Student game-play performance in invasion games following three consecutive hybrid Sport Education seasons

Abstract

This study was the first to examine game performance according to the tactical structures of invasion games throughout three consecutive model-based units. Twenty-six seventh grade students participated in three Sport Education seasons (basketball, handball, and football) taught through the tactical framework Invasion Games Competence model. Team membership remained the same throughout the three seasons and pre- and post-test game-play of three-a-side games involving the same opponent teams was assessed. Measures included overall game performance and four tactical structures indices: creating scoring opportunities (CSO); setting up an attack (SUA); prevent CSO; and prevent SUA. A 3 (group) × 2 (time) repeated measures analysis of variance tested differences between sports in the five performance measures. Correlations between the four tactical structures and game performance were tested and a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to examine the predictive weight of the four tactical structures indices on game performance. While there were significant improvements in game performance of handball and football, but not in basketball, the breaking down of performance into tactical structures indices showed improvements in all seasons. The correlations increased across time between tactical structures indices and game performance and the predictive model of game performance extended to include the four tactical structures. Performance improvements were associated with contextual features of extended team membership and consequent attunement of game-play interpersonal dynamics, nature of peer-teaching mediation, and game forms design. Future research should examine the effects on game performance development of student augmented participation in problem-solving processes and asymmetric opposition game forms.

Observation Criteria for Physical Education Teachers to Identify Gifted Children through Invasion Games

“…Thus, according to Práxedes et al [30], for helping to young players with a low level of sporting skill, it is essential to carry out situations involving less tactical complexity (e.g., 3 vs. 1 or 4 vs. 2) in order to favor adequate learning. Having these results in mind, PE teachers can use invasion games for this due to the fact that these kind of games are able to measure not only decision-making, but also skill execution, avoiding the rejection of gifted children by maturity biases [36].…”

“…Traditionally, these children have been trained in a traditional way for both PE teachers and researchers [24]. Nevertheless, new trends are pushing other evaluation methods focused on a multidimensional evaluation [12] with invasion games as a suitable way to conduct this process in a school context [36].…”

“…Thus, as understanding in one invasion game develops (i.e., in soccer), the performer is able to transfer knowledge (for example of which tactics to employ in a given situation) to another invasion game (i.e., field hockey) [35]. For that reason, and due to these kinds of games represent the most tactical complexity, invasion games are one of the best possibilities for evaluating gifted children, [36]. Nevertheless, although invasion games are being used for detecting gifted children in sports, PE teachers do not yet know what the observation criteria are that can serve as the basis for detecting and enhancing sporting talent [37].…”

Effects of Verbal Interactions between Students on Skill Development, Game Performance and Game Involvement in Soccer Learning

“…This design (play-discuss-play) had a positive effect on students' decision-making, skill execution, support and game involvement but not on technical skill tests (in isolation). In this context, Farias, Mesquita, and Hastie (2019) [13] emphasized the use of guidance-based strategies to create effective instructional interactions (e.g., peer-to-peer teaching approach). The verbal interaction sequences were solicited by questioning episodes.…”

“…(2) The teacher usually assumes a facilitating role [12], and as facilitator, his or her role is to encourage and support the appropriation of the learning process by students. (3) Students are explicitly invited to learn from other students and to educate them through peer or small group teaching [13] and peer-to-peer working groups based on complementary interests or levels of performance [14,15]. 4The teacher prompts students to reflect thoughtfully and creatively and challenges them to find solutions to problems they encounter [16]; in this context a current recommendation for student-centered design, for example, is that the teacher use the "questioning" tool [17,18] and debate of ideas [19].…”