Integrating Footwork-Based Training into the Junior High School Physical Education Curriculum: An Experimental Study on Forehand Drive Accuracy in Table Tennis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53905/edu.v1i02.13Keywords:
footwork training, forehand drive, table tennis, physical education curriculum, junior high school, motor learning, sport pedagogyAbstract
Purpose: This study investigated the effect of a structured footwork-based training (FBT) programme, systematically integrated into the junior high school physical education (PE) curriculum, on the forehand drive accuracy of adolescent table tennis players. Specifically, the study sought to determine whether an eight-week FBT intervention produced statistically significant improvements in forehand drive accuracy compared with a conventional teaching approach.
Materials and Methods: A randomised controlled experimental design with pre-test and post-test measurements was employed. A total of 60 male and female students (aged 13–15 years) enrolled in compulsory PE classes at selected junior high schools in Medan City, North Sumatra, Indonesia, were recruited and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EG, n = 30) or a control group (CG, n = 30). The EG received an eight-week FBT intervention (three sessions per week, 90 min each), while the CG continued with the standard PE curriculum. Forehand drive accuracy was assessed using the validated Backboard Test for Table Tennis adapted to the Indonesian school context, yielding scores on a 20-point scale. Data normality was confirmed via the Shapiro–Wilk test; between- and within-group differences were evaluated using paired-samples t-tests and independent-samples t-tests, with effect sizes reported as Cohen's d.
Results: The EG demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in forehand drive accuracy from pre-test (M = 10.47, SD = 1.82) to post-test (M = 15.93, SD = 1.67), t(29) = 18.43, p < .001, Cohen's d = 3.14, representing a large effect. The CG exhibited a marginal and non-significant gain (pre: M = 10.53, SD = 1.79; post: M = 11.17, SD = 1.88, p = .092). The between-group post-test comparison revealed a significant difference favouring the EG (t(58) = 11.74, p < .001, d = 2.94). The FBT programme accounted for approximately 52% of the variance in post-test accuracy scores.
Conclusions: Footwork-based training, when purposefully embedded within the PE curriculum, substantially enhances forehand drive accuracy among junior high school table tennis learners. These findings support the theoretical premise that movement efficiency is a foundational prerequisite for stroke proficiency and provide actionable evidence for PE curriculum designers, school coaches, and sport pedagogists. Future studies should extend the intervention period, incorporate female-stratified analyses, and explore contextual moderators such as prior sport experience and motor proficiency.
References
Araújo, D., & Davids, K. (2016). Team Synergies in Sport: Theory and Measures. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1449–1449. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01449
Bankosz, Z., & Winiarski, S. (2018). The kinematics of forehand and backhand loop in table tennis and their association with skill level. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 13(1), 111–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747954117718047
Bańkosz, Z., & Winiarski, S. (2018). Correlations between Angular Velocities in Selected Joints and Velocity of Table Tennis Racket during Topspin Forehand and Backhand. PubMed, 17(2), 330–338. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29769835
Bernstein, N. A. (1967). The coordination and regulation of movements. Pergamon Press.
Broadbent, D. P., Causer, J., Williams, A. M., & Ford, P. R. (2014). Perceptual‐cognitive skill training and its transfer to expert performance in the field: Future research directions. Brunel University Research Archive (BURA) (Brunel University London), 15(4), 322–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2014.957727
Buszard, T., Garofolini, A., Reid, M., Farrow, D., Oppici, L., & Whiteside, D. (2020). Scaling sports equipment for children promotes functional movement variability. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 3111–3111. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59475-5
Chen, W., & Jia, Y. (2025). Kinetic Chain Analysis of Tennis Stroke Motion Utilizing Wearable Sensors. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 74, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1109/tim.2025.3554882
Chow, J. Y., Davids, K., Button, C., & Renshaw, I. (2015). Nonlinear Pedagogy in Skill Acquisition. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315813042
Djokic, Z., & Munivrana, G. (2021). Structure of technical and tactical knowledge as a determinant of performance in table tennis. Acta Kinesiologica, 15(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.51371/issn.1840-2976.2021.15.1.1
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A., & Lang, A.-G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41(4), 1149–1160. https://doi.org/10.3758/brm.41.4.1149
Federation, I. T. T. (2023). ITTF annual report 2023. ITTF. https://www.ittf.com/annual-report
Fu, F. H., Nie, X. Y., & Wang, L. (2018). Effects of footwork training on stroke accuracy and game performance in junior table tennis players: A randomized controlled study. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(21), 2474–2481. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1449089
Fuchs, M., Liu, R., Lanzoni, I. M., Munivrana, G., Straub, G., Tamaki, S., Yoshida, K., Zhang, H., & Lames, M. (2018). Table tennis match analysis: a review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(23), 2653–2662. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1450073
Hacques, G., Komar, J., Dicks, M., & Seifert, L. (2020). Exploring to learn and learning to explore. Psychological Research, 85(4), 1367–1379. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-020-01352-x
Hao, Z., Feng, X. Y., & Kawaguchi, T. (2014). Application of movement anticipation training in table tennis to improve technical skills. International Journal of Table Tennis Sciences, 8, 39–44.
