GENERALIZATION OF SUPPORTING MOVEMENT IN TAG RUGBY FROM PRACTICE TO GAMES IN 7TH AND 8TH GRADE PHYSICAL EDUCATION DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Myung-Ah Lee, M.A. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2004 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Phillip Ward, Advisor ___________________ Advisor Professor William Heward College of Education Professor Jackie Goodway Professor Tim Barrett ABSTRACT Dissatisfaction with the outcomes of traditional physical education has been a recurrent theme in the literature at least two decades. Central to the problems of traditional physical education has been ineffective game instruction. Recently, there have been a number of studies focusing on how to teach students the tactics of game play. Initial studies have failed to validate proposed instructional models. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of tactic-focused instruction using technique- focused instruction as baseline on the 7th and 8th grade students’ game performance, and to assess generalization effects from teaching scrimmages to scrimmages in tag rugby. Lessons were designed to provide good pedagogical examples of each instructional condition. The conditions were assessed using a multiple baseline design across two classes with a third class serving as a control. Four target students were selected from each class (n=12). The dependent variable was the percentage of correct "supporting movements" occurring during scrimmages. Results show that low skilled female and male students, and average skilled female students improved their percentage of supporting movements after the tactic-focused instruction was implemented. There were no intervention effects for average skilled male students, however, these students demonstrated practice effects during baseline. In addition, generalization from teaching scrimmages to scrimmages occurred for all student groups except average skilled males. ii This study contributes to the literature in three ways. First, this study demonstrates that it was possible to explicitly teach and improve the tactical performance of students. Second, this study demonstrates generalization from practice to games in physical education providing a validation of the pedagogy assessed in this study. Third, data shows that low skilled students, and in particular female students, can acquire tactical skills within an instructional unit and participate as active and successful participants in game play. iii Dedicated to Daryl Siedentop iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank my advisor, Dr. Phillip Ward, for intellectual support, encouragement, and enthusiasm, which made this dissertation possible, and for his patience in correcting both my stylistic and scientific errors. I thank Dr. Jackie Goodway for her great support and comfort. I am grateful to Drs. Bill Heward and Tim Barrett for discussing with me various aspects for this dissertation. Thanks must also be extended to my fellow graduate peers at The Ohio State University. I am indebted to Carla Vidoni, Dena, Bomna, Harriet, Patrick, Tristan, Sunghan, Beth, Taka, Amoury, Shiri, Nick, Iris, Carlos, and Yekyung for your encouragement, friendship, patience, and help. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I also wish to thank those who helped me to handle various problems that I faced during my dissertation process, especially Kathy, Toby, and students who participated in my study. Mostly, I appreciate for my daughter, Yoony’s existence. Without you, it was an impossible journey. Special thanks to my parents. v VITA June 22, 1967 ----------------------------- Born – Kangwondo, South Korea 1997 ---------------------------------------- M.A. Physical Education, Korea National University of Education 1995 – 1997 ------------------------------- Researcher, Institute of Health and Physical Education of Korea National University of Education, Chung-Joo, South Korea 2001 – present ---------------------------- Graduate Teaching and Research Associate, The Ohio State University PUBLICATIONS Lee, M., & Ward, P. (2002). Peer Tutoring: Student-Centered Learning in Physical Education for 21st Century. Teaching Elementary Physical Education, 13(4), 16- 17. Cho, M., Yoon, M., & Lee, M. (1997). Study of Physical Education in the British National Curriculum. Korean Journal of Physical Education, 36(2), 334-347. FIELD OF STUDY Major Field: Education Physical Education vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………ii Dedication………………………………………………………………………………...iv Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………………v Vita………………………………………………………………………………………..vi List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………..xi List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………xii Chapters: 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………1 Statement of the problem………………………………………………………….6 Research questions………………………………………………………………...7 Significance of the study………………………………………………….