-to-difficult progressions resulted in more succes sful and appropriate practice trials and enhanced student self-efficacy and motivation. These findings parallel those previously reported on the impac t of student ability on practice quality and add to an understanding of how instructional conditions affect what students think and do in physical edu cation class contexts.