My experience of using the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) model

My first experience of Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU): 

My experience of using Teaching Games for understanding started off with some basic training in the model such as learning about the pedagogical theory behind it and the basic principles and structure of the model, research literature shows that this is the first step that teachers go through in the hope of them then being able to deliver the model correctly (Wang and Wang, 2018). We then went onto experience a lesson from the student's perspective as our lecturer planned a practical that follows the model which helped to me to start to understand how the model would look in real life. The literature tells us that many preservice teachers find it helpful to see their peers/teachers teach the model before they teach it which links to my experience with TGfU (Parkes and Hemphill, 2023; Joyce et al., 2014; Chatoupis, 2017). Our lecturer planned the lesson on an invasion game in order to help us to feel more comfortable as we all already had some knowledge of invasion games so therefore our sole attention would be on the new information coming from the teaching method instead of also trying to learn about a new classification of game that we may never have played before and this also allowed us to transfer our previous knowledge of invasion games to this situation (Chatoupis, 2017). Looking back at this experience I think it was vital to my overall understanding of the teaching games for understanding model which meant I was then able to effectively implement it into a session plan within the next lesson (Chatoupis, 2017). 

This is what the structure of TGfU looks like compared to 'traditional' physical education:

(Bunker and Thorpe, 1982)

My experience with Lesson Planning using TGfU:
Before I started planning my session to implement teaching games for understanding I felt overwhelmed, anxious and confused about how to follow the model in a real teaching episode, these feelings are similar to those reported by the teachers in the study done by Diaz-Cueto et al. (2010). The first thing we did when starting to plan our session was plan the learning objectives to make sure that they aligned with TGfU principles, such as having a cognitive outcome to make sure that the players know what to do and not just how to do it (Roberts, 2011). The next thing that we planned was the activities that we were going to do and how they would progress following the TGfU model structure to make sure that the learner is thinking about the why (Hopper, 1998).The last thing that was planned was the questions we would ask throughout the session, and this is a key element to the teaching games for understanding model, so it is vital to plan them out thoroughly (Griffin et al., 2023; Bunker and Thorpe, 1982). When I was planning to deliver a session using the teaching games for understanding model, I used prior knowledge of the model from the previous weeks learning about it, this is similar to many teachers in interventions as researchers provide them with training before they start implementing it (Nathan, 2016; Hortigüela-Alcalá and Hernando-Garijo, 2017; Wang and Wang, 2018; Barba-Martin et al., 2020). After we had finished planning the session I felt more confident and relaxed due to getting our lecturer to look over it and make sure that we had followed the model correctly, this is similar to many pre-service teachers as research shows that they felt more confident in their plan when they had someone with more experience using the model checking and helping them (Parkes and Hemphill, 2023). 
Watch this video to see an example session plan using the teaching games for understanding model:
(Feith, 2012)


My experience with delivering a TGfU Session:
Before we delivered our session, I was worried that it might not flow correctly and may not follow the model, the literature shows that this is a common feeling amongst teachers when delivering using this model for the first time and then they revert to traditional methods of teaching physical education (Moy et al., 2013). Most preservice teachers lack knowledge and experience of using TGfU and can cause them to lack confidence in what they are delivering, this conforms with my experience of teaching using TGfU as during the session I felt unsure on if what I was delivering was following the model correctly (Heemsoth et al., 2022). However, after delivering this session I  felt more comfortable and confident due to the session having flowed from activity to activity seamlessly which is common for preservice teachers, as after they have participated in an intervention based upon using the teaching games for understanding model, they have become open to using the model going forward when delivering physical education (Moy et al., 2013). When evaluating the session I delivered using the teaching games for understanding model I believe that I could have broken the game down further into a more skill appreciative task to focus more on the skill practice section of the model, however many preservice teachers struggle to structure their sessions to include the skill practice section the way Bunker and Thorpe (1982) had intended (Parkes and Hemphill, 2023). Overall based upon all my experiences with TGfU I believe that as preservice teachers we should try to implement it into our future practices. I found that as a learner, I felt more engaged and enjoyed the session more and as a teacher, the students I was teaching seemed to be more motivated and understood the sport more than when using traditional methods, this is also reported by many other preservice teachers (Barba-Martin et al., 2020). 
More information on TGfU:

Please watch this short video to find out more information on the teaching games for understanding model. 
(Goodyear, 2015)

References:

BARBA-MARTÍN, R.A., BORES-GARCÍA, D., HORTIGÜELA-ALCALÁ, D., and GONZÁLEZ-CALVO, G., 2020. The Application of the Teaching Games for Understanding in Physical Education. Systematic Review of the Last Six Years. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [online]. 17 (9), p. 3330. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/9/3330.

BUNKER, D. and THORPE, R., 1982. A model for the teaching of games in secondary schools. Bulletin of physical education. 18 (1), pp. 5–8.

CHATOUPIS, C., 2017. Teaching preservice teachers the Teaching Games for Understanding approach: A proposed PETE program. Journal Of Research, Policy & Practice of Teachers & Teacher Education. 7 (1), pp. 5–11.

DÍAZ-CUETO, M., HERNÁNDEZ-ÁLVAREZ, J.L., and CASTEJÓN, F.J., 2010. Teaching Games for Understanding to In-Service Physical Education Teachers: Rewards and Barriers Regarding the Changing Model of Teaching Sport. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 29 (4), pp. 378–398.

FEITH, J., 2012. Teaching Games for Understanding - Lesson Demonstration. YouTube [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yiZlXZ9rd4.

GOODYEAR, V., 2015. VLOG 13: TGfU: Moving Beyond Warm Up, Skill, Game. www.youtube.com [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi3gKMsJAZE.

HEEMSOTH, T., BOE, L., BÜKERS, F., and KRIEGER, C., 2020. Fostering pre-service teachers’ knowledge of ‘teaching games for understanding’ via video-based vs. text-based teaching examples. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. 27 (1), pp. 1–14.

HOPPER, T., 1998. Teaching games for understanding using progressive principles of play. Physical & Health Education Journal. 64 (3), pp. 1–5.

HORTIGÜELA ALCALÁ, D. and HERNANDO GARIJO, A., 2017. Teaching Games for Understanding: A Comprehensive Approach to Promote Student’s Motivation in Physical Education. Journal of Human Kinetics [online]. 59 (1), pp. 17–27. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5680683/.

JOYCE, B.R., WEIL, M., and CALHOUN, E., 2014. Models of teaching. Boston: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

MOY, B., RENSHAW, I., and DAVIDS, K., 2013. Variations in acculturation and Australian physical education teacher education students’ receptiveness to an alternative pedagogical approach to games teaching. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. 19 (4), pp. 349–369.

NATHAN, S., 2016. Badminton instructional in Malaysian schools: a comparative analysis of TGfU and SDT pedagogical models. SpringerPlus [online]. 5 (1). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4967053/ [Accessed 13 Oct 2019].

PARKES, C. and HEMPHILL, M.A., 2023. Hardcore coaching and hardcore fitness-oriented preservice teachers delivery of teaching games for understanding. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. 28, pp. 1–15.

PILL, S., GAMBLES, E.-A., and GRIFFIN, L., 2023. Teaching Games and Sport for Understanding. Routledge.

ROBERTS, S.J., 2011. Teaching Games for Understanding: the difficulties and challenges experienced by participation cricket coaches. Physical Education & Sport Pedagogy. 16 (1), pp. 33–48.

WANG, M. and WANG, L., 2018. Teaching Games for Understanding Intervention to Promote Physical Activity among Secondary School Students. BioMed Research International. 2018 (1), pp. 1–11.














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