Game sense is an approach to teaching physical education that uses modified games to develop students' skills. It focuses on developing skills within the context of a game through student interaction, group discussions, and guided discovery. Some key strengths of the game sense approach are that it emphasizes questioning to engage students in their learning, allows students to discover their own strategies and skills through play rather than direct instruction, and encourages the transfer of skills between different games. The approach can be easily implemented into physical education lessons and linked to curriculum outcomes by using modified games to focus on particular skills.

1. ‘
GAME SENSE
What is Game Sense?
What are the Strengths of Game Sense?
Linking Game Sense to the Syllabus
Implementing Game Sense

2. WHAT IS GAME SENSE?
Game sense (GS) is an approach to teaching Physical
Education (PE) that uses games to develop students skills.
Students are developing the skills within the game.
GS encourages student interactions and group discussions.
GS values creativity, cooperation and collaboration.
Light, R. (2013). Game sense pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. New York: Routledge.
Pill, S. (2016). An appreciative inquiry exploring game sense teaching in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 21(2), 279-297. DOI:
10.1090/13573322.2014.912624

3. In GS the fundamental concepts of manipulation of
time and place are developed within the game.
GS takes prior knowledge and learning of skills
between different games.
It is game based rather than technique/skill based.
Light, R. (2013). Game sense pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. New York: Routledge.
Pill, S. (2016). An appreciative inquiry exploring game sense teaching in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 21(2),
279-297. DOI: 10.1090/13573322.2014.912624

4. Light, R. (2013). Game sense pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. New York: Routledge.
Pill, S. (2016). An appreciative inquiry exploring game sense teaching in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 21(2), 279-297. DOI:
10.1090/13573322.2014.912624
GS is an approach which involves:
Asking questions to stimulate thinking and reflection
Encourages group discussion and collaboration
Guided discovery, inquiry learning and student centred learning
‘Games first’ rather than ‘practice first’ lesson planning
Giving students control in discovering their skills, strategies and tactics
Starts with small modified games, to build up knowledge and skills
Developing students ability to actually play the games, rather than just
perfecting techniques

5. Light, R. (2013). Game sense pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. New York: Routledge.
Light, R. (2006). Game sense: Innovation or just good coaching? Journal of physical education in New Zealand, 39(1). 8-19.
Pill, S. (2016). An appreciative inquiry exploring game sense teaching in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 21(2), 279-297. DOI:
10.1090/13573322.2014.912624
RATIONALE
GS is an effective approach to implement when teaching
PE. It provides students with the experience to learn the
skills while they are also learning to play the game. It
enables a student centred method of teaching and
learning, which then encourages the students to discover
and explore their skills, strategies and tactics.

6. STRENGTHS OF GAME SENSE
Emphasis on questioning to engage students in their learning and to encourage
them to think and talk about the tactical and technical aspects of the game.
Role of teacher is not to instruct the students how to play, but to allow the
students to discover their own strategies, skills and tactics while playing the
game.
Allows students to discuss and share their ideas with each other.
Students contributions are valuable in GS!
Implementing GS reduces the stress on students learning the skill, which allows
the students to enjoy and understand the game. Students can become
immersed in the game and explore the opportunities to build their skills,
strategies and tactics.
Light, R. (2013). Game sense pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. New York: Routledge.
Light, R. (2006). Game sense: Innovation or just good coaching? Journal of physical education in New Zealand, 39(1). 8-19.
Pill, S. (2016). An appreciative inquiry exploring game sense teaching in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 21(2), 279-297.
DOI: 10.1090/13573322.2014.912624

7. STRENGTHS OF GAME SENSE
GS allows students to determine the best way to achieve success, they are in full
control of their learning and achievements.
GS encourages prior knowledge of skills, strategies and tactics to develop and
transfer between games.
GS is an approach that can be implemented into the teaching of PE because it links to
the NESA PDHPE syllabus (2018). GS can be linked to:
PD3-4 – adapt movement techniques to cater for the use of different game settings
PD3-10 – demonstrate play in modified games
PD3-11 – Refine skills to perform movement patterns related to a variety of games
PD3-11 – apply movement skills and strategies form other contexts to generate a
solution to an unfamiliar movement challenge in games
Light, R. (2013). Game sense pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. New York: Routledge.
NSW Education Standards Authority (2018). NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum: Personal Development, Health and Physical Education K-10 Syllabus. Sydney,
Australia: NSW Education Standards Authority

8. Traditional way of teaching students how to dribble a ball: cones are set
up in lines, students told to dribble ball around cones, then come back,
line up and wait for turn again.
Game Sense Approach: Half the students have a basket ball, they are
dribbling the ball around the court, where ever they want to go. The other
half of class is trying to take the ball of them. If they get the ball then they
start dribbling around the court.
Everyone is participating
No one is on show
Learning the skills while playing a game
Learning in real context (real game of basket ball won’t be dribbling in
lines, there will be a defender in the way trying to get the ball)
IMPLEMENTING GAME SENSE
https://sportingschools.gov.au/resources-and-pd/schools/playing-for-life-resources/find-a-card/game-category