Teaching Game as Interactive Activities

By Susan A. Capel

Summary by Melanie Morgan

Issue/Focus: This article focuses on the outcome of teaching games as interactive activities among physical education classes. A comparison study is completed between two physical education classes using the traditional approach to teaching games with one class, ant the teaching games as interactive activities approach to the other. Results are compiled between the two groups to determine which group developed a greater degree of interaction (i.e. communication, decision making, leadership, cooperation, and competition, plus skill level, knowledge or rules, and understanding in specific games and games general).

Reasoning: Capel wanted to test the theory put forth by Almond (1986) which stated "a change of focus has begun to emerge which places greater emphasis on the strategic features of games… and less on the technical requirements of these games." Also, Capel was interested in applying the 6-step model of teaching games as interactive activities as proposed by Bunker and Thorpe. These two theories are used in practical class settings.

Assumptions: This article does not seem to make any assumptions regarding students, teachers, games content or schools. It took careful precautions in ensuring accurate results were attained.

Conclusions: The study reports that teaching games as interactive activities produces higher competency in understanding, communication, decision making, cooperation in games, and greater competence in some skill performance. There were no differences between the two groups, those taught by traditional methods and those taught games as interactive activities, in leadership, knowledge of rules, perceived competence or persistence in physical activities. This shows there are benefits to teaching games as interactive activities over the traditional teaching methods.

Significant Information: I would be worth noting the above results given in the conclusion section. The difference between the two different groups provides concrete evidence of the positive results of teaching games as interactive activities.

Personal Comments: This information shows, using a practical situation, a teaching situation, how teaching games as interactive activities can enhance the abilities of high school aged kids in playing games. This article is convincing in the results showing the usefulness of teaching games as interactive activities as opposed to using the traditional teaching methods.