Iino, Y., & Kojima, T. (2009). Kinematics of table tennis topspin forehands: effects of performance level and ball spin. Journal of Sports Sciences, 27(12), 1311–1321. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410903264458
Kondrič, M., Zagatto, A. M., & Sekulić, D. (2013). The physiological demands of table tennis: a review. PubMed, 12(3), 362–370. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24149139
Król, P., Franek, A., Durmała, J., Błaszczak, E., Ficek, K., Król, B., Detko, E., Wnuk, B., Białek, L., & Taradaj, J. (2015). Focused and Radial Shock Wave Therapy in the Treatment of Tennis Elbow: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Study. Journal of Human Kinetics, 47(1), 127–135. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2015-0068
Lanzoni, I. M., Michele, R. D., & Merni, F. (2013). A notational analysis of shot characteristics in top‐level table tennis players. European Journal of Sport Science, 14(4), 309–317. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2013.819382
Latash, M. L. (2012). The bliss (not the problem) of motor abundance (not redundancy). Experimental Brain Research, 217(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-012-3000-4
Lee, M., Chow, J. Y., Komar, J., Tan, C. W. K., & Button, C. (2014). Nonlinear Pedagogy: An Effective Approach to Cater for Individual Differences in Learning a Sports Skill. PLoS ONE, 9(8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0104744
Mahardika, F., Alim, A., Nurfadhila, R., & Yulianto, W. D. (2022). Comparison Of Open And Closed Stance Forehand Strokes Among Yogyakarta Junior Tennis Players. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, 8(6). https://doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v8i6.4448
Munivrana, G., Petrinović, L., & Kondrič, M. (2015). Structural Analysis of Technical-Tactical Elements in Table Tennis and their Role in Different Playing Zones. Journal of Human Kinetics, 47(1), 197–214. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2015-0076
Pill, S. (2018). Game sense coaching: Practitioner experiences, challenges and thoughts on implementation. Sports Coaching Review, 7(2), 147–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2017.1349216
Prasetyo, S., & Sari, Z. N. (2025). Implementation of the Kurikulum Merdeka in high school physical education. Inovasi Kurikulum, 22(1), 449–464. https://doi.org/10.17509/jik.v22i1.80053
Puspitasari, N., Sugiyanto, F. X., & Kristiyanto, A. (2021). Developing a table tennis forehand drive accuracy test instrument for junior high school students. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 21(3), 1542–1549. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2021.03194
Qian, J., Zhang, Y., Baker, J. S., & Gu, Y. (2016). Effects of performance level on lower limb kinematics during table tennis forehand loop. PubMed, 18(3), 149–155. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27840437
Renshaw, I., Davids, K., Newcombe, D., & Roberts, W. (2019). The Constraints-Led Approach. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315102351
Roberts, W., Newcombe, D., & Davids, K. (2018). Application of a Constraints-Led Approach to pedagogy in schools: embarking on a journey to nurture Physical Literacy in primary physical education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 24(2), 162–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2018.1552675
Schulz, K. F., Altman, D. G., Moher, D., & Group, for the C. (2010). CONSORT 2010 Statement: Updated Guidelines for Reporting Parallel Group Randomised Trials. PLoS Medicine, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000251
Tang, J., Chen, X., & Wang, H. (2026). Effects of the sport education model on table tennis skills, sport motivation, and social adaptation in high school students. Frontiers in Psychology, 17, 1756123–1756123. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1756123
Warren, W. H. (2006). The dynamics of perception and action. Psychological Review, 113(2), 358–389. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295x.113.2.358
Widiastuti. (2019). Tes dan pengukuran olahraga [Sport testing and measurement]. Rajawali Pers.
World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. (2013). JAMA, 310(20), 2191–2191. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.281053
Zagatto, A. M., Morel, E. A., & Gobatto, C. A. (2016). Physiological responses and match characteristics in official table tennis competitions. Journal of Sports Sciences, 34(7), 648–654. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2015.1069384
Zayas, M. Á. O., Linares, A. J. C., Lecina, M., Ochiană, N., García-Giménez, A., & Fuente, F. P. de la. (2025). Table Tennis as a Tool for Physical Education and Health Promotion in Primary Schools: A Systematic Review. Sports, 13(8), 251–251. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13080251
Zeng, H. Z., Leung, R. W., & Mclntyre, S. P. (2019). Skill development and game performance improvements of table tennis for physical education students. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 19(4), 2393–2399. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2019.04360
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Adelia Tri Septiana Sirait, Indah Indriyani Hutabarat, Keleo Setrika Sinaga, Lola Andriani Siregar, Samsudin Siregar (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
