A Comparison of the Effectiveness of the Lecture-Demo and Self-Instructional Module Methods in Teaching Basic LAPUNTI Arnis Strikes

Abstract

Like many other martial arts, arnis, the Philippines’s national martial art and sport characterized by stick-assisted or bare-handed fighting, is usually taught using methods often regarded as teacher-centered. Recently, however, physical education instructors have shown deepening interest in learning-oriented and student-centered approaches, which often fall under the umbrella concept of constructivism. This four-week experimental study using the post-test-only control group design compared two methods for teaching the 12 basic LAPUNTI (Labangon, Punta Princesa, Tisa)-style arnis strikes: the lecture-demo, generally held to be a teacher-centered method, and the printed self-instructional module, generally regarded as learner-centered and believed to foster active learning. The comparison was based primarily on post-test scores from the 47 students of the University of the Philippines Cebu who participated in the study. The rubrics-scored post-test was designed to determine the masterful and accurate execution of the basic LAPUNTI arnis strikes. Both experimental and control groups earned “Very High” mean scores, indicating comparable levels of post-instruction student performance. No significant difference was found between the lecture-method and self-instructional module method. The study found that the self-instructional module method was just as effectiveas the lecture-demo method in the teaching of LAPUNTI-style arnis strikes. Keywords - Physical education, martial arts, lecture-demo, self-instructional module,arnis, constructivism, experimental study, Philippines