GAME SENSE

APPROACH
AN EXPLANATION
WHAT IS IT?

• A type of sports coaching pedagogy 1

• Students experience a wide range of activities with game based play.
• Throughout the lessons students are encouraged to problem solve and develop decision
making skills.
• Students learn vital skills through various problem solving activities and focuses on an inquiry
based style of play, students are encouraged to make their own discoveries the game.
• Through this process skills are developed while completing the activities, not during drills
before a game.

1 pedagogy is the method and practice of teaching (Oxford dictionary)

Refrences: Pill & Hewitt, 2017, Wright & Forrest, 2007
 HOW IS IT IMPLEMENTED IN PE CLASSES?

• The game is the primary starting point.

• Students participate in a series of small activities that relate to the game.
• In each activity they are encouraged to problem solve and come to their own conclusions about
skills and rules
• Students learn important skills in a realistic context.
• It is used in a sports based environment, students learn the game while playing and participating
in a series of activities.

References: Pill & Hewitt, 2017, Wright & Forrest, 2007, Light, 2013
AN EXAMPLE: CRICKET
• A series of four activities, focusing on specific skill set
such as placement, decision making/risk taking when
batting, team work while fielding. Lets just focus on
one!
• Around the cone – Focuses on teamwork, ball
placement and game understanding.
• The ball is placed on a tee, the aim of the game is •
for the batsperson to strike the ball and get the
maximum amount of runs from one strike by
running between two cones.
• The teacher will explain the game first, students
will play and then the teacher will pause to ask
students questions to encourage problem solving.
Reference: Light (2013)
• Teacher asks the students who are batting questions
such as;
• “How did you get a many runs as possible?”
• “What were you looking for when you were
hitting the ball?”
Teacher will ask the fielding students questions such as:
• “How did you know where they were going to hit
the ball?”
• “How can you support another fielder who is
already chasing the ball?”
WHY IS IT USED IN PE CLASSES?

• Simply because it is a more effective and student centered way of teaching PE to students
• The NSW PDHPE syllabus stresses the importance of students making informed decisions
related to their physical education the Game Sense approach helps develop that.
• It encourages students to work as a team and come to informed conclusions.
• It differs from a traditional PE lesson which focuses on technical skill acquisition; students are
taught the skill first and then they are placed in a game situation.
• Instead, the Game Sense approach focuses on the game, putting it at the forefront of the
lesson. It is a starting point for the lesson.
• Each lesson provides an engaging student lead experience.
WHY DO I USE IT?

• It helps built strong relationships between students.

• They learn vital problem solving skills.
• It encourages a happy, safe and supportive environment for students.
• It promotes student engagement, instead of being explained the skill by the teacher.
• Students are encouraged to develop that skill while participating in enjoyable activities.
• It makes PE lessons more enjoyable, instead of lessons being teacher led, they are student led.
LINKS TO MORE INFORMATION

• The Australian Government Sports Commission | Sporting Schools, Game Sense Approach |
• The Physical Educator.com | An introduction to Game Sense

Feel free to contact me if you would like more information or if you have any
questions/concerns/feedback!
REFERENCES

• Light, R. (2013). Game sense: Pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. London:
Routledge.
• Pill, S., & Hewitt, M. (2017). Tennis Coaching: Applying the Game Sense Approach. A Journal for Physical
and Sport Educators, 30(2), 10-16. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/08924562.2016.1273807
• Wright, J., & Forrest, G. (2007). A social semiotic analysis of knowledge construction and games centred
approaches to teaching. Physical Education & Sport Pedagogy, 12(3), 273-287.
doi:10.1080/17408980701610201