Academic Journal
Using Sport-Specific State-Based Mental Models to Scaffold Introductory Java Learning for Student-Athletes: A Wrestling-Inspired Conceptual and Pedagogical Framework.
| Τίτλος: | Using Sport-Specific State-Based Mental Models to Scaffold Introductory Java Learning for Student-Athletes: A Wrestling-Inspired Conceptual and Pedagogical Framework. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Zhang, Qing, Tong, Jizhou |
| Πηγή: | Knowledge; Jun2026, Vol. 6 Issue 2, p10, 24p |
| Θεματικοί όροι: | Java programming language, Analogy, Computer programming education, Teaching models, College athletes, Computational thinking, Conceptual structures, Educational support |
| Εταιρία/Οντότητα: | National Collegiate Athletic Association |
| Περίληψη: | Introductory Java programming requires learners to reason about abstract computational concepts such as program state, control flow, and execution order, which often present substantial difficulties for novice programmers. These challenges may be further intensified for collegiate student athletes when programming instruction remains disconnected from the domain knowledge that shapes their prior experiences. This paper proposes a wrestling-inspired, state-based pedagogical framework that leverages the rule system of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) wrestling as an analogical knowledge domain for introducing foundational Java programming concepts. Within this framework, wrestling match states and scoring actions are systematically mapped to core programming constructs, which include variable assignment, conditional branching, loops, method invocation, and program termination. This paper is positioned as a conceptual and pedagogical framework study rather than an empirical intervention study. It focuses on the theoretical rationale, conceptual alignment, instructional mappings, and classroom implementation possibilities of a wrestling-inspired approach. This paper does not report participant data, learning assessments, or comparative outcome measures. Instead, it illustrates how sport-specific mental models can be transformed into structured instructional representations that may support learners' reasoning about program execution. By integrating domain-aligned cognitive schemas with programming instruction, the proposed framework offers a structured knowledge scaffolding approach that is designed to support novice understanding of computational processes in introductory programming education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Knowledge is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | Complementary Index |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
|---|---|
| Header | DbId: edb DbLabel: Complementary Index An: 194941026 RelevancyScore: 1082 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 1082.4189453125 |
| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Using Sport-Specific State-Based Mental Models to Scaffold Introductory Java Learning for Student-Athletes: A Wrestling-Inspired Conceptual and Pedagogical Framework. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Qing%22">Zhang, Qing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tong%2C+Jizhou%22">Tong, Jizhou</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: Knowledge; Jun2026, Vol. 6 Issue 2, p10, 24p – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Java+programming+language%22">Java programming language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Analogy%22">Analogy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+programming+education%22">Computer programming education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+models%22">Teaching models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+athletes%22">College athletes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computational+thinking%22">Computational thinking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conceptual+structures%22">Conceptual structures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+support%22">Educational support</searchLink> – Name: SubjectCompany Label: Company/Entity Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="CO" term="%22National+Collegiate+Athletic+Association%22">National Collegiate Athletic Association</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Introductory Java programming requires learners to reason about abstract computational concepts such as program state, control flow, and execution order, which often present substantial difficulties for novice programmers. These challenges may be further intensified for collegiate student athletes when programming instruction remains disconnected from the domain knowledge that shapes their prior experiences. This paper proposes a wrestling-inspired, state-based pedagogical framework that leverages the rule system of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) wrestling as an analogical knowledge domain for introducing foundational Java programming concepts. Within this framework, wrestling match states and scoring actions are systematically mapped to core programming constructs, which include variable assignment, conditional branching, loops, method invocation, and program termination. This paper is positioned as a conceptual and pedagogical framework study rather than an empirical intervention study. It focuses on the theoretical rationale, conceptual alignment, instructional mappings, and classroom implementation possibilities of a wrestling-inspired approach. This paper does not report participant data, learning assessments, or comparative outcome measures. Instead, it illustrates how sport-specific mental models can be transformed into structured instructional representations that may support learners' reasoning about program execution. By integrating domain-aligned cognitive schemas with programming instruction, the proposed framework offers a structured knowledge scaffolding approach that is designed to support novice understanding of computational processes in introductory programming education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: Abstract Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Knowledge is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edb&AN=194941026 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.3390/knowledge6020010 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 24 StartPage: 10 Subjects: – SubjectFull: National Collegiate Athletic Association Type: general – SubjectFull: Java programming language Type: general – SubjectFull: Analogy Type: general – SubjectFull: Computer programming education Type: general – SubjectFull: Teaching models Type: general – SubjectFull: College athletes Type: general – SubjectFull: Computational thinking Type: general – SubjectFull: Conceptual structures Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational support Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Using Sport-Specific State-Based Mental Models to Scaffold Introductory Java Learning for Student-Athletes: A Wrestling-Inspired Conceptual and Pedagogical Framework. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zhang, Qing – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Tong, Jizhou IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 06 Text: Jun2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 26739585 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 6 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Knowledge Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |