- Game sense is a pedagogical approach used to teach games and sports that focuses on student-centered learning and developing tactical awareness through game play rather than technical skills. It allows students to learn at their own pace through exploration and problem-solving. - Fundamental movement skills are the basic building blocks for physical activity and include skills like running, jumping, throwing, and catching. These skills should be taught sequentially from initial to formative to mature stages for students to develop competency. - Implementing a game sense approach in physical education offers benefits like developing students' confidence and competence in physical activity, encouraging participation, and helping students appreciate movement.

2. What is Game Sense?
• Game sense was first developed as a sport derivative of the Bunker-Thorpe
model of teaching games for understanding (Thorpe, 2005). Game sense is a
pedagogical toolkit used as a way of teaching games for understanding (TGFU)
(O’Leary, 2016).
• TGFU has had a significant influence on sport coaching from a range of
different levels, from children’s school sport to world known elite sports (Light,
2012). In the school environment, TGFU is a student centred approach in which
enables the students to play games that develop their tactical awareness and
decision making skills (O’Leary, 2016).
• According to Pill (2014), game sense is viewed to be an approach in which
allows students to develop and learn different skills through game play, whereas
TGFU is a more structured approach.
• Rather than focusing on the technical skills of the game, game sense allows
students to demand their focus on the game itself (Game Sense lecture).

3. • Supporting the previous statement, Light (2008) states that game sense
emphasises on learning the game, and game play is said to be quite difficult and
out of control at times. Though, through the application of game sense, students
are not only learning the game. They are also developing the pedagogical
features of game sense, problem solving skills, as well as are able to facilitate
their own learning to develop on social interaction (Light, 2012). This is
achieved by asking open-ended questions promoting a discussion to enhance
their understanding and learning (O’Leary, 2016).
• Miller et al. (2016) states that game sense is non-linear, as every student has a
different way of learning. Therefore, students may have different reactions
throughout the process of their learning.
• There are four main aspects to the game sense approach; providing an
appropriate environment, questions to stimulate discussions, interaction and
reflection and collaboration to formulate and evaluate solutions (Light, 2014, pg.
4). Affective learning through game sense triggers positive responses from
students, enhances relationships and shared experiences (Lecture 2).

4. Fundamental Movement Skills
• Fundamental movement skills
(FMS) are the building blocks
for movement (Get skilled: Get
active, 2000). FMS are skills in
which all children will need to
develop in order to participate
and succeed in all types of
physical activities, sports and
games. (Get skilled: Get active,
2000).
• There are three
developmental strategies of
FMS. These are; initial,
formative and mature.
Research shows when
teaching movement skills, it
is beneficial to teach them in
this sequential order, as
students will learn new skills
and know what to do in
context of play (Get skilled:
Get active, 2000). They will
also engage in decision
making skills, enabling them
to execute a response
successfully (Lecture 2).
To ensure that students are engaged in their learning, it is important as teachers that we
provide students with a series of tasks to help them in developing a particular skill. According to
lecture notes there are a 5 task series to assist students in successfully achieving a skill. These
are :
- Informing: explain to students what to do - Extending: modify the skill or game to make
- Refining: students understand the skill and it difficult.
improve on it. - Engagement: maintain students motivation
- Simplifying: modify the skill or game to make it easier. (Lecture Notes)

5. Rationale
• In my opinion I believe the game sense approach is a great way to teaching
physical activity, games and sports to students in Australia. It allows students to
enjoy themselves and have fun playing games, whilst learning to be healthy and
active citizens (NESA, 2018).
• Introducing game sense will enable students to explore oneself as it is student
centred, however, it also allows them to understand others because of the level of
collaboration that is involved. When students understand oneself and other
individuals, they mature and learn to cooperate with others initiating
interpersonal relationships (NESA, 2018).
• Game sense aids all students to develop various skills, including decision making,
knowledge of movement and developing strategies to use when playing games.

6. Benefits of implementing Game sense
Why the game sense approach will benefit students and their learning
• Students develop competence to engage in physical activity as fundamental
movement skills are developed enhancing on the students’ confidence (NESA,
2018).
• Game sense involves a lot of experiences involving movement. This allows
students to develop self-management and interpersonal skills that will support
them in the future, enhancing the level of participation in physical activity
(NESA, 2018).
• Game sense provides students with various of opportunities to learn active skills,
in which will encourage them to practice and succeed in. This approach will also
enable students to appreciate movement and the way it is performed (NESA,
2018).

7. Light, R. (2008). ‘Complex’ learning theory in physical education: An examination of its epistemology and assumptions about how
we learn. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 27(1), 21-37, Retrieved from
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.457.9365&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Light, R. (2012). Game sense : Pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. Retrieved from
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Light, R. (2014). Quality teaching beyond games through game sense pedagogy. University of Sydney Papers, 1-13, Retrieved
from https://sydney.edu.au/content/dam/corporate/documents/faculty-of-arts-and-social-sciences/research/research-centres-
institutes-groups/adpn/quality-teaching-beyond-games-through-game-sense-pedagogy.pdf
Miller, A., N., Gray, S., Sproule, J., Williams, C., Gore, J., & Lubans, D. (2016). Can continuing professional development utilizing a
game-centered approach improve the quality of physical education delivered by generalist primary school teachers?
European Physical Education Review, 23(2), 171-195. doi: 10.1177/1356336X16642716
NSW Department of Education and Training. (2000). A K-6 resource to support the teaching of fundamental movement skills.
Retrieved from https://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/downloads/file/teacherschildcare/Get_skilled_get_active_booklet.pdf
NSW Education Standards Authority. (2018). Personal Development, Health and Physical Education K-10. Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/pdhpe-k-10-syllabus-2018-pdf%20(3).pdf
O’Leary, N. (2016). Learning informally to use the ‘full version’ of teaching games for understanding. European Physical Education
Review, 22(1), 3-22, doi: 10.1177/1356336X15586177
Pill, S. (2014). An appreciative inquiry exploring game sense teaching in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 21(2),
279-297, doi: 10.1080/13573322.2014.912624
Thorpe, R. (2005). Rod Thorpe on teaching games for understanding. In L. Kidman (Ed.), Althlete-centred coaching (pp. 229-244),
Christchurch, NZ; Innovative Print Communications.
References