Game Sense Approaches

to Teaching
Our Approaches to Teaching PDHPE is
through the Best Practices of a Game
Sense Approach.

PDHPE is taught throughout primary school with the intention of developing students
knowledge and understanding, skills and values and attitudes that will enable them to
adopt and lead healthy and fulfilling lives (Board of studies-PDHPE, 2012). The process
of successfully fulfilling these intentions throughout primary involves the use of a game
sense teaching approach where students actively participate in their learning making
the process meaningful and taking part in a learning that is progressive.

Year 4s PDHPE lessons address these intentions by adopting a learner-centred model
that fosters the development of physical literacy through game-centred activities
designed to enhance students game performance, cognitive responses and skill
development in a positive and highly motivational setting (Mandigo, Butler, & Hopper,
2007)
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The intention is to adopt pedagogical strategies to facilitate for a learning that is
interactively engaging. It is interactive and engaging when students participate in
collaborative tasks and hands on activities towards a better understanding of the
content and how to apply it. In the context of outdoor physical activity, the intention is
to build students movement skills and techniques so as to apply them in various games,
not just one.

A game sense approach is like a physical literacy that is predicated upon the concept
that different games can be grouped together as they contain similar structures
enhancing students tactical understandings, the skill to be learned and transferred into
other games in order to master more than one skill (Ellis, 1983; Hopper & Bell, 2000).

The intention is for year 4 students to go beyond the mastery of one skill in one
sporting game but broaden their skills and apply it in other games and be reflective of
the skill, identifying its applicability in other contexts and how they can improve
themselves by reflecting on their actions.



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Game sense enhances students knowledge on the importance of fundamental skills and
allows them to think creatively on other ways they can use the skill and collaborate with
students testing its effectiveness and enhances their creative thinking. Educators
facilitate for this by implementing developmentally appropriate games that
demonstrate how to use a particular tactical solutions and then introduce another one
that uses similar skills. It is also important to get students to add in their own ideas or
reflect on other tactical solutions.

An example of a game sense approach could be the notion of aiming at a target which is
incorporated in a range of games such as; bowling, golf, archery and many more. In light
of this it enhances students strategic thinking in applying the skill in other contexts
where the implementation of diverse and engaging games stimulate students
participation in PDHPE.



Rationale of the Strengths in Adopting a
Game Sense Approach into Year 4s
Learning
A game sense approach can be applied into year 4s learning by implementing a
learner centred model that fosters a physical literacy through games to enhance
students wellbeing (Mandigo, Butler & Hopper, 2007).

This game sense approach will take place according to the Stage 2 syllabus
content strands of Active lifestyle, Dance, Games and Sports, Growth and
Development, Gymnastics, Interpersonal Relationships, Personal Health Choices
and Safe Living.




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In the Games and Sports content area; GSS2.8 Where students will participate
and use equipment in a variety of games and modified sports (Board of Studies-
PDHPE, 2012). An example sporting activity that addresses this outcome is
invasion games where students:
Demonstrate fun ways of practicing skills, i.e. with partners and teams
Demonstrate a range of skills in practices and modified games i.e. throwing and
catching in moving and stationary positions, striking or dribbling with hand, foot,
stick or bat.

These outcomes and descriptors can be applied within other games such as net
and wall games where students can continue the skill of throwing, catching,
striking and positioning across the field. The intention is to provide games which
share tactical knowledge across various sports for students to be knowledgeable
in playing more than one sport.

The strengths of using a game sense approach is that students are active
participants in their learning where they continue and develop their skills and
how to apply it in other contexts. As a result it is meeting the students cognitive
skills as they become strategic thinkers, physically develop movement skills and
emotionally as they collaborate with peers through the student centred
learning.

The positivity of a game sense approach is that it broadens the possibilities of
other games and content that can be incorporated within PDHPE. This is due to
the notion of a game sense not being specific to one skill but can be modified to
reduce and increase the demand of techniques (Light, 2006) and being inclusive
for all student abilities.
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References:
Board of Studies, NSW. (2007). Personal development, health and physical
education K-6: Syllabus. Sydney, Australia: Author.

Ellis, M. (1983). The classification and analysis of games: A system for the
classification of games. University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Canada.

Hooper, T., Bell, F. (2000). A tactical framework for teaching games: Teaching
strategies understanding. Canadian association for health physical education,
Recreation and Dance journal. V.64, p.14-19

Light, R. (2006). Game sense: Innovation or just good coaching? Journal of Physical
Education New Zealand. V. 39, p. 8-19.

Mandigo, J., Butler, J., & Hopper, T. (2007). What is teaching games for
understanding? A Canadian perspective. Physical & Health Education Journal,
73(2), 14-20.