Game sense is a student-centered pedagogical approach used in physical education that focuses on playing the actual game rather than isolated skill practice. It emphasizes strategic decision making, movement, and developing skills within the flow of the game. The game sense approach modifies games to increase students' tactical awareness, decision making, and understanding of the game. It focuses on problem-solving within the game context rather than separate skill instruction. Game sense aligns with the goals of the NSW physical education syllabus by developing students' self-management, interpersonal, and movement skills through engagement in modified games.

1. Game Sense Rationale
The Importance of
Game Sense Taught in
PDHPE in Primary
Schools
Nadda Abzakh’s 6A

2. • Game sense (GS) is a student-centered pedagogical approach
• GS focuses on playing the actual game, rather than learning and
focusing on the specific skills or techniques before playing the game.
• Game sense allows students to think strategically about game ideas
as it focuses on their learning, developing skills while engaging in the
physical aspect of the game rather than focusing on developing
those skills and techniques and mastering them before the game is
played (Curry & Light, 2007).
• When student’s physically engage in an activity, their tactical
awareness increases. Consequently, they are able to make better
decisions.
Game Sense: What is it?

3. • Game sense is a variation of Bunker and Thorpe’s model: Teaching
Games for Understanding.
• Game Sense is accomplished through the use of modified games
which create optimal understanding, increase decision making skills,
tactical awareness and game skills (Light, 2004).
• Games are essentially problems to be solved. So, teachers should be
questioning students during the lesson on how they believe they can
win, rules, time, numbers and area. These lessons should include
various different elements, such as warm up games, small games,
then questioning the students, followed by development games and
then a warm down game.
• Modified Games include:
• Target games (such as croquet)
• Striking and Fielding games (such as cricket)
• Invasion games (such as Oz-tag)
• Net and Court games (such as netball, volleyball, tennis)
(Phil, 2016).
Continued…

4. The 3 Parts of Game Sense
1. DECISION MAKING: What to do when playing
the game?
2. MOVEMENET KNOWLEDGE: How to play the
game?
3. SKILL: Ability to play successfully

5. The Game Sense approach is definitely a pedagogical approach
that I will devote to include in my teaching practices. Traditional
games taught in physical education focus only on learning the
fundamental movement skills such as running, jumping,
throwing, catching and kicking (NESA, NSW, 2018). However, with
Game Sense, students are focused on learning techniques and
tactics to further enhance and deepen their understanding in the
game (Phil, 2016). Student engagement in a lesson allows for
optimal learning opportunities. As Game Sense focuses on the
specific aspect of playing the game rather than learning HOW to
play the game, students will learn to develop those skills and
techniques while playing the game (Light, 2004).
Is Game Sense Used in 6A?

6. It has been found that only
teachers who are passionate
about continuous professional
learning are drawn to and
engaged in the game sense
approach. Teachers who are
student-centered tend to use the
Game Sense approach (Phill,
2016).

7. • The Syllabus rationale states how physical education is fundamental
to the acquisition of movement skills that enable students to
participate and engage in a range of activities (NESA, NSW, 2018).
• The Game Sense approach provides students with the opportunities
to develop, strengthen and refine the three main skills:
• Self management: strengthening personal identity, self-
awareness, emotion and stress management, decision-making,
problem solving and help-seeking.
• Interpersonal: Communication, collaboration, inclusion,
relationship-building, empathy building, leadership and
advocacy and social awareness.
• Movement skills: Fundamental and specialized movement skills
and concepts, tactical and creative movement, health and
fitness enhancing movement.
Connection to the PDHPE Syllabus

8. References:
Curry, C., & Light, R. (2007). Addressing the NSW quality teaching framework in physical education: Is Game Sense
the answer. In Proceedings of the Asia Pacific Conference on Teaching Sport and Physical Education
for Understanding.
Retrieved from https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?
hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Addressing+the+NSW+quality+teaching+framework+in+physical+education%3A+I
s+Game+Sense+the+answer.+&btnG=&httpsredir=1&article=1657&context=edupapers#page=8
Light, R. (2012). Game sense: Pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. Routledge. Retrieved
from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uwsau/reader.action?ppg=54&docID=981715&tm=153206689
3509
PDHPE K–10 NEW | Personal development, health and physical education. (2019). Retrieved from
https://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. Retrieved
from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13573322.2014.912624?needAccess=tr