The effectiveness of the pentagram strategy in developing students' intellectual flexibility

This research aims to identify the effectiveness of the Pentagram strategy in developing students' cognitive flexibility in physical education classes. This strategy represents a learning model based on integrating cognitive and motor aspects within a single context, thus enhancing divergent thinking and mental adaptation when facing educational situations. The research adopted an experimental approach with a two-group design: an experimental group (46 students) that received instruction using the Pentagram strategy, and a control group (46 students) that studied using the traditional method. The total sample size was 92 physical education students, selected purposively to ensure their characteristics were suitable for implementing the strategy. The students were selected to ensure their suitability for the requirements of the strategy. The researcher used a validated and reliable intellectual flexibility scale, which was administered to both groups before and after the intervention. A training manual based on the steps of the Pentagram strategy (analysis, visualization, planning, simulation, and practical application) was also developed and implemented with the experimental group over a specific time. The results showed statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-test means for the experimental group, favoring the post-test, indicating a clear improvement in their intellectual flexibility. Furthermore, the results demonstrated the superiority of the experimental group over the control group in the post-test, proving the effectiveness of the Pentagram strategy compared to the traditional method. This result is attributed to the opportunities the strategy provides for diverse thinking, multiple problem-solving approaches, and positive interaction within educational situations, in addition to the balanced integration of cognitive and motor skills in physical education lessons. The research recommends adopting the Pentagram strategy in teaching physical education lessons, implementing training programs for teachers to enhance their ability to utilize it, and conducting future studies to investigate its impact on other cognitive and psychological skills.