The analysis of interactivity in a teaching and learning sequence of rugby: the transfer of control and learning responsibility

• Published in: Physical education and sport pedagogy Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 84 - 102
• Main Authors: Llobet-Martí, Bernat, López-Ros, Víctor, Vila, Ignasi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 02.01.2018; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescents; Athletic Coaches; Case Studies; Educational Environment; game-centred approach; Interaction; interactivity; Learning; Learning Processes; Males; Novices; Participant Observation; Physical Education; Qualitative Research; Rugby; rugby union; scaffolding; School environment; Social constructivism; Student Responsibility; Team Sports
• ISSN: 1740-8989; 1742-5786
• DOI: 10.1080/17408989.2017.1341472

Background: The social constructivist perspective emphasises that learning is a process of self-construction of knowledge in a social context. Game-centred approaches, such as teaching games for understanding, have been used in accordance with this perspective. The process of transferring learning responsibility takes place when the learner is building his/her own knowledge. Purpose: the aim of this paper is to explore how progressively transferring responsibility for learning from the coach to the players occurs in an ecological learning environment. We address it describing the joint activity organisation and its dynamic evolution for a coaching sequence of rugby through the analysis of interaction between the players and the coach. Participants and setting: Ten novice rugby players (aged 17-19) and a coach-researcher participated in this study. The study was conducted over a 6-week period with a total of 11 sessions, each of 90 minutes. Research design: the research was designed as participant observation in a unique case study based on the observation of an ecological learning environment in a rugby club. Data collection: We video- and audio-recorded the sessions. Transcripts of sessions, including all verbal exchanges and descriptions of participants' motor performance, are the main source of data. Data analysis: The unit of analysis is the segment of interactivity (SI). This is defined as the period of time within a session in which verbal exchanges and specific behaviours by participants are under the same instructional function. SIs are identified by analysis of interactivity that is generated during the learning process; they are not given in advance. In this study we analyse the evolution of the identified SIs during the 11-lesson unit in an interactivity map. The map depicts changes that occur during the learning process in relation to the transfer of learning responsibility from the coach to the players. Results: we have identified six SIs: SI Activity Organisation, SI Guided Practice, SI Autonomous Practice, SI Discussion, SI Recapitulation and SI Transition. There was an evolution of these SIs over the course of the unit showing transfer of learning control from coach to learner. This was evident by a decrease in SIs Activity Organisation in conjunction with an increase in SIs of Guided and Autonomous Practice. We also show that reflection time is firstly organised around specific SI Discussion, but progressively transferred to reflection during the guided practice, mainly about tactical aspects. Conclusions: In consonance with other research conducted in naturalistic physical education and sports contexts, we observe that the learning transfer process occurs but is neither linear nor progressive. We obtained specific evidences of this process, although we find abrupt changes in the shape of breakdowns and disruptions that make this process partially unpredictable. The consistent situations of discussion and reflection that appear in the SIs Discussion, Recapitulation and Guided Practice seem to play an important role that facilitates game understanding of learners. We consider the analysis of real teaching and learning settings to be of paramount importance to understand the educational influence that emerges in the knowledge construction in sports pedagogy.