The teaching of badminton mechanics in developing forehand, backhand, and footwork skills among grade 7 students

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured intervention in improving the badminton playing skills of Grade 7 students, focusing on forehand, backhand, and footwork mechanics. Utilizing a quantitative research design, the researchers conducted a pre-test and post-test to assess the students' performance before and after the implementation of targeted badminton instruction. Fifteen Grade 7 students from a private junior high school served as participants in the study. The intervention involved skill demonstrations, guided practice, and feedback sessions over a defined period. Data were collected using a researcher-developed and expert-validated instrument, which classified student performance into four categories: struggling, developing, meeting, and exceeding. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and paired t-tests. Findings revealed that students initially exhibited low proficiency in all three skill areas, with most categorized as struggling. After the intervention, significant improvements were observed: forehand and backhand skills advanced to the developing level, while footwork performance reached the exceeding category. The improvements across all skills were statistically significant (p < 0.001), confirming the effectiveness of the intervention. The study concludes that structured and targeted instruction significantly enhances badminton skills among junior high school learners, highlighting the value of skill-focused teaching strategies in Physical Education programs.