PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Physical Education





Physical Education

The term itself has no agreed definition but the more widely accepted definitions refer to it as "a set of teaching tactics" (Galton et al, 1980) "instructional format" (Siedentop, 1991). In PE circles the definition of it as "the general pattern created by using a particular set of strategies" (BAALPE, 1989, p.9) provides a neat working definition.

Over the last thirty years a number of writers in the United Kingdom have identified particular teaching styles and related them to philosophies of teaching or to specific learning outcomes (Bennett, 1978). Emerging from this work and that of other writers specifically in PE (Kane, 1974) are two important findings. Firstly, that integral to teaching styles is its effect on the involvement of students in the learning process. Secondly, while it is acknowledged that many teachers have their own individual styles of instruction, relying on personal preference is an unstable basis for effective teaching and that selection of a teaching style must be done on a more logical and scientific basis. (Son 2002 26-42)

By far the most detailed analysis of teaching styles and behaviours came from work originated in the United States by Kim (2002). His ideas on the interactions between teacher and student have been developed since his initial publication and have provided a framework for teaching physical education in different contexts all over the world. So influential was it that the work that it was described as "the most significant advance in the theory of physical education pedagogy in recent history" (Kim, 2003, p.1227). So why is it so successful? What is it about Mosston's ideas that make them so enduring? The answer lies in the framework for teaching which he called the Spectrum of Teaching Styles.

The Spectrum established a framework of possible options in the relationship between teacher and learner (Mosston & Ashworth, 1986) and was based on the central importance of decision-making. He grouped these into pre-impact, impact and post-impact categories and proposed that these govern all teaching. The pre-impact set is concerned with decisions made before teaching; at preparation phase and involves subject matter, learning objectives, organisation and presentation. The impact set includes decisions relating to performance and execution while the post-impact set includes evaluation of performance and feedback from learner to teacher.

The Spectrum incorporates ten landmark styles based on the degree to which the teacher or the student assumes responsibility for what happens in a lesson. This describes a continuum, where at one extreme is the direct, teacher-led approach and at the other lies a much more open-ended and student-centred style where the teacher acts only in a facilitatory role.

The teaching styles are:

 

1.Style A Command - teacher makes all decisions

2.Style B Practice - Students carry out teacher-prescribed tasks

3.Style C Reciprocal - Students work in pairs: one performs, the other provides feedback

4.Style D Self-check - Students assess their own performance against criteria

5.Style E Inclusion - Teacher planned. Student monitors own work.

6.Style F Guided Discovery - Students solve teacher set movement problems with ...