Abstract
The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of verbal interaction between students on skill development and soccer game performance within a socio-constructivist perspective and a cooperative learning model in team-sport teaching. In addition, the usefulness of open verbalization was manifested as follows: (1) a social tool for both actors (teachers and students) to collect and manage reports on their thought processes; (2) a tool to stimulate reflection and critical reflection on performance to induce transformation during game action projects. Participants were 18 boys and 12 girls aged (15 ± 0.4 years) from a Tunisian school (ninth grade). They were placed in either the experimental group (with verbal interaction) or the comparison group (without verbal interaction) and then were tested before and after a 12-lesson soccer unit (approximately two hours/week). Skill competence was assessed using three tests: a 15 m ball dribbling test, the Loughborough Soccer Passing Test (LSPT) and a shooting accuracy test. Game performance was measured using the Game Performance Assessment Instrument (GPAI) in which the outcome variables assessed included (a) decision-making (DM), (b) skill execution (SE), (c) support (S), (d) game performance (GP), and (e) game involvement (GI). While both groups showed significant improvements in their short-passing ability, no such improvements were found in dribbling and shooting. In contrast, only the verbal interaction group produced significant improvements in overall game performance. In conclusion, if the objectives of the physical education curriculum are to promote team-sport teaching methods and quality game play, and create a reflexive learner, verbal interaction may be an effective tool for developing tactical understanding through cooperative learning.
Highlights
One of the main strategies for improving school learning in a physical education class has been identified as increasing opportunities for discussion [1]
Researchers found that after applying the intervention program based on the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) model and including the application of questioning and debate of ideas in a context of small-sided games (e.g., 4 vs. 4), the players in the experimental group showed better game performance, and better skill execution, compared with the players from the control group. These results suggest that the application of verbal interaction in a context of small-sided games must be taken into account to foster tactical training/teaching in young footballer/learners and to improve their tactical behavior
Results from the current study provide evidence that including opportunities for verbal interactions during breaks in game play leads to positive changes in game performance, by promoting the abilities to make more appropriate decisions
Summary
One of the main strategies for improving school learning in a physical education class has been identified as increasing opportunities for discussion [1]. Discussions and the time required for face-to-face interaction allow students to solve problems and engage in thinking [2,3]. Recapitulated this main finding when they suggested that cooperative student discussions (dyadic level) about their game strategies resulted in better motor and tactical skills. The current study centers upon the use of verbal interactions between students as a cognitive strategy during skill development and subsequent game performance. While interactions can take both verbal and non-verbal forms, verbal interaction is the primary medium of instruction in physical education classes and is often utilized by teachers and Sustainability 2021, 13, 160.
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