The Factors Influencing Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching Games for Understanding

THE FACTORS INFLUENCING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHING GAMES FOR UNDERSTANDING

by

Vivian C.Y. Yu

A Project submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of

Subject Code: SPE 4900 of the Degree of Bachelor of Education in

Sports Science and Physical Education

Department of Sports Science and Physical Education

The Chinese University of Hong Kong

April 2009

Introduction

The Teaching Games for Understanding approach was first found two decades ago by Bunker and Thorpe (1982) as the traditional methods tended to concentrate on specific motor responses or techniques which failed to take account of the contextual nature of games (Bunker & Thorpe, 1982). TGfU is kind of tactical games approach which places an emphasis on developing a critical understanding and effective response to the realities and the dynamics of complex a games play situations (Hubball, Lambert & Hayes, 2007). Also, its benefits to games teaching are being recognized in the games context, e.g. develop the skills on critical thinking, problem solving and decision making, build up creativity, appreciation of fairness and equality, self regulation, interpersonal communications, reflective analysis, goal-setting, co-operative learning, experiential participation and construction of new knowledge (Butler et al, 2008; Hubball, Lambert & Hayes, 2007). TGfU is a student-centered and teacher-driven approach to teaching games in which the teacher’s interactions with the students is significantly different to that of the traditional and technical approach (Light and Tan, 2006). In other words, TGfU which based on more constructivist based applications of learning theories (Rink, 2001) is challenging or against those more direct styles of teaching (Light & Butler, 2005).

Over the past 5- 8 years, there was a significant growth in interest and attention from many researchers (Light & Butler, 2005; Light & Tan, 2006; Butler, 2006). This can be showed by the number of...