The Impact of the Independent Curriculum on Student Engagement in Physical Education: A Pretest–Posttest Study

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-591-1_34How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Independent Curriculum; Student Engagement; Physical Education; Sport Pedagogy; Pretest–Posttest Design; N-Gain Analysis; Student-Centered Learning; Learning Outcomes

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of the Independent Curriculum (Kurikulum Merdeka) on student engagement in physical education learning. A quantitative pre-experimental design employing a one-group pretest–posttest model was applied to a sample of 20 secondary-level students. Student engagement was measured using a validated questionnaire encompassing three dimensions: behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, Shapiro–Wilk normality testing, and paired-sample t-tests to determine the significance of differences between pretest and posttest scores. The findings reveal a statistically significant improvement in student engagement, with mean scores increasing from 38.20 (pretest) to 49.60 (posttest) (p < 0.001). The normalized gain (N-Gain) value of 0.61 indicates a moderate level of effectiveness. These results suggest that the Independent Curriculum fosters more active, student-centered learning environments, aligning with constructivist and autonomy-supportive pedagogical frameworks that enhance engagement in physical education contexts [1], [2]. From a sport pedagogy perspective, increased engagement reflects improved learner participation, motivation, and cognitive involvement, which are critical determinants of learning outcomes and physical literacy development [3]. Despite the positive impact, the moderate N-Gain score indicates that further instructional optimization—particularly through differentiated instruction and technology integration—is required to maximize engagement outcomes [4]. In conclusion, the implementation of the Independent Curriculum significantly enhances student engagement in physical education. However, sustained effectiveness depends on pedagogical refinement and contextual adaptation in line with contemporary sport education models.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Usman Nasution
AU  - Ibrahim Ibrahim
AU  - Ade Ros Riza
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/24
TI  - The Impact of the Independent Curriculum on Student Engagement in Physical Education: A Pretest–Posttest Study
BT  - Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference of Sport Science, Sport Coaching Science, and Physical Education, and Recreation 2025 (ICOSSCOPER 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 348
EP  - 357
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-591-1_34
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-591-1_34
ID  - Nasution2026
ER  -