……….8 Anthropological assumptions……………………………………………………...9 Limitations of the study………………………………………………………….12 Delimitations of the study………………………………………………………..12 Definition of terms……………………………………………………………….13 2. Literature review……………………………………………………………………..16 How have tactics been studied……………………………………………………16 Studies that validated instruments designed to collect data on tactical performance………………………………………………………………….20 Discussion……………………………………………………………...23 Expert-Novice comparison…………………………………………………..24 Discussion……………………………………………………………...25 Instructional comparison……………………………………………………..28 Discussion……………………………………………………………...33 Generalization studies………………………………………………………..34 vii Discussion……………………………………………………………...36 General discussion…………………………………………………………...37 Theoretical rational for tactics……………………………………………………39 A cognitive view of tactics…………………………………………………..40 Information processing theory…………………………………………40 Situated learning theory………………………………………………..43 A behavioral view of tactics…………………………………………………44 Summary……………………………………………………………………..48 A classification system for tactics………………………………………………...49 How have sports been classified?……………………………………………49 Mauldon & Redfern (1981)…………………………………………....49 Ellis (1983)……………………………………………………………..50 Almond (1986)…………………………………………………………51 Siedentop (2004)……………………………………………………….52 Discussion……………………………………………………………...53 A proposed system of tactics for invasion games……………………………55 3. Methods………………………………………………………………………………60 Setting..…………………………………………………………………………..60 The teachers…..………………………………………………………………….61 Participants……..………………………………………………………………...62 The investigator…...……………………………………………………………..62 Gaining entry………...…………………………………………………………..63 Definition and measurement of the dependent variable………………………....64 Observation and coding procedure……………………………………………....65 Participant reactivity……………………………………………………………..68 Interobserver agreement………………………………………………………….69 Teaching procedure………………………………………………………………69 Practice……………………………………………………………………….69 Teaching scrimmage…………………………………………………………70 Free scrimmage………………………………………………………………71 Experimental conditions………………………………………………………....71 Condition A: Technique-focused instruction..…………...…………………..73 Condition B: Tactic-focused instruction….………………………………….75 Experimental design……………………………………………………………...77 Treatment integrity……………………………………………………………….79 Social validity…………………………………………………………………....80 4. Results………………………………………………………………………………..82 Interobserver agreement………………………………………………………….82 Treatment integrity……………………………………………………………….82 Teaching scrimmage……………………………………………………………..83 Low skilled female students………………………………………………….84 viii Suzy…………………………………………………………………….84 Terry……………………………………………………………………84 Pam…………………………………………………………………….84 Low skilled male students……………………………………………………86 Jack…………………………………………………………………….86 Andy……………………………………………………………………86 David…………………………………………………………………...86 Average skilled female students……………………………………………..88 Jane…………………………………………………………………….88 Kerry…………………………………………………………………...88 Cherry………………………………………………………………….88 Average skilled male students……………………………………………….88 Ron……………………………………………………………………..90 Don……………………………………………………………………..90 Dennis………………………………………………………………….90 Free scrimmage…………………………………………………………………..90 Low skilled female students………………………………………………….92 Suzy…………………………………………………………………….92 Terry……………………………………………………………………92 Pam…………………………………………………………………….92 Low skilled male students……………………………………………………92 Jack…………………………………………………………………….94 Andy……………………………………………………………………94 David…………………………………………………………………...94 Average skilled female students……………………………………………..94 Jane…………………………………………………………………….94 Kerry…………………………………………………………………...97 Cherry………………………………………………………………….97 Average skilled male students……………………………………………….97 Ron……………………………………………………………………..97 Don……………………………………………………………………..97 Dennis………………………………………………………………….99 Social validity……………………………………………………………………99 The teachers’ acceptability…………………………………………………..99 Goal…………………………………………………………………….99 Procedure……………………………………………………………..100 Effects………………………………………………………………...100 A panel of physical educators………………………………………………102 Goal…………………………………………………………………...102 Procedure……………………………………………………………..102 Effects………………………………………………………………...102 5. Discussion…………………………………………………………………………..105 Research questions and discussion……………………………………………..105 ix General discussion……………………………………………………………...117 Defining Tactical Performance…………………………………………117 Learning and generalization of tactics in physical education…………..119 Educational Equity……………………………………………………...122 Limitations