Sports Coaching Pedagogy - Presentation - Assumptions in Teaching

Editor's Notes

• #4: The condition of teaching and teacher education itself is a result of more than a century of compromises and adjustments demanded by the paradigmatic shifts of another era. Today, as I step into the education milieu, I take a reformist approach recognizing that the machinery and assumptions that once made sense may be inappropriate in relation to the challenges faced within today’s classrooms. Within the 21st century technological advancements as well as the growth in the body of knowledge surrounding education, has dramatically changed my perception of the ‘kind of teacher I want to be’ (Nine Provocations). Such contextual evolvement demands the process of designing a profession better suited to the exigencies of contemporary society.
• #5: Throughout my presentation I will make particular reference to The Nine Provocations – specifically ‘what kind of teacher do I want to be?’ and ‘will I be allowed to be the teacher I want to be?’ The Nine Provocations will imbue a level of curiosity within teachers when considering the assumptions we bring to education.
• #6: The teaching repertoire of any individual teacher is an amalgam of belief systems, knowledge and assumptions that determine whether we will ‘be allowed to be the teacher we want to be’ (Nine Provocations). We walk into a classroom with an established belief system and framed perceptions that formulate our understanding and guide our behavioural patterns. We bring to teacher education our ‘educational biography’ (Britzman, 2003) that is a summation of ‘approximately thirteen thousand hours of observing teachers’ (Britzman, 2003) ultimately influencing our actions as a teacher.
• #7: The origin of such an assumption can be mapped out through the history of education itself. Naturally, since the beginning of human existence each generation has passed on values, traditions and religious beliefs to the next generation via oral communication. Such a process of enculturation involves the stakeholders of teachers and learners transferring and extracting knowledge from one another. Therefore, what once was recognised as human nature is now known as being the very complex, multifaceted methods involved in education whereby we continue to learn within collective settings.Through consideration of the previously mentioned assumption, the new national curriculum denotes the requirement of every teacher in Australia to ‘acknowledge and respect the history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’ (Harrison, 2011). Such a contextual shift gives credence to our need to alter our pedagogical reasoning to cater for the dynamic cultures present within the classroom. Shulman penned her thoughts on pedagogical reasoning within her paper on ‘Knowledge and Teaching: Foundations of the New Reform’ through her creation of the fictitious character of Nancy. By employing flexible and interactive teaching techniques, Shulman affirms that cultural indifferences are a positive additive to the classroom atmosphere. Shulman paints a picture of ‘pedagogical excellence’ to (Shulman, 2005) express the importance of being able to ‘comprehend subject matter’ and ‘elucidate it in new ways’ when shaping your pedagogy to suit the demands of the classroom.
• #8: During my time on professional experience I encountered a ‘critical incident’ (Tripp, 1994) whereby a teacher within the KLA of P.E demonstrated the importance of integrating knowledge of the Indigenous culture within the classroomthrough participating in traditional Aboriginal games. The teacher introduced the game Keentan - a traditional Indigenous game that resembles the movements of a kangaroo. Before beginning the game, the teacher explained the Indigenous connections to the game and made students aware of the equipment commonly used in the game which made it significant to Aboriginal culture. Throughout the game, the teacher continuously proposed questions such as ‘why do you think the game was called keentan?’ and ‘what equipment do you think Aboriginal people would have used in order to play this game?’ Such a pedagogical alignment captures the importance of storytelling within Aboriginal culture - the way in which it establishes the structures of society, rules for social behaviour, and the ceremonies performed to ensure the continuity of life and land. Reflecting upon such an incident helps identify my concerns for learning to teach and whilst such an interpretation of the event depends upon the ‘subjective meaning attributed by the person’ (Nilsson, 2009); it gives credence to my assumption of learning as a collective experience.
