Game Sense Approach

1. PDHPEPersonal Development, Health and Physical Education
Mrs. Duygu Taslak
4T
The Game Sense Approach

2. What is ‘Game Sense’ ?
The Game Sense approach is a method that is
directed at the development of skills, strategies and
decision making to successfully understand the
tactics required to play a game.
(Pill, 2013)
“students learn best if they understand what
to do before they understand how to do it”
(Griffin & Patton, 2005, p.215).

3. What is ‘Game Sense’ ?
While participating in games, students will be repeatedly interrupted to think about what skills and strategies they are using, if their techniques are
working, if they are reaching all measures needed to successfully play the game; it is based on constant reflection. Ultimately, this invites their critical
thinking and decision-making skills to work rapidly, so that they can make decisions that they think will work best for their teammates and themselves. The
Game Sense approach allows students to direct their own learning, to think about the tactics that are going to work in their favor (Pill, 2013).

4. What is ‘Game Sense’ ?
During a students’ early years of
education, they will have achieved
the performance of Fundamental
Movement Skills (FMS) and by the
end of Stage 3 they would be able to
“apply and adapt strategies and
tactics when participating in
activities” (NESA, 2018, pp. 22).
Thus, the Game Sense approach is
extremely influential as it directs self
centered learning and will guide
students throughout their years to
meet the required outcomes
according to the PDHPE K-10
Syllabus.
It provides students with the
opportunity to master the skills and
strategies of a game through constant
reflection. This allows students to
play the game accurately and then
apply their learning in a different
contextual game.

5. Dismissing the
traditional methods
of teaching and
implementing the
‘Game Sense’
approach has been
perceived to
increase student's
success rates in
PDHPE
(Pill, 2013).
It is considered to be a more
effective and engaging
approach which boosts the
involvement of students
(Stolz & Pill, 2014)
It supports diverse learners.
Students that are at different skill
levels are accommodated for.
Constant reflection on skills, strategies, tactics and
gameplay improves the critical thinking and
decision-making skills of students. This works well
as they are reflecting on themselves throughout
the entire time that they are engaging in play
(Holt, Wall & Wallhead, 2006)
It incites
students to work
collaboratively to
improve their
skills and further
improve on their
gameplay. Thus,
it encourages
effective
engagement.
It overall creates a sense
of fun as the students are
able to identify and apply
strategies that will assist
them in playing the game.
Benefits of
incorporati
ng ‘Game
sense’ into
classrooms.

6. Strengths of ‘Game Sense’ as a teaching approach ?
Strengths that link to the
PDHPE K-10 Syllabus:
• Stimulates the development
of skills that young learners
require to provide a healthy
& active lifestyle.
• Encourages students to
nurture and strengthen
resilience in order to
develop awareness of how
to effectively engage with
peers in a civil manner.
• The ‘Game Sense’ approach
address new ways of
teaching which equips
perfectly to the PDHPE K-10
Syllabus as it caters for a
“contemporary and
relevant” curriculum (pp.10)
The NSW Educational Standards Authority K-10 PHDPE Syllabus is a guide for
teachers to initiate their pedagogies within the classroom. The PDHPE K-10
Syllabus strengthens the use of ’Game Sense’ as a teaching approach thus
validating the importance of incorporating it within classrooms.

7. References
• Griffin, L., & Patton, K. (2005). Two decades of teaching games for
understanding: Looking at the past, present, and future. In L. Griffin &
J. Butler (Eds.), Teaching games for understanding : Theory, research
and practice. Champaign. Illinois: Human Kinetics.
• Holt, J. E., Ward, P. & Wallhead, T. L. (2006). The transfer of learning
from play practices to game play in young adult soccer players,
Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 11(2), 101-118.
• NSW Education Standard Authority. (2018). Personal Development
Health and Physical Education, K-10 Syllabus. Sydney.
• Pill, Shane. (2013). Teacher engagement with games for understanding
– Game sense in physical education. Journal of Physical Education and
Sport. 11, 115-123.
• [Photograph] https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/aqa-a2-pe-
sport-and-society-concepts-of-physical-activity-and-sport-7582-
11668938
• [Photograph] https://www.slideshare.net/emmapartridge94/game-
sense-approach-40188232
• [Photograph]
https://www.sportaus.gov.au/p4l/game_sense_approach
• [Photograph]
https://www.wantirnaprimary.vic.edu.au/page/127/Physical-
Education
• [Photograph] https://www.slideshare.net/Cazna/game-sense-
40205666
• [Photograph] https://astar.tv/post/hsc-pdhpe-cracking-open-those-
exam-questions/
• [Photograph] https://www.moneywise.co.uk/work/benefits/benefits-
youre-entitled-over-60s
• [Photograph] https://terrigal-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/learning-at-our-
school/personal-development-health-and-physical-education.html
• Stolz, S., & Pill, S. (2014). Teaching games and sport for understanding:
Exploring and reconsidering its relevance in physical
education. European Physical Education Review, 20(1), 36–71