Long-term development of game-play decision-making, efficiency and efficacy: combining Sport Education-Tactical Games across three consecutive invasion games units

Recent Sport Education-Tactical Games coalitions promoted student engagement with social-interactive dimensions of sport, high levels of appropriate decision-making (DM), and skill-execution (SE). However, most research on... [ view full abstract ]

Recent Sport Education-Tactical Games coalitions promoted student engagement with social-interactive dimensions of sport, high levels of appropriate decision-making (DM), and skill-execution (SE). However, most research on models-based physical education has explored student participation in single, isolated units. This study examines the long-term development of students’ game-play across three consecutive Sport Education-Tactical Games seasons. It further examines how learning in reference to frameworks of tactical problems impacted the evolution of components of appropriate/inappropriate DM, and efficient/inefficient and successful/unsuccessful SE. A seventh-grade class of 26 students (10 girls, 16 boys; average age 12.3±1.3) participated in three seasons of invasion games (1-basketball: 20 x 45-mins lessons, 2-handball: 12 x 45-mins lessons; 3-football: 16 x 45-mins lessons). In each season, the pre-test and post-test performance of 10 sampled students was measured. There were found significant pre- to post-test increments in appropriate DM (handball and football) and successful SE (handball), and significant decreases in inefficient SE (football). Whereas pre-test scores of DM stabilized across the three sports, students showed higher entry scores of efficient and successful SE in seasons two and three when compared to season one. The post-test scores of appropriate DM and efficient and successful SE in seasons two and three were significantly higher than scores in season one. The decrease of the inappropriate DM and inefficient and unsuccessful SE in seasons two and three was superior to that found in season one. Whereas the DM components were affected positively by the program, the levels of successful/unsuccessful SE were less susceptible to modifications. The internal tactical configuration of the sports and specificity of games design were influential of the outcomes. Further inspection at the micro-level of instructional processes utilised in models-based physical education is warranted.