Do Physical Education Teachers Use Socioconstructivist Communication Patterns in Their Classes?

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to identify socioconstructivist communication patterns used by physical education teachers and their evolution after participating in a training intervention. Method: The authors analyzed 812 units (messages containing constructivist discursive strategies) employed by two physical education teachers in two teaching modules using observational methodology. The data were analyzed by polar coordinate analysis. Results: In the pretraining phase, Teacher 1 presents two discursive patterns with questions–answers–literal incorporation of student-answers into the teachers’ communication, and another formed by praise questions. Teacher 2 generated praise-questions only. In the posttraining phase, Teacher 1 maintains one of the initial patterns and generates another consisting of questions-incorporation of students’ actions into the teacher’s communication. Teacher 2 incorporates two new patterns composed of information demands that are associated with the use of a specific frame of reference, or meta-statement. Discussion: The use of polar coordinate analysis revealed the presence of communication patterns and their evolution. Conclusion: The training intervention has resulted in changes in the communicative patterns of teachers. The custom-made instrument has allowed knowing the discursive strategies