Constructing a Concept of Skilfulness in Invasion Games Within a Games for Understanding Context

Abstract

This inquiry was focused on the meaning that middle school students constructed for the concept of skilfulness in the invasion game of field hockey taught within the Games for Understanding (GFU) instructional context. Data were collected through open‐ended interviews and analysed using a constant comparative analytic technique. For the students in this study, the complex, tactical nature of invasion games frames the meaning they hold for skilfulness. Three interrelated notions support the interpretation of what counts for skilfulness in field hockey with these middle school students; (a) contextualising skilfulness as the game, (b) assessing personal skill in the game context, and (c) making tactical/strategic connections within invasion game logic. The GFU instructional context was seen as contributing to these students’ constructions of skilfulness which included tactical knowledge inherent in invasion game play.