EFFECTS OF FEEDBACK MECHANISMS ON THE ACQUISITION OF SELECTED FOOTBALL SKILLS AMONG STUDENTS OF BAYELSA STATE SPORTS ACADEMY, NIGERIA

الملخص

The study investigated the effects of feedback mechanisms on the acquisition of selected football skills passing, dribbling, shooting, and tackling among students of Bayelsa State Sports Academy, Nigeria. Five research questions and corresponding hypotheses guided the study. A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group design was adopted, involving a purposive sample of 40 students (male = 20; female = 20). A standardized football skill tests were administered, while descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (ANCOVA) were employed for data analysis at α = 0.05. Results revealed that feedback mechanisms significantly improved football passing skills (F(1,38) = 1.417, p < .05, partial η² = .028), dribbling skills (F(1,38) = 2.114, p < .05, partial η² = .041), shooting skills (F(1,38) = 1.944, p < .05, partial η² = .036), and tackling skills (F(1,38) = 2.027, p < .05, partial η² = .039). Furthermore, the intervention demonstrated positive effects across gender, with both male and female students showing meaningful improvements in overall skill acquisition. The study concludes that structured feedback mechanisms are critical to enhancing football skill acquisition among young athletes. The study recommended among others that coaches and sports educators integrate systematic feedback strategies into football training programmes to optimize performance outcomes.