• #9: Such an assumption extends from the fact that with experience comes expertise.In her Journal of Learning Design, McWilliams forwards the idea that ‘pedagogy is characterised by well-rehearsed habits’ (McWilliam, 2005). Such a statement evokes the power of extensive experience within the classroom, responding to a range of issues on a daily basis and implementing strategies accordingly. This links in well with my assumption of the experienced vs. novice teacher in that it promotes a level of agelessness amongst experienced teachers. However, limitations do occur in the sense of relevance whereby teaching strategies held with high regard during the past may become impediments within the present times. Thus, as a teacher I must constantly review and respond to the current needs of the students especially in relation to the growing digital domain they find themselves in. Whilst an experienced teacher may have the words of wisdom, they may too have ‘some well-worn and commonsensical images of a teacher’s work...’ (Britzman, 2003) i.e. chalk and talk.
• #10: During my time on professional experience, I witnessed the presence of smart boards within Health and P.E classrooms, most of which were not being used. One particular observation caught my attention. The health teacher tried to incorporate technology based learning within the classroom such as using the board for class attendance or skill introduction. However such incorporation involved a student up the front trying to get the technology working for the hapless teacher. Such an event usually occurs due to an ‘older’ teacher being stuck in the midst of their ‘old’ ways in terms of teaching habits and their ignorance to new methods within the classroom. Therefore, whilst a more experienced teacher may be instinctive due to years of dealing with students; ‘their habits can also be deadly’ (McWilliams, 2005). The novice teacher will bring a fresh vibe to the classroom with an awareness of the issues currently faced by students.
• #11: Collective methods of teaching build on principles of participatory, active learning. The origins of such an assumption stem from the idea that learning is cumulative and we work together in teams to develop the ‘educated person’. Interaction is a part of human nature and thus its presence within the classroom is crucial for child development. Given group work is carried out under appropriate conditions- ensuring the design of assessment as well as fair grading processes are adhered to; student satisfaction with group activities is significantly increased. Such an assumption stimulates thoughts of the Vygotskian theory whereby knowledge is ‘socially constructed’ and collectively students develop their own truths about the world.In examining the above assumption, I have begun to discover the usefulness of group work when identifying it from a constructivist view. Such a theory focuses on students as active participants during the process of acquiring knowledge rather than being ‘configured as products of formal education systems’ (Murphy, 2001). From a teacher’s perspective, implementing such a theory within the classroom would place an emphasis on the facilitation of student inquiry, allowing students to develop solutions to the problems they face and ensuring they take control of their learning during instructional activities. Through examining the usefulness of my assumption concerning group work, the development of thinking and reasoning processes become evident rather than the acquisition of specific knowledge. (Staub and Stern, 2002).
• #12: The presence of social constructivism has been embedded within my memory since my time spent on professional experience. I recall a number of times whereby my aforesaid assumption has been implemented on the practical front of P.D.H.P.E. In examining this assumption, I didn’t particularly take note of the activities the students were participating in to acquire a skill but rather the power and control I possessed as a teacher in order to monitor student progress. Originally, I thought it to be common sense to visit small groups after you’ve set them a task as such a gesture demonstrates your commitment to their learning. However, after observing such a gesture and then creating and examining the above assumption; limitations began to arise in terms of pedagogical practice. Firstly, visiting small groups after you’ve set them a task can seem like a form of assessment – a way of checking up which limits the notion of students taking control of their learning. Secondly, students changed their behaviour during the visit as a way of impressing you with the kinds of behaviours they think you want to see. Therefore, whilst the teacher may see a snap shot of good, efficient task-orientated learners; they are missing out on the key purpose of the activity which is to observe the struggles and inconsistencies that occur in the motor development and skill acquisition of students.
• #13: In conclusion there remains no single variable that improves student achievement more than the presence of a passionate teacher. Assumptions about teaching will be built and broken throughout the course of my profession and it is the importance of examining the origin and usefulness of such assumptions to give reason to my pedagogical practice. Methods of organization, classroom management and a constant search for more effective ways to reach my students all linger beneath the idea of the ‘kind of teacher I want to be’ (Nine Provocations).