Journal of Physical Education and Sports Management

Lars Tore Ronglan & Vidar Ertesvåg: Becoming a Team Player? Learning Outcomes from Implementing a Team-Based TGfU Unit in High School
Lars Tore Ronglan, Vidar Ertesvåg

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to implement a ‘teaching experiment’ in a Norwegian high school PE class, where elements from a Cooperative Learning model were fed into a Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) unit to reach social-interactive learning outcomes. A class of 21 students (17 year old) was divided into three heterogeneous teams of seven students each, working together throughout an invasion game unit consisting of nine 90 minutes lessons. The aim was to (a) involve each team member, (b) improve tactical understanding and awareness, and (c) improve team communication and cooperation. Data sources were observation of each lesson, teacher journals, student log books from each lesson, and in-depth interviews with ten students after the unit was finished. Findings indicated that the use of stable and heterogeneous teams seemed productive in this unit, promoting team-based student-student learning. Specifically, inexperienced students developed their understanding and involvement in play, and experienced players developed their ability to relate to team mates and involve them in joint problem solving. Recognizing ‘relational skills’ as important as ‘individual skills’ in team games should inspire further investigation of how TGfU units might be structured to highlight the social dimensions of game competence.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jpesm.v2n1a4