Critical Analysis of Personal Learning in Sport/Physical Education 1
Critical Analysis of Personal Learning in Sport/Physical Education 1
I have encountered many different learning experiences whilst being involved in sport and physical education. Watkins and Mortimore (1999), sighted in Jones, Armour & Potrac (2004), states that learning can not take place without teaching, so my learning experiences must have been affected, if not moulded by the teacher of that activity.
My first example of this is aerobics lessons in secondary school. The teacher used a command style of teaching in conjunction with the mirror analogy, which Kirk stated as a traditional concept of learning, where learners can be taught through copying the actions of a teacher or coach. The command style is a 'teacher centred approach in which teachers direct student learning', Kirk et al (2004). Armour states that 'verbal and visual feedback from teacher to learner play a prominent role', and that 'learning outcomes focus on information, techniques and control'. This style of teaching was good for aerobics as it allowed a large group of learners to do relatively simple exercises at a fast pace. Therefore it can be said that the number of individuals and the type of task affected the teaching style and hence, my learning experience.
My learning experiences have also been affected by the environment in which a task has taken place. Environment is seen in pedagogical terms by Ian McGeechan as a concept in which 'players can grow', and Bob Dwyer says that 'it's about developing a sense of confidence in players', sighted in Jones, Armour & Potrac (2004). Again during secondary school, whilst being taught to throw the javelin, I had sessions in the sports hall and on the field. In the sports hall, space was limited, so the javelin hit the wall before the ground, so feedback was limited. Karaskova (2002) states that feedback is essential to learning, so I couldn't have been learning fully without this feedback. This lack of feedback made me feel uneasy as the teacher could not tell me if my throws were correct or not. In the field both the teacher and I could see the end results of my throws, so feedback was more readily given, so my enjoyment and understanding of the task was increased, thus improving my learning experience. It can be said that the environment in which a task is taking place can affect learning experience, in terms of physical surrounding and state of mind.
I also feel I have had good learning experiences whilst training with the school rugby team. Although my initial learning was due to peers, once more experienced, the coach taught us mainly in the form of modified games. This is an example of the use of a teaching model called 'teaching games for understanding', which has the main goal of facilitating development of competent games players, the two main areas being tactical awareness and skill execution, Griffin, Mitchell & Oslin (1997). A modified game is one where one or all of the following are changed & challenges and problems are meant to be solved; rules, playing area, equipment and number of players, Spackman (1983) sighted in Griffin, Mitchell & Oslin (1997). The coach used the modified game to increase tactical awareness in both attack and defence and also to increase the quality of rucking and mauling. The coach set drills and discussed good and bad points of every run through. This is a guided discovery style of teaching which Kirk et al (2004) stated is a 'style of teaching in which the teacher guides rather than directs the learner through a series of tasks', and it greatly increased my understanding of rugby as the skills and tactics were easily transferable to the full game.
Critical Analysis of Personal Learning in Sport/Physical Education 2
I have had learning experiences in many different sports including athletics, skiing, basketball and diving. However I am going to focus mainly on my experiences in basketball because this is the one in which I have had the most varied experience in and the one in which I feel most confident.
I first learned basketball purely by peer teaching where there wasn't a teacher involved. I learned it from older schoolmates by just watching. First I was told and shown how to dribble the ball. Then as ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
Critical Analysis of Personal Learning in Sport/Physical Education 2
I have had learning experiences in many different sports including athletics, skiing, basketball and diving. However I am going to focus mainly on my experiences in basketball because this is the one in which I have had the most varied experience in and the one in which I feel most confident.
I first learned basketball purely by peer teaching where there wasn't a teacher involved. I learned it from older schoolmates by just watching. First I was told and shown how to dribble the ball. Then as I grew older and more experienced than some of my younger peers, the role reversed and I could sometimes be the coach and show them how to do some basic techniques. Peer teaching is a good experience for the learner because the pressure is not as great as learning during an organised lesson. However, the quality of teaching and the correctness of technique might not be as satisfactory when being taught in this way. I do not remember if I was taught using the peer teaching method during a lesson on school. I assume that the school I went to, in Hong Kong, still used the traditional framework of teaching.
