ELICITING STUDENT PRECONCEPTIONS AS A MEANS TO DESIGNING INFORMED TEACHING INTERVENTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TACTICAL MODEL IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION

According to constructivist theory, learning is viewed as a process of conceptual change. Students, even before their exposure to formal school teaching, hold ideas and conceptions which affect the way they interpret and process new information. These student preconceptions play a critical role on learning since they possess enormous interpretive power and constitute the supportive framework on which all future learning is based, thus facilitating or impeding further learning. Eliciting and taking into consideration student preconceptions for the design of more effective teaching interventions, has been a common practice for the promotion of conceptual change in science since the 80s. On the contrary, Physical Education is still strongly influenced by the behaviorist learning theory, focusing on the learning and development of technical skills. The constructivist philosophy’s tactical approach to teaching in Physical Education advocates a more holistic approach to learning, incorporating the need of engaging students in high levels of cognitive processing, thus focusing on game tactics and decision-making in the realistic context of playing the game, before the learning of technical elements. The elicitation of student preconceptions on game tactics in the context of the tactical model could prove to be of great significance in the learning and teaching of games in Physical Education.