HPE Game Sense Approach

1. GAME SENSE
APPROACH
RATIONALE
WHY ARE WE USING IT IN OUR PE
CLASSES?

2. WHAT IS A GAME SENSE APPROACH?
• A game sense approach is a teaching approach that focuses on play and good sport that
ultimately develops ‘thinking’ players (Pill, 2011).
• It focuses on fundamental movement skills such as balancing, hopping, dodging catching
or kicking. Students are put into a situation where they must consider their external
factors and use their problem solving skills to reach their desired goal. For example, while
playing a game of basketball, the teacher might focus on certain strategies and tactic to
accurately throw the ball into the hoop.
• Game sense approach provides your students with the opportunity to play with purpose
and focus on their decision making skills.
• Much of the enjoyment and fun experienced when learning to play sport through Game
Sense arises from the social interaction it stimulates, such as feeling a sense of
achievement and worth as a member of the team (Light, 2004)

3. CONTINUED…
• Game sense contextualises learning within games and game-like situations– (Light,2004), meaning, using a constructivist
approach, students are able to implement their own decision making skills to further develop their understanding. This
approach encourages collaborative work, thus increasing active participation.
• This approach focuses on the needs of your child rather than the game itself.
• Traditional techniques were redefined to student participating in movement skills so players learnt ‘What to do?’ and
‘How to do it?’ synchronistically. (Pill, 2011)
• Game Sense is an approach that goes beyond physical movements as it also focuses on cognitive conceptual awareness
so that players eventually develop effective decision making skills.

4. 4 CATEGORIES OF GAME SENSE
There are 4 games integrated into Game Sense that are categorised by their
similar principals, fundamental movement skills and overall rules of the game:
1. Invasion games- hockey, soccer, football and rugby
2. Targets- golf, curling, archery or darts
3. Net and wall- volleyball, Badminton and tennis
4. Striking- baseball, cricket, softball and rounders
These games are all implemented through specific teaching techniques. These
include: warm up games, questions and challenges, progression, repetition and
warm down

5. STRENGTHS OF GAME SENSE
• Has a positive effect on social engagement as students collaboratively work
together to come up with strategies to achieve a desired goal.
• Students of all levels are given time to experience and learn different ways to
develop their problem-solving skills
• Teachers are able to modify games, play practices and designer games to emphasis
particular tactical or motor skill learning (Pill, 2016), meaning your child can reflect
on their learning. For example, changing the size of the activity area to increase
chance of students participating.
• It is both a constructivist and student-centrered approach, therefore students are
able immediately reflect upon their experience
• Game Sense incorporates all 5 of the PDHPE skills (communicating, decision
making, moving, interacting and problem solving)

6. WHY ARE WE USING IT ?
• Teachers use Game Sense approach as it allows students to enhance their higher
order thinking by questioning how their tactics and strategies can improve and
become more effective
• It can incorporate other subjects such as science and maths. For example,
questioning the speed and distance in a game. This integration allows students to
refer to their background knowledge and experiences
• Students are able to negotiate and explore different strategies, discuss how
effective they would be, have the chance to test their theory in games, evaluate
the results and eventually build on this to further develop their skills (Light, 2013).
• The ability to modify the rules of a game caters for the needs of diverse students
• Overall, students are involved in cooperative learning where they learn through
play.

7. HOW DOES IT LINK TO THE SYLLABUS?
As you can see below, by employing a Game Sense approach, your child will be satisfying the
following outcomes, thus enhancing their PE learning experiences.
CO= communicating DM= decision making IN- interacting MO=moving PS= problem solving
• COS2.1- Students use a variety of ways to communicate with and within groups
• DMS2.2 – They are able to make decisions as an individual and as a group member.
• INS2.3 -students make positive contributions in group activities
• MOS2.4 – They display a focus on quality of movement in applying movement skills to a variety of
familiar and new situations.
• PSS2.5- Overall they use a range of problem-solving strategies.

8. REFERENCE LIST
-Light, R. (2004) Coaches' experiences of game sense: Opportunities and challenges, Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 9(2), 115-131, doi:
10.1080/1740898042000294949
-Light, R. (2013). Game sense pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York: Routledge.
-NSW Board of Studies. (2007). Personal development, health and physical education K-6 syllabus. Sydney: Australia: NSW Board of Studies. Retrieved from
http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/ learning-areas/pdhpe/pdhpe-k-10-2018
-Pill, S. (2016). An appreciative inquiry exploring game sense teaching in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 21(2), 279-297. doi:
10.1080/13573322.2014.912624
-Pill, S(2011). Teacher engagement with teaching games for understanding - game sense in physical education. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 11(2), 115-123.
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