Metzler (2000) describes the differences between teacher mediated and peer mediated teaching ratio as that of pupil to teacher is lower in peer-teaching and engaged time is much higher, thus pupils are more encouraged when they are learning from other pupils. However, he also states that the peer training requirement is high and that quality control is much needed.
When I continued my education in the UK, I started to receive proper coaching sessions which were teacher mediated and the coach used a direct, command style of teaching. He also used a style which incorporated aspects the teaching games for understanding model. Kirk (2004) states that this model 'considers various aspects of game performance in terms of what an individual must learn in order to be viewed as a competent player'. My coach broke down the game into different aspects and we practiced by doing drills which he set up. In order to motivate players, negative reinforcement was used, such as punishments like press-ups for a loosing team in a mini game. These mini games were an example of the cooperative learning model, where large groups are split up into equally talented groups in which everybody's performance counts. This model is closely related to the teaching personal and social responsibility in terms of teamwork and group ethics and morality.
To conclude the analysis of my personal experiences in terms of sport and physical education, I think it is obvious that I have had two different teaching styles, one a commanding, directing approach whilst I was in Hong Kong, and the other, whilst in England, a self-discovery type approach. Obviously, there were exceptions to this, but during my time in Hong Kong, I was taught using the empty bucket analogy, where a pupil is 'filled up with knowledge', as an empty bucket is. During schooling in England more modern methods were used which affected my learning experience, I feel, in a positive way.
Comparison of the Two Critical Analysis of Personal Learning in Sport/Physical Education
The major point in which the content of both of the analyses differ is that one participant was brought up in Hong Kong, where as the other had all of his education in the UK. Obviously the curricula of these two countries differ, and this is shown in the personal learning experiences of sport and physical education of both subjects.
The learner who was educated in Hong Kong was taught using a command style of teaching in almost all learning experiences which used a qualified teacher. Armour (2004) stated that the command style 'provides information and direction' from teacher to learner and 'learning outcomes focus on information, techniques and control'. Advantages of this are that a large class can be taught simple skills, and the class is easier to keep under control. Disadvantages are that individual learning can be ignored, only simple tasks can be taught and during team games social loafing can occur, Williams & Karau (1991). This is where an individual does not perform to the peak of their ability and allows other team members to do his or her work for them, Williams & Karau (1991). The learner who was taught in the UK did experience the command style of teaching, though on much fewer occasions. The command style of teaching was only experienced during lessons where there were large groups of learners, who needed directing as they had little or no experience in the exercises being undertaken, for example aerobics lessons.
Another of the differences between the two learning experiences was that one learner was taught using the 'empty bucket' analogy, where a person is treated as if he or she has no information and is 'filled up with knowledge' about a certain skill or tactic and then is meant to be able to perform it, Kirk (2004). This can be a good style of teaching if the learner has limited knowledge of an exercise, however can be limiting when teaching a large group with varying abilities, Kirk (2004). The other learner was taught in some instances by the use of the mirror analogy, where a learner is meant to 'learn by copying' Kirk (2004). This again has its advantages in that any number of learners can be taught at any one time, and both verbal and visual feedback can be given. Disadvantages include that there is no accounting for varied abilities in a group as everyone would be doing the same movements Kirk (2004).
The final major difference between the two learners was during their secondary education, whilst participating in invasion games. The UK learner was being taught rugby with the use of the 'Teaching Games for Understanding' model, where tactical awareness and skill execution are seen as the two dimensions of competent game performance, Kirk (2004). Tactical awareness is concerned with 'the ability to identify tactical problems that arise during a game and to select the appropriate responses to solve them' Griffin et al (1997), sighted in Kirk (2004). The learner states that the tactics and skills learned due to this style of teaching were easily transferable to the full game. In contrast the learner brought up in Hong Kong stated that drills were used during basketball training and although they were related to the basic skills of the game, for example passing, shooting and dribbling, they could not easily be transferred to the full game. This learner does however continue to say that external rewards and punishments were used for winners and losers of sub-games respectively. Deci, Koestner & Ryan (1999), state that external rewards can be used to great effect in terms of motivating athletes. This style of teaching was not experienced by the UK based learner.
Both of the subjects experienced peer teaching whilst being involved in sport. The UK based learner was initially taught rugby by peers in recreational situations both at home and in school. He recalls learning through playing the game with friends and stopping at appropriate intervals to be shown how to perform the skills needed to become an adequate player. The learner based in Hong Kong was also taught the very basic skills of basketball by peers who were more experienced than him. Although both of these examples are taken outside the classroom situation, the basic principles of peer teaching still exist. Armour (2004) states that the 'individuals learn by interaction with... people' and that peer teaching should be used for 'relatively straightforward tasks'. Both of these statements apply to both of the learners, as only the basic skills of the game were learned and not the more complex tactical elements. Peer teaching is good because it allows a learner to be taught in a no pressure environment where emphasis seems to be based on enjoyment, rather than actual learning, Boud (1997). Although peer teaching has its good points, there are also some problems with it, such as the fact that a task or skill is more likely to be taught incorrectly than if it was learned directly from a teacher or coach, as the tutor may have little experience or bad habits, Armour (2004). Safety can also be an issue during peer teaching, as this is rarely taken into account.
This interaction with peers also helped both of the learners develop socially and morally. Although again the situation is out of the classroom, the basic elements of the teaching model, Taking Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) are apparent. Armour (2004) states that 'learning in the activity is secondary to learning personal and social responsibility'. Both learners agreed that during peer teaching, the emphasis was on fun, with little or no pressure to perform, thus social and moral elements of learning seemed to be focussed on. Neither of the learners had experienced peer teaching or the use of the TPSR model in planned physical education or sporting exercises.
Both of the learners had vastly different experiences of personal learning in sport/physical education. This was probably due mainly to the fact that they were brought up in different countries, where the learning environments seem to differ vastly. In Hong Kong the emphasis of learning is based on more traditional, military style methods, whereas in the UK, more modern teaching styles appear to be in use.
Word count: 2,111
Bibliography
Armour, K., Kirk, D., Lecture Notes, 14th October 2004
Armour, K., Lecture Notes, 21st October 2004
Armour, K., Lecture Notes, 18th and 25th November 2004
Boud, D., (1997) Peer Learning and Assessment, http://www.education.uts.edu.au/ostaff/staff/publications/db_23_bcs_aehe99.pdf, sighted on 11th January 2005
Deci E.L., Koestner R., Ryan R.M., (1999) A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10589297&dopt=Citation, sighted on January 9th 2005
Griffin, L.L., Mitchell, S.A. & Oslin, J.L. (1997) Teaching Sports Concepts and Skills: A Tactical Games Approach. Champaign: Human Kinetics
Jones, R., Armour, K.M. & Potrac, P. (2004). Sports Coaching Cultures. From Practice to Theory. London: Routledge.
Karaskova, V., (2002) Effect of Feedback on the Level of Motion Achievement, http://publib.upol.cz/~obd/fulltext/Gymnica32-1/gymnica32-1_5.pdf, sighted on 22nd December 2004.
Kirk, D., Burgess-Limerick, R., Kiss, M., Lahey, J. and Penney, D. (2004) Theories of Learning physical activity, pp. 2-18 in D. Kirk et al. (Eds.) Senior Physical Education: An Integrated Approach Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics (2nd Edition).
Kirk, D., Lecture Notes, 4th and 11th November 2004
Williams, K.D., Karau S.J., (1991) Social loafing and social compensation: the effects of expectations of co-worker performance, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1960649&dopt=Citation, sighted on 19th December 2004
