Game Sense, also known as TGfU (Teaching Games for Understanding), is a student-centered approach to physical education that focuses on learning through game play rather than techniques. It encourages students to connect their skills to game requirements. Game Sense considers individual student attributes and allows them to use problem-solving skills during games. It progresses learning from basic movement knowledge to complex decision making, with the student rather than teacher as the main decision maker. Benefits include increased participation, motivation, and tailoring for diverse abilities.

1. Game Sense
JUDY MAKHOUL

2. What is Game
Sense?
Game Sense, which is also
recognised as TGfU (Teaching Games
for Understanding) is a concept put
into practice in physical education. It
is the notion of “playing with
purpose” (Pill, 2011, page 116)
where students are not expected to
play a game and master the
techniques required to play, but build
on their skills and understand the
reason for learning it.

3. Game Sense
Game Sense is a student-centered approach to physical education as
opposed to technique centered, meaning that the coaching will focus
much less on the theoretical pedagogy and more so on the physical
aspect of it. It is a game-centered approach that encourages students
to learn through game-play, allowing students (the learners) to
connect their skills with the requirements of the game.
Game Sense takes many of the students attributes into consideration,
such as the students characteristics, physical elements, social and
physical situation as each student responds differently to the
situations they are placed in (Miller et al. 2016)

4. Game Sense
Game Sense consists of three steps
1. Decision Making – What to do?
2. Movement Knowledge – How to do it?
3. Movement Capability – Ability to do it
Game Sense allows students to use their psychological, strategical and problem-
solving skills throughout game-play to ensure that all students are continuously and
actively thinking and responding to the activity (Light, Curry, Mooney, 2014). Through
traditional teaching strategies, the educator is the sole decision maker whereas
Game Sense and coaching requires participants to learn and make decisions through
player interaction (making connections with their surroundings, other participants
and discussion).

5. Benefits of Game Sense
There is a distinct separation between teaching physical education
to students and coaching, as each concept has a different teaching
method, aim, background which then lead to dissimilar end results
(Light, 2012). In a physical education class, students from diverse
cultures, abilities, level of sporting and interest in sports are
gathered together, whereas sport teams are typically organized
according to the students skill level and ability and students with
higher motivation and cooperation are usually found in these sport
teams.

6. Benefits of Game Sense
Implementing Game Sense and sport into a child's life plays a significant
role as it can benefit them and assist them in many future life experiences
such as in their social and professional life (Light, 2012). Game sense will
allow the students to feel empowered, gain a positive attitude towards
sports and confidence in participating as they will be coached along the
way, learning from the basics towards a complex level. Traditional
methods to teaching sports consists of educators relying on students to
carry out and execute a skill without fault, whereas Game Sense positions
the learner in the learning process, allowing them to draw on their own
understandings (Knijnik, 2019).

7. Teaching Games for Understanding –TGfU
Teaching Games for Understanding has many benefits for the students such as
oIncreased levels of activity, participation and motivation
oAn increased amount of students will be participation
oEndorses long-term teaching and learning
oTailors for students with a wide range of physical and social capabilities
oPromotes safety and the use of rules during game-play

8. Why am I implementing it in my class?
By implementing Game Sense into my students’ education, it
allows myself to gain a wider understanding on teaching and the
children to gain multiple perspectives on learning. Game Sense
is an effective teaching pedagogy and will benefit my students
as it approaches the sports teaching and learning methods in a
constructive and positive manner, allowing students to focus on
the academic components of the game (Knijnik, 2019).

9. Reference
Bailey, R. (2005). Evaluating the relationship between physical education, sport and social inclusion. Educational Review, 57(1), 71-90.
Board of Studies, NSW. (2018). Personal Development, Health and Physical Education K-10 Syllabus. Sydney: Board of Studies
DinanThompson, M., & Penney, D. (2015). Assessment literacy in primary physical education. European Physical Education Review, 21(4), 485–503.
Knijnik, J., Spaaij, R., & Jeanes, R. (2019). Reading and writing the game: Creative and dialogic pedagogies in sports education. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 32, 42-50.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X15584087
Light, R., Ebooks Corporation, & MyiLibrary. (2013). Game sense pedagogy for performance, participation andenjoyment (Routledge studies in physical education and youth sport). Milton
Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York:Routledge.
Light, R., Curry, C., & Mooney, A. (2014). Game Sense as a model for delivering quality teaching in physical education. Asia-Pacific Journal of Health, Sport and Physical Education, 5(1), 67
81.
Malone, K., Truong, S., & Gray, T. (Eds.). (2017). Reimagining sustainability in precarioustimes. Singapore: Springer Singapore
Miller, A., Christensen, E., Eather, N., Gray, S., Sproule, J., Keay, J., & Lubans, D. (2016). Can physical education and physical activity outcomes be developed simultaneously using agame
centered approach? European Physical Education Review, 22(1), 113-133. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X15594548
Pill, Shane,B.Ed (P.E.) M.Ed F.A.C.H.P.E.R. (2011). Teacher engagement with teaching games for understanding - game sense in physical education. Journal of Physical Education and
Sport, 11(2),115-123.