PEDU 122

WELCOME
 PEDU 122
Movement Skills Development
through Playing Games
- Explain the importance TGFU in learning Games and Sports.
- Summarize the TGFU model and its implication in learning Games
and Sports.
- Apply the key stages of the TGFU model in learning Games and
Sports.
- Identify the different Game categories and describe each one.
- Generalize the Levels of tactical complexity so that students will have
a deeper understanding of the game.

TGfU
Teaching Games for Understanding
The Teaching Games for
Understanding (TGfU)
approach developed by Bunker
and Thorpe in 1982 places a
new emphasis on the more
traditional, technical focused
approach to teaching. TGfU
places the student in a game
situation whereby skills,
tactics, decision-making, and
problem solving are developed
in cohesion (Webb, Pearson, &
Forrest, 2006).
The Teaching Games for
Understanding (TGfU) Model:

The Teaching Games for

Understanding model incorporates 6
key stages which include: (1)
Game-Focus, (2) Game
Appreciation, (3) Tactical
Awareness, (4) Decision Making, (5)
Skill Execution and (6) Performance
(Thorpe & Bunker, 1986). Thus,
when implementing TGfU, the
development of any game follows
the model presented in this Figure.
 Game
As the model indicates,
learning is game-based
whereby there is
always some form of
opposition. In this
stage, the students
must first become
capable of
understanding the form
of the game before
they can recognise the
problems to be solved.
 Game Appreciation
In recognising the purpose
of the game, time should
be given for students to see
what the game is all about.
Gradually, students will
develop an understanding
of the main rules that
shape the game.
 Tactics
Problem solving is a critical
approach to teaching games for
understanding. Beginners are
introduced to tactics through a
gradual introduction of
movement principles, based on
simple ideas of space and time
(Werner, Thorpe & Bunker,
1996). Hence, Thorpe & Bunker
(1986) recognise that just as
skills transfer across games, so
will tactical knowledge.
 Decision Making
With increased appreciation of
the game and tactical
knowledge, students show a
much greater understanding of
when and how to perform skills.
In addition, they also develop
appreciation of the factors
which influence decision
making in executing skills in
regards to time, space and
positioning.
 Skill Execution
In the TGfU model,
skill execution is used
to describe the actual
production of the
required movement as
envisaged by the
teacher and seen in
the context of the
learner.
 Performance
This is the observed
outcome of the previous
processes measured against
criteria that are independent
of the learner. Thus,
performance is measured
based on the appropriateness
of the response and
efficiency of the technique.
 Game Categories
The TGfU model can be applied to
four categories of games, which
include (1) Target Games, (2) Net /
Wall Games, (3) Striking/Fielding
Games and (4) Territorial and
Invasive games (Webb, Pearson, &
Forrest, 2006). All games in each
category exhibit common concepts
and tactical problems to be solved,
allowing transfer of tactical
understanding across games.
 Target Games
Players score when they
successfully throw or strike
an object closer to a target
than their opponents were
able to. Tactical problems
related to target games
include shot selection,
judging distance, preventing
points, and protecting the
shot. Examples of target
games include golf, archery,
bowling, dart, and billiards.
TARGET GAMES
 Net / Wall Games
Players/teams score by hitting an
object into a court space in such
a way that the opposing
player/team cannot hit it back
within the allowed amount of
bounces. Tactical strategies
related to net and wall games
include setting up an attack,
creating space on offence,
reducing space on defence, etc.
Examples of net and wall games
include tennis, volleyball, squash
and badminton.
NET and WALL GAMES
 Striking and Fielding Games

Players on the batting team strike an

object and attempt to run between two
points before the fielding team can
recuperate the object. The teams
exchange roles after a certain amount of
hits or after a certain amount of players
have been retired from the game. Tactical
problems related to striking and fielding
games include striking the object to an
open space, reducing space on defence,
scoring points and retiring players from the
game. Examples of striking and fielding
games include baseball, cricket, softball
and kickball.
STRIKING and FIELDING Games
 Invasion Games
(Territorial / Invasive Games)
Teams score when they move an
implement into the opposing
team’s zone and successfully
attack that team’s goal or target
area. Tactical problems related to
invasion games include
maintaining possession, attacking
and/or defending a goal, winning
the ball, etc. Examples of invasion
games include soccer, basketball,
football, rugby and hockey.
INVASION Games
 Proceed to CLASSWORK and
answer the posted questions from
google docs.