The impacts of project based learning strategy with physical activity based on gender towards the students’ learning achievement and self confidence

Introduction: This study explored the effects of the Gallery Walks technique on students' academic performance and self-confidence, considering gender differences. Objective: To assess the impact of a project-based strategy integrated with physical exercise through the Gallery Walks technique on students' academic performance and self-confidence. This study accounted for gender-based variations in its analysis. Methodology: The research employed a quasi-experimental methodology, incorporating a pre-test and post-test framework. The study encompassed 40 second-semester students from Universitas PGRI Palembang. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group and a control group, each comprising 20 students (10 males and 10 females) to ensure equitable gender representation. Results: The results showed that the experimental group achieved significant improvements in academic performance (+9.10 points, Sig. = 0.000) and self-confidence (+23.85 points, Sig. = 0.000), while the control group showed little improvement. Female students outperformed their male counterparts academically, while male students displayed greater self-confidence. Discussion: The Gallery Walks method markedly enhanced students' academic performance and self-assurance, with variations in impact according to gender. Conclusions: This study advocates for the broader implementation of this learning technique, emphasizing the importance of addressing gender disparities to enhance student learning results.