'Strategy as a pedagogic device' – integrating learning about, through and in movement in senior PE

Internationally, Arnold’s (1979,1985, 1988) seminal concepts of learning ‘about, through and in’ movement haveprovided an ideological and educative framework for the integration ofcurriculum, assessment and pedagogy in... [ view full abstract ]

Internationally, Arnold’s (1979,1985, 1988) seminal concepts of learning ‘about, through and in’ movement haveprovided an ideological and educative framework for the integration ofcurriculum, assessment and pedagogy in physical education (PE). Research hasdemonstrated some complexities in assuring all three concepts are valued in theteaching and assessment in senior PE, in particular how to legitimate the integratedconcepts in high stakes assessment (Brown & Penney, 2012; Stolz &Thorburn, 2017). The release of the Queensland Curriculum and AssessmentAuthority (QCAA) (2017) new senior PE syllabus provides ‘strategy’ as apedagogic action (DinanThompson, 2013) to make explicit the dynamic andinterrelated nature of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. This paper presents a qualitative study that isan early exploration of ‘strategy’ as a pedagogic action.   Five senior PE teachers were interviewed togain insights on ‘strategy’ as legitimation of learning and assessing ‘about,through and in movement’.  As a boundedcase study, data collection methods included one-on-one interviews and documentanalysis. Content analysis (Patton, 2002) was utilised to code the data intothemes.   

Results show potential for ‘strategy’ defined as a “methodor combined plan of actions devised to bring about a determined outcome; thestrategy emerges from the integration of a scientific base (biophysical,sociocultural, psychological) and physical activity context to optimise theperformance and engagement of self and others” (QCAA, 2017, p.106) to makevisible in learning and assessment the integration of learning about, throughand in movement. However, a routine interpretation is the use of ‘strategy’ inmotor learning, largely in offensive and defensive play in games and sports.  As the syllabus encourages participation andperformance in a variety of physical activities, including aesthetic, target,performance, invasion, net and court, and striking and fielding, a challenge isset to provoke interpretations about what ‘strategy’ means, and can do, forquality senior PE.