Estrategias colaborativas: efectos en la motivación intrínseca en la asignatura morfología funcional en exdeportistas universitarios

Introduction: Under certain conditions, collaborative strategies have proven to be an effective method for fostering teamwork, cooperation, and social interaction. However, international literature lacks experimental studies assessing the effects of such strategies on former university athletes. Objective: To evaluate the impact of collaborative strategies on the intrinsic motivation of former university athletes during the teaching-learning process in the subject of Functional Morphology. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted on a sufficient sample of former university athletes (n=101), divided into three independent groups: an experimental group receiving a collaborative strategy (n=33); a control group 1 (n=33) of former athletes exposed to a traditional teaching approach; and a control group 2 (n=35) of non-athletes following the same traditional strategy. All participants were enrolled in the Functional Morphology course within the Physical Culture degree programme. Results: Prior to the intervention, group 2 exhibited higher levels of intrinsic motivation than the other groups. However, by the end of the intervention, the experimental group showed improvement in five intrinsic dimensions, with the highest average rank (85.00; p<0.001). Final grades in Functional Morphology were higher in the experimental group (mean rank = 61.94), although no significant differences were observed compared to the non-athlete group (p=0.437). Conclusions: The implementation of collaborative strategies can have a substantial effect on the intrinsic motivation of former university athletes, as well as on their academic performance—particularly when these educational methods align with their prior sporting experiences.