1st Edition

Game Sense Pedagogy for Performance, Participation and Enjoyment

By Richard Light Copyright 2012
    256 Pages
    by Routledge

    256 Pages
    by Routledge

    Game Sense is an exciting and innovative approach to coaching and physical education that places the game at the heart of the session. It encourages the player to develop skills in a realistic context, to become more tactically aware, to make better decisions and to have more fun. Game Sense is a comprehensive, research-informed introduction to the Game Sense approach that defines and explores key concepts and essential pedagogical theory, and that offers an extensive series of practical examples and plans for using Game Sense in real teaching and coaching situations.

    The first section of the book helps the reader to understand how learning occurs and how this informs player-centred pedagogy. It also explains the relationship between Game Sense and other approaches to Teaching Games for Understanding. The second section of the book demonstrates how the theory can be applied in practice, providing a detailed, step-by-step guide to using Game Sense in eleven sports, including soccer, basketball, field hockey and softball.

    No other book explores the Game Sense approach in such depth, or combines theory and innovative practical techniques. Game Sense is invaluable reading for all students of physical education or sports coaching, any in-service physical education teacher or any sports coach working with children or young people.

    Preface.  Acknowledgements.  Abbreviations.  Section I  1. Introduction  2. The Development of Game Sense  3. Theorizing Learning In and Through Game Sense  4. Game Sense for Physical Education and Sport Coaching  5. Game Sense Pedagogy  6. Assessing Knowledge-In-Action In Team Games  Section II  7. Touch Rugby  8. Oztag  9. Australian Football  10. Soccer  11. Field Hockey  12. Basketball  13. Netball  14. Cricket (Kanga)  15. Softball  16. Ultimate Frisbee  17. Volleyball.  Bibliography. Index.

    Biography

    Richard Light is Professorial Research Fellow in the School of Health Sciences, University of Ballarat, Australia. Richard was a foundation member of the Teaching Games for Understanding Task Force within AIESEP (International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education) and the convenor of the second international TGfU conference in Melbourne in 2003 and the 2006 Asia-Pacific Conference for Teaching Physical Education and Sport for Understanding in Sydney, Australia. He coordinated the pre-conference TGfU symposia at the 2006 AIESEP World Congress in Finland, the 2008 AIESEP Congress in Japan and the 2008 ISCPES conference at the University of Macau. Richard has edited volumes on TGfU and the Games Approach to sport coaching.

    "This excellent book, Game Sense: Pedagogy for Performance, Participation and Enjoyment, is long overdue and will make a significant contribution toward improving teaching and learning in physical education. Written by Australia's leading physical education theorist, it also shows his practical background because the chapters are very easy to use and particularly when linked with the theoretical chapters. I have used all the modified games in the chapter on softball in my undergraduate classes and they work very well. My students have also used them with success in their teaching in schools and report very positive student responses", Dr Steve Georgakis, Senior Lecturer, PDHPE, University of Sydney, Australia

    "As a lecturer in Physical Education, I found the framework used in Game Sense: Pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment very useful and easy to follow. This supported me in my ability to execute the games effectively and ensure students were engaged and aware of their own learning throughout the unit. Pre-service teachers often struggle with understanding and using innovation in physical education due to them bringing their past experiences with them. However, with this clear and simple approach to Game Sense, my students were able to bring new meanings to different physical activity experiences ... I highly recommend this unit on volleyball and the approach presented in this book to all those who are interested in providing meaningful and engaging learning experiences for their students in physical education", Daniela Falecki, University PE tutor, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, Australia