Increasing Successful Skill Performance using the Tactical Games Model

1. Increasing Successful Skill Performance using the Tactical Games Model Mark E Hayhurst Jr. (mhayhurs@kent.edu) Kent State University OAHPERD 2010

2. Contextual Factors • “Lake Placid” Middle School • 476 Students (2009) • Female 47% • Male 51% • 93% Caucasian • 1% African American • 1% Asian American • 1% Hispanic • 4% Other • 35% of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch programs • 15 Students per 1 Teacher • 1st Period- 7th Grade • 27 students • 15 Females • 14 Caucasian • 1 African American • 12 Males • 12 Caucasian • 6 students selected for study • 4 males (all Caucasian) • 2 females (both Caucasian) • Students chosen by skill level

3. Purpose • Through the Game-Practice-Game format of the Tactical Games Model, students will experience an increase in the number of opportunities during activity time and an increase in the rate of successful opportunities during game play. This format will give students more opportunities to think critically and solve problems related to the game, thus maximizing their opportunities for success.

4. Related Literature • Teaching Games for Understanding (is) a shift from a content-based approach with highly structured lessons to a more student-based approach that links tactics and skills in game context. (Dyson, Griffin, & Hastie, 2004) • When the TGA is administered, students are able to immediately see the relevance of a skill within the context of game or practice situations (Mitchell et al., 2006). This is due to the fact that students are immersed in a carefully crafted, conditioned game that accentuates on-the-ball skills, off-the-ball movement, and decision-making skills. This is accomplished by adhering to a unique lesson sequence: (1) initial game, (2) question-answer session, (3) practice task, and (4) final game. (Olsen, Edward B., JOPERD March, 2010)

5. Methods(Psychomotor Pre-Assessment) ANALYSIS OF PRACTICE OPPORTUNITIES The purpose of this observation is to determine how many opportunities a student has to practice a skill and the degree of success being experienced. Directions: I selected three high-skilled students and three low-skilled students. Frequency recording: Each time the students attempted a shot in basketball, I marked an “S” if the attempt was successful or a “U” if the attempt was unsuccessful. I observed two students at a time (who were playing in the same game) for 5 minutes at a time. Criterion Skill:Shooting in Basketball Goal: To see how many opportunities (mainly successful opportunities) students of different ability levels receive in a 5 minute segment of a lesson.

6. Methods Cont…..(Psychomotor Pre-Assessment)

7. Block Plan

8. Block Plan continued

9. Pre and Post Comparison

10. Psychomotor DataPercentage of Successful Shots MadeShows an increase in successful shot attempts in 5 of 6 players tested

11. Data Analysis • Joe- Joe is on the basketball team and came into the unit with a good understanding for the game. The number of shots he took decreased but I noticed this was because he was able to find his teammates more often than before. His success rate increased as he moved from taking long distance jump shots to close range jump shots and layups. • David- David plays recreational league basketball and is viewed by his teammates as a selfish ball handler. His shot total increased but his successful attempts also increased as I noticed he was taking more close range shots and lay ups. • Isaac- Isaac has never played organized basketball before, but he is an athlete who works hard all the time. His 1 successful attempt during the pre-assessment showed some weakness in his form, and it was noticeable how he was able to increase his successful attempts to 3 during the post assessment. I noticed his form was much better, as he has moved to shooting with his elbow under the ball as opposed to with his elbows out. • Jessica- Jessica was the only student not to make an improvement throughout the study. I worked with her on her shooting and noticed that she was making shots in her practices with relatively good form but she did not want to participate during game play. She would stand around and be unsure what to do with the ball when she received it. Personally, I feel she is embarrassed to have the class watching her move and no matter how much I tried to get her to be involved and shoot, she unfortunately did not. • Erica- During the pre-assessment, Erica took many shots, but she was off balanced and consistently shot with her elbows out. I noticed throughout the season that she moved off the ball much better, making cuts and letting her teammates know she was open, and that resulted in higher quality shots for her. Her elbows still tend to be out as she shoots, but with her getting open closer to the basket more, it helped increase her successful shot attempts. • Collin- Collin is not an athlete and I noticed from day 1 that he might struggle a bit. He did not take any shots in the pre-assessment, and only took three during the post-assessment. I noticed his off the ball movement offensively was not high, but his defensive presence did help him be a contributing member to his team. He made his first shot in the post-assessment, which I think gave him some confidence to shoot more, although he his next two shots.

12. Conclusion and Teaching Implications • At the conclusion of my unit, I have come to believe that the game-practice-game format of the Tactical Games Model assisted me in improving student performance in a basketball unit. Through students thinking critically about the game, practicing the skills we talk about, and allowing them to see their advancements in game play allowed them to gain some confidence about their abilities and gather a better overall understanding of the game of the basketball. • If I was running this assessment again, I would limit the number of dribbles a player can take at a time (max of 3) to eliminate the drive to the hoop by higher skilled players. This could help increase opportunities for the lower skilled players. • I would also take more time helping students to understand the importance of practice to improve game play. I had some struggles with 7th grader students who just wanted to play the whole time without any chance to further develop their skill. In the past I have had coaches design a practice for their team that focuses on a team weakness. I think if I used that assignment for this unit, students might better understand the importance of practice to improve game play.

13. References • Alison, S., & Thorpe, R. (1997). A comparison of the effectiveness of two approaches to teaching games within physical education. A skills approach versus a games for understanding approach. The British Journal of Physical Education, 28(3), 9-13. • Mitchell, S. A., Oslin, J. L.& Griffin, J. L. (2006). Teaching sport concepts and skills: A tactical games approach. (2nd ed). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. • Thorpe, R, Bunker, D, & Almond, L. (1986). Rethinking games teaching. Retrieved from http://www.tgfu.org/articles/PHED%20RETHINKING%20GAMES.pdf • Turner, A., & Martinek, J. (1995). Teaching for understanding: A model for improving decision making during game play. QUEST, 47, 44- 63.