MITA (P) 052/05/2008 November 2015 Vol.20 No.1

Message from the President Dear All,

What an exciting year! We are glad that things are winding down and we hope all of you will

have a good break in November and December.

There have been a lot of developments in SPEA this year, including the Lau Teng Chuan

Physical Education and Sports Science Symposium, OPETA Award Ceremony, SPEA’s

Family Day, 1st Asean Council of Physical Education and Sport (ACPES) Conference, SPEA

Learning Series Workshop, SPEA Facebook page, and soon, the SPEA newly revamped

website.

We should continue to enhance our image as PE and sports teachers and to develop ourselves

professionally.

We hope for your continuing support for SPEA.

Sorry I can’t seem to find

the last issue in my email, if

not I would have use the

same photo.

Editor’s Note In this issue, we have invited PESTA to share with us a new

programme on mentoring beginning PE teachers. The article

provides insights on how such programmes can be carried out

systematically and effectively to shorten the learning curve of

novice teachers.

Information Communication and Technologies (ICT) has the

potential to engage and enhance students’ and athletes’ learning, if

used appropriately. The article shared by Andy and Shu Yuet

gives us some ideas on how ICT can be used to develop the

cognitive domain of the learners, and complement our teaching to

achieve the desired outcomes of learning. In the meantime, it also

stimulates thinking on how to develop other domains in a similar

fashion.

Enjoy reading!

“When it comes down

to studies and work, I

am very ambitious,

hardworking and quite

a perfectionist. I like

taking up new

challenges which give

me the zeal and

impetus to work

towards excellence.”

--- Jacinta’s recipe for

success

Every year, the Lau Teng Chuan Book Prize is awarded to the top graduand

of the Master of Science (Exercise and Sport Studies). We are pleased to announce

that the recipient of the 2015 Lau Teng Chuan Book Prize is Ms Jacinta Yeo.

An avid lover of sports and the outdoors, Jacinta has always been fascinated

by the remarkable capacity of the human body to adjust to the demands of exercise

stress and propel beyond its limits to run faster, jump higher and lift heavier. It is

this same curiosity that initiated her studies in Human Movement and Exercise

Science and she subsequently joined the Defence Science Organisation (DSO)

National Laboratories, Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute.

While the research is conducted mainly for defence purposes, its practices are

grounded primarily in sports science.

Having worked in DSO for about 5 years, she felt the immense need to

pursue a higher degree in order to excel in the field of exercise science. Thus, she

enrolled in the Master of Science (Exercise and Sports Studies) programme.

Working full-time and studying part-time is no easy feat as there were several

occasions when she was challenged by frustrations and self-doubt. Fortunately, her

discipline, perseverance and determination instilled through her commitment to

sports in her younger years, as well as the endless support from her loved ones and

colleagues, saw her through this insurmountable task.

Currently, Jacinta’s role as a Manager in the Business Planning department

of Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) focuses on the research and application of

science and technology in sports. In addition, her department serves as the

integrator, capability builder and strategic partner for the sustained growth of SSI

towards its ambition as a world class high performance centre. Jacinta hopes she

can apply what she has learnt from her Masters to equip our Team Singapore

athletes with the edge for podium success in international games.

SPEA is now on Facebook!

Connect with us at:

https://www.facebook.com/singaporephysicaleducationassociation

Lau Teng Chuan

Book Prize Winner 2015

The 1st Asean Council of

Physical Education and Sport

(ACPES) Conference was held in

the Semarang State University,

Indonesia, from the 15th

to the 18th

of September. Originally called the

Asean Universities Conference in

Physical Education and Sport

(AUCPESS) when it began in

2011, AUCPESS decided to

expand to include more aspirations

from the sports community in the

participating Asean countries, and

hence changed its name to ACPES

in 2014.

For now the institutions,

which make up ACPES include

Srinakharinwirot University

Thailand, Mahasarakham

University Thailand, PESS-NIE

(NTU) Singapore, University Putra

Malaysia, Mindanao State

University- Iligan Institute of

Technology Philippines, Kasetsart

University Thailand,

Chulalongkorn University

Thailand, and Institute of Technical

Education Singapore.

Representatives from

Singapore included teams from

both the National Institute of

Education (NIE), as well as

Institute of Technical Education

(ITE) College East. We also met a

PE teacher from CHIJ- Toa Payoh

who