What is Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU)?
Overview of 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).
Many variations of the model have been developed, and include approaches such as ‘Games Sense’, ‘Play Practice’, ‘The Games Concept’ and ‘Playing for Life’ whereby the development of thinking players is a consistent and central theme (Webb & Thompson, 1998).Similarly, the modification and adaption of games within these approaches is integral to the overall delivery of each model (Webb, Pearson, & Forrest, 2006).Thus, the concept of ‘modification for exaggeration’ is used to emphasise particular tactical aspects of games.
The games are accompanied by guiding questions, allowing students to approach games as problem-solving opportunities (Forrest, Webb, & Pearson, 2006). Thus, this framework attempts to move the emphasis from de-contextualised individual skill performance to a team based student centred approach (Forrest, Webb, & Pearson, 2006). Skill development and skill execution still play an important role in lessons, however, they are only utilised when the student recognises the need for the particular kind of skill (Werner, Thorpe, Bunker 1996).
The model can be applied to four categories of games, which include (1) Target Games, (2) Net/Court Games, (3) Striking/Fielding Games and (4) Invasion 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.
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).
Many variations of the model have been developed, and include approaches such as ‘Games Sense’, ‘Play Practice’, ‘The Games Concept’ and ‘Playing for Life’ whereby the development of thinking players is a consistent and central theme (Webb & Thompson, 1998).Similarly, the modification and adaption of games within these approaches is integral to the overall delivery of each model (Webb, Pearson, & Forrest, 2006).Thus, the concept of ‘modification for exaggeration’ is used to emphasise particular tactical aspects of games.
The games are accompanied by guiding questions, allowing students to approach games as problem-solving opportunities (Forrest, Webb, & Pearson, 2006). Thus, this framework attempts to move the emphasis from de-contextualised individual skill performance to a team based student centred approach (Forrest, Webb, & Pearson, 2006). Skill development and skill execution still play an important role in lessons, however, they are only utilised when the student recognises the need for the particular kind of skill (Werner, Thorpe, Bunker 1996).
The model can be applied to four categories of games, which include (1) Target Games, (2) Net/Court Games, (3) Striking/Fielding Games and (4) Invasion 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.