Teaching Games for Understanding [TGfU]Teaching physical &
sport activities using the sole method : technique-led method
concept.
Purpose : help students aware of various techniques needed for
playing different sport activities.
Failed because inefficiency in helping students to develop
all-round abilities & doesn’t promote the development of
decision-making, creativity, application of knowledge of sport
skills to other areas of learning.
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Stage 6: Retirement/ Retainment
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
MODEL LTAD – Istvan Balyi
Chronological age
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27+
FUNdamental Stage
FUN, participation & child centred “playful environment”
Focus on general overall movement skills development
ABCs of Athleticism – Agility, Balance, Co-ordination &
Speed
Medicine ball, Swiss ball, own body strength games/exercises
No periodisation but semi-structured programme
Physical activity 5-6 times per week (note: definitions!)
Simple rules and ethics of sport.
*
Mengajar Permainan untuk Kefahaman
TGfU
Games for Understanding : Rod Thorpe & David Bunker di
University Loughboroungh UK – 1970an & 1980an
Tactical Games Model : Griffin et al. – 1997
Game Sense : Australian Sport Commission – 1997
Play Practice : Launder – 2001
PlaySport : Canada
Philosophy of Teaching Games for Understanding
TGfU approach was developed by researchers at Loughborough
University in the UK to tap into children’s inherent desire to
play.
Using ideas embedded/ fixed/ set within movement education, Bunker
and Thorpe (1982) developed the idea of TGfU - students leaving PE
programs in Britain demonstrated:
little success in games due to the emphasis on performance;
very little knowledge about games;
some supposed game skills, but in fact possessing inflexible
techniques and poor decision making capacity;
a dependence upon the coach / teacher to make decisions during
games;
little development as thinking spectators and knowing
administrators within game contexts.
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Philosophy of Teaching Games for Understanding
Although numerous versions of TGfU have emerged since Bunker and
Thorpe’s original work – Game Sense, Play Practice, Concept Based
Games, PlaySports : the basic premise has remained the same kids
games by playing games.
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Philosophy of Teaching Games for Understanding
By adopting an “I can” approach, students take part in
representative games that are developmentally appropriate for their
current skill level.
Once they have developed a better understanding of the basic
elements of the game, students are better prepared and motivated to
invest the necessary time and energy in enhancing their technical
skills.
Students also develop a better understanding of how their skills
can then be transferred back into games.
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Philosophy of Teaching Games for Understanding
With the use of tactical problems and solutions that transcend/
greater variety of games as the backbone of this approach, students
not only understand what they need to know to be successful in
games, but perhaps more importantly, when and why to make certain
decisions in dynamic game contexts.
The TGfU model is meant to not only create better and more
knowledgeable game players, but also to motivate participants while
taking part in a variety of games.
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Philosophy of Teaching Games for Understanding
Recent approaches to TGfU have advocated/ supported for a thematic
approach to teaching games. Rather than teach specific sport units
(eg. volleyball unit, soccer unit), students gain the skills &
knowledge of a variety of games associated with four game
categories:
target (curling, bowling),
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Philosophy of Teaching Games for Understanding
Exposing students to the primary rules, fundamental skills, &
tactical problems associated with each games category, students
become literate in a variety of games, not just ones chosen by the
teacher.
For example, if a student understands the basic premise behind
maintaining possession of an object in an invasion game (use short
passes, shield the ball, support the player with the ball), this
will help he/ she play a variety of invasion games where these
tactical solutions transfer between similar games.
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Not exploiting intrinsic motivation
Focus on developing technique rather than perception & decision
making
People did not understand the games
Coach/ teacher dependent
The motor program… TECHNIQUE
“too much drills will kill the young players” (Wein, 2001)
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
empowerment
Some core thought
How do people really learn – play, observation learning, ‘lots of
practice’,
Too much focus on how to rather than how ‘they’ learn?
Coach/ teacher education!!!
Rugby (Wayne Smith – All Blacks)
“we have a generations of rugby players who cannot think for
themselves…”
Coaches do not trust the players to make decisions for themselves…
and in the end the coach’s job is on the line
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
TGfU – Why?
Until they have a technique how can they play a game?
Unfortunately…
Techniques seem to break down under pressure
Many of the drills used do not transfer to the real game
Players seem to choose the wrong technique at key moments
They are different ways…
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
So how we learn…
A person cannot learn a new skill without being told and/ or shown
by an expert?
If you try to learn something without expert help – you will ended
up develop bad habits.
Errors and bad habits can only be recognized and corrected by an
expert.
There is a right technique for most activities, one that has to be
taught.
Intellectual understanding is a pre-requisite of learning good
technique.
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
What should the players be practicing?
Game Sense Coaching
“games sense is a logical way to create tactical understanding and
awareness, getting the players to make the right decisions in
various situations”
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Smith on training sessions
“I don’t have a book of drills because every time I go out there, I
do something new. Drills develop from the last training session and
reflect what we are trying to achieve next week.”
“You don’t have to do what other people do. You think of a new way,
e.g. if you want to work on your forwards picking the ball up and
going through the middle of the defence, you create ways to spread
the defence at training.
They are not even drills; they are mini-games.
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Primary 3 – teach net/ wall & territorial games concepts
Primary 4 – teach net/ wall & striking/ fielding concepts
Primary 5 – one game from net/ wall & striking/ fielding, two
games from territorial games
Primary 6 – one game from net/ wall & striking/ fielding, two
new games from territorial games
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Sec 2 – review striking/ fielding & territorial game
concepts
Sec 3 – review & introduce one new game from striking/
fielding, two new games from net/ wall & territorial game
Sec 4 – review game concepts previous introduced or new games from
other two categories
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Skills
Task
Enviroment
Individual
Modification of learning environment
Rules, equipment, pitch size, task…
Use of challenges… to let players solve problems in their own
ways…
Use of questions to help guide players to effective solutions…
discovery learning
Developing new techniques… allowing for individual solutions
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
Manipulate information during Learner’s search for solutions
Simplification vs Decomposition
Segment of performance
Scenario based learning
Game centre learning
Move away from the ‘recipe book’ approach to coaching/
teaching.
Develop a problem-solving approach to develop the players game
sense
TGfU is not just playing games
Manipulate the constraints…
Allow the players to find solutions (discovery learning)
Ask questions that help the players to solve the problems (guided
discovery)
Create a culture where mistakes are expected, if you aren’t making
mistakes then you aren’t doing anything (John Wooden)
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
TGfU – How?
A constraints-led perspective leads to an HOLISTIC approach to
skill development
All practices should be transferable to real game
Practice so that it reflects realistic situations… organized
chaos
Design practice environments that allow decision-making to emerge
naturally.
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
TGfU - Summary
Skilled performance EMERGES as a result of an athlete focused
approach to coaching that provides an integrated approach to
perceptual, decision making and technical skill development.
Players love to play games…
We can use this enjoyment to develop better players
Ahmad Rodzli Hashim, PJK.
References
Griffin L & Butler JI (2005). Teaching Games for Understanding
: Theory, Research and Practice. Human Kinetics.
Hopper. T. & Kruisselbrink D. (2003). Teaching Games for
Understanding : What does it look like and how does it influence
student skill learning and game performance?.
Renshaw. I (2001). Game Sense Coaching. Auckland University of
Technology
Slade,D.G. (2005). Theory to Practice : ‘Stick2 Hockey’. Massey
University
Quality Daily Physical Education, Vol. 6 Num. 1 : Teaching Games
for Understanding : CAHPERD
Walter Kin Yan Ho, Teaching Games for Understanding – Model Rethink
from the Integrated Perspective. University of Macao