Education Commons^™

Teaching Games For Understanding (Tgfu); A Model For Pre Service Teachers, Gregory J. Forrest, Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) has been present in the Australian sporting community for the last ten years and more recently as the focus of physical education lessons in some Australian schools’ curriculum, especially in NSW. However, the effectiveness of TGfU as a teaching method is limited by the skill of its practitioners in developing the appropriate games and questions to generate understanding opportunities for their students. If practitioners do not develop these skills, there may be limited opportunities for their students to gain skills in critical analysis, deep knowledge and deep understanding, essential in any productive pedagogy.

Linking Teaching Games For Understanding And Quality Teaching In Nsw Secondary Schools, Philip J. Pearson, Paul I. Webb, Kim Mckeen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

A discussion paper entitled Quality teaching in NSW public schools (Department of Education and Training, 2003) has been developed to improve teaching practice and hence student learning outcomes. The model of pedagogy outlined in this document focuses on the three dimensions of intellectual quality, quality learning environment and significance.

Elements associated with these dimensions such as deep understanding, higher order thinking, student direction and inclusivity can be difficult for teachers to implement into practical lessons. When effectively implemented TGfU is one strategy that allows teachers to address these elements when teaching games in physical education and sport. TGfU places an …

Use Of Visualisation Software To Support Understanding Of Chemical Equilibrium: The Importance Of Appropriate Teaching Strategies, Anula Weerawardhana, Brian Ferry, Christine A. Brown

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

This paper describes the results of a study in which a group of science pre-service teachers used computer-based visualisation software resources to develop teaching strategies and lessons that would support the development of students’ conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium. They used SMV: CHEM, VisChem and chemistry software packaged with textbooks. The goal was to assist science/chemistry teachers to design lessons that would overcome known difficulties in developing students’ understanding. Four teaching strategies of one teaching team are described in detail to illustrate the multifaceted nature of the way in which the software resources were used in lessons. Such a process …

Teaching Science Concepts In Higher Education Classes With Slow Motion Animation (Slowmation), Garry Hoban, Brian Ferry

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

Clay animation is a form of stop motion animation but is rarely used as a teaching approach in higher education classes because it is too tedious and time consuming. “Slow Motion Animation” (Slowmation) is a simplified form of clay animation that is different in four ways and can be completed in 1-2 hour tutorial or workshop: (i) models of science concepts are made and manipulated in the horizontal plane; (ii) a range of materials can be used; (iii) the animations are played at 2-6 frames per second; and (iv) science concepts are annotated with factual text. This study demonstrates how …

The Use Of A Visual Learning Design Representation To Document And Communicate Teaching Ideas, Shirley Agostinho

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

A learning design is a representation of teaching and learning practice documented in some notational form so that it can serve as a model or template adaptable by a teacher to suit his/her context. This paper presents a work-in-progress of a research study that is examining how a learning design representation developed in an Australian federally funded project known as the Learning Designs project (www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au) is being used. Eleven participants were interviewed to investigate how they are using the learning design representation and how such a representation could be improved. Preliminary findings indicate that the visual characteristic of this learning …

Teaching Games For Understanding - 10 Years In Australia, Philip J. Pearson, Paul I. Webb, Kim Mckeen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

TGfU was introduced to the Australian sporting community in 1996, through workshops presented by Rod Thorpe who was visiting from Loughborough University, England. Now, 10 years on, with the concept having been the focus of many coaching workshops and professional development sessions for physical education teachers and sports coaches, one would expect that TGfU would be well known and utilised among these groups.

This paper reports on the knowledge, understanding and experience that first year physical and health education students at an Australian university have on TGfU. Seventy students were surveyed by questionnaire and then actively engaged in a variety …

A Model For Professional Development Of Teaching Games For Understanding For Teachers In New South Wales, Australia, Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson, Kim Mckeen

Faculty of Education - Papers (Archive)

With the advent of a new syllabus for secondary schools (years 7-10) and a quality teaching focus in New South Wales schools the Australian Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER, New South Wales) determined that there was a need for the professional development of teachers in teaching games for understanding (TGfU) and relating this to the new syllabus. The result was a full day professional development workshop for teachers of which five have been held and which approximately 200 teachers have attended. This paper will address the content of the workshop and respondents comments about the workshop.

The …