Top 10 Research Questions Related to Teaching Games for Understanding

Abstract

In this article, we elaborate on 10 current research questions related to the “teaching games for understanding” (TGfU) approach with the objective of both developing the model itself and fostering game understanding, tactical decision making, and game-playing ability in invasion and net/wall games: (1) How can existing scientific approaches from different disciplines be used to enhance game play for beginners and proficient players? (2) How can state-of-the-art technology be integrated to game-play evaluations of beginners and proficient players by employing corresponding assessments? (4) How can complexity thinking be utilized to shape day-to-day physical education (PE) and coaching practices? (5) How can game making/designing be helpfully utilized for emergent learning? (6) How could purposeful game design create constraints that enable tactical understanding and skill development through adaptive learning and distributed cognition? (7) How can teacher/coach development programs benefit from game-centered approaches? (8) How can TGfU-related approaches be implemented in teacher or coach education with the goal of facilitating preservice and in-service teachers/coaches’ learning to teach and thereby foster their professional development from novices to experienced practitioners? (9) Can the TGfU approach be considered a helpful model across different cultures? (10) Can physical/psychomotor, cognitive, affective/social, and cultural development be fostered via TGfU approaches? The answers to these questions are critical not only for the advancement of teaching and coaching in PE and sport-based clubs, but also for an in-depth discussion on new scientific avenues and technological tools.

Teaching handball to players under-12: the perspective of Brazilian coaches

“…During the execution of the game, coaches indicated in CSD1 to teach U-12 handball is the fundamental role of establishing targets related to the game skills (perception, attention, anticipation and decision making) 28 and the specific principles of the offensive and defensive phases 5 . Memmert et al 12 suggests that is not easy to implement game-centred approaches. In Brazilian context some coaches held degrees in Physical Education where the curriculum emphasized the technique approach (the historic context was discussed by Matta, Richards and Hemphill 52 ) in all of the sports stages, is possible to contextualize the opinion of CSD3, without agreeing to this statement.…”

“…modification through representation and modification through exaggeration) and should also be culminated in the development of different capacities required for the game. In this context, teaching through TGfU can develop general principles, like spatial awareness, width, and depth, required in different sports 12 . The specific skills for the development of handball include the game experiences, as verified by the intensity of the interviewed coaches' positions.…”

“…However, this finding is not only based on the fact that the pedagogical approaches are diametrically opposed, but also on the practical implications for players in the complex technicaltactical scenario of the game. The complex context of team sports, in which the game scenario changes dynamically, reveals the importance of players' decision making 5,12,28 , who need to solve a large number of problems related to the interactions with teammates and opponents 29 .…”

“…Some authors 4 are concerned with teaching through games and game situations in complex contexts (such as Teaching Games for Understanding -TGfU). The emphasis on tactical aspects is more coherent within the context of handball for prioritizing aspects such as decision-making and creativity, which are not contemplated by the technique approach 12 . The complexity of team sports is not restricted only to game scenarios (i.e.…”

A comparative analysis of badminton game instructions effect of non-linear pedagogy and linear pedagogy

“…Games like badminton, hockey, soccer, basketball players need to have a good command of game knowledge for quick movement to base, decision-making as to "what to do" and "how to do" right skill execution in game situation, speed and accuracy in executing skills at the right time in a game play [12,18,27,39]. Developing players' on these game configuration and specific game motor fitness are among many challenges faced by PE teachers through pedagogical approaches be it linear or non-linear methodology [4,20,37]. The TGfU model has non linear pedagogy elements seems to be popular game learning compare to linear model or known as skilled-based teaching or technical model [13].…”