But what does the centre of learning actually look like, and how do we achieve this as teachers and coaches?
This blog will briefly discuss the theory behind a student-centred approach in the PE teaching context and an athlete-centred approach in coaching, as well as some of my own personal experiences on trying the achieve this.
The PE Context
The role of the teacher in a student-centred approach has been described by Weimer (2002) as moving away from the “sage on the stage” to the “guide on the side,” who views the students not as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge but as seekers to be guided along their intellectual developmental journey (Wright, 2011).
I have always liked this image of the teacher being the “guide on the side,” not overwhelming students with information on technique, rules, and prescribed movements. For me, it truly represents a student-centred approach: allowing the individual to choose their own path to success by giving them the metaphorical tools to get there. However, this is a lot easier said than done and sometimes involves a bit of trial and error.
This example is all about choice. People tend to be happier when given a choice, and the same can be said when teaching PE. Allowing students autonomy over their own learning, choosing at what level they want to learn/play during class. Below is an example from my own PE teaching experience.
Before going into small games or activities, students could choose to join one of three different leagues. I used to call them the Social, Semi-Pro, and Pro Leagues. As you can imagine, the Social League group tended to attract less competitive students, the Pro League the more competitively minded students, and the Semi-Pro League the students who were somewhere in the middle. All three leagues learned the same tactics, rules, movements, and game, but everyone was able to choose how they wanted to learn and in what kind of learning environment. This methodology worked really well for sports like badminton/tennis, basketball, and gymnastics as three different areas were easily made in the hall. Students could also move up or down the leagues, sampling the same game in slightly different environments. However, with this freedom of choice comes a lot of trust between the teacher and the students, as without it, games can break down. Getting to know your students is very important, and using a scaled approach is best before allowing too much freedom from the start, as I have learned the hard way…
The Coaching Context
In coaching, there are lots of similar pedagogical approaches to supporting players’ movement and decision-making skills, but the one I will be focusing on is the Constraints-Led Approach to learning. Newell (1986) defined constraints as defined boundaries that shape or encourage a movement system (e.g., learner) seeking a stable state of organization.
The constraints-led approach has three distinct categories from which a coach can decide to manipulate based on their assessment of the player in front of them. They are, with examples in brackets: Task (rules of games, types of equipment being used, and size of playing area), Environment (grass pitch, 4G, light, and noise), and the Performer (physiological/cognitive abilities) (Davids, Bennett, and Newell, 2006).
We have all played games or coached trainings using some type of constraint to challenge players learning and game play. A well-known method I have used is to alter the rules of a games to achieve a specific outcome, e.g., small-sided games in large or small playing areas (5v5, 5v4, or 5v3). Similar rules are used in a PE setting to promote inclusion and participation, e.g., you must make 4 passes before you can score or you can’t pass back to the same person.
Before designing any constraints within a game, an understanding is needed of the players’ abilities by the coach to help ensure the level of constraints is appropriate. Adding the wrong constraints to the wrong group of players may lead to games that are too challenging or not challenging enough for some players. For example, playing areas that are small in soccer will require a much different set of skills than playing areas that are open and wide. The coach’s knowledge of the players’ plays a big role in the design of these constraints. The correct us of constraints can put the players at the centre of the learning, by bending the rules for the benefit of the participants. In my experience when designed and coached well the constraints led approach can lead to huge improvements in learning and enjoyment.
Thank you very much for reading and I hope we are all aim for the centre.
References
Wright, G.B., 2011. Student-centered learning in higher education. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 23(1), pp. 92-97.
Davids, K., Bennett, S., and Newell, K.M. eds., 2006. Movement System Variability. Human Kinetics.
Harry Fleming is a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences in UL.
Contact: Email harry.fleming@ul.ie @harry_fleming
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