Examination of Expert and Novice Teachers' Constructivist-Oriented Teaching Practices Using a Movement Approach to Elementary Physical Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of expert and novice teachers' constructivist-oriented teaching practices while using a movement approach to teach elementary physical education. Three expert and three novice teachers' constructivist-oriented teaching practices (18 lessons, 3 each) were evaluated using the Educational Games Observation Rubric (EGOR), a rubric specifically designed and validated for this study. Data sources included transcripts of two formal interviews with each teacher, transcripts of the 18 videotaped lessons, and coding from the EGOR. The expert teachers were more likely than the novice teachers to facilitate students' self-regulation and critical thinking about movement quality, to link new learning to students' prior knowledge and emerging relevance, and to guide students' social interaction. As with the expert teachers, the novice teachers encouraged students to engage in, elaborate on, and share ideas about movement variety tasks.