The Effect of the Self-Regulated Learning Approach on Attentional Stability and Learning the Basketball Free-Throw Skill among First-Grade Primary School Pupils

Abstract

The research problem addressed the need to identify alternative teaching approaches for developing fundamental basketball skills through the use of self-regulated learning. This approach relies primarily on pupils’ ability to regulate their own learning, identify appropriate solutions, and develop awareness of the movements required to master the skill being learned. The study aimed to investigate the effect of self-regulated learning on attentional stability and the acquisition of the basketball free-throw skill among first-grade primary school pupils. The researchers hypothesized that self-regulated learning would have a significant effect on attentional stability and free-throw skill acquisition. The study population consisted of male and female first-grade primary school pupils in the central district of Babil Governorate during the 2025–2026 academic year. The main experimental sample comprised 40 pupils from Salman Al-Muhammadi Primary School, which was randomly selected from the original study population by drawing lots. The pupils were distributed across two classes, with 22 pupils in Class A and 18 in Class B. The participants were assigned to an experimental group, which received instruction using the self-regulated learning approach, and a control group, which followed the teaching method traditionally used by the teacher. Each group consisted of 20 pupils. The groups were assessed for equivalence in the study variables before the intervention. Following data collection and analysis, the study concluded that the self-regulated learning approach played a substantial role in helping pupils acquire the basketball free-throw skill. Furthermore, improvements in attentional stability positively contributed to learning stationary shooting skills in general and the free throw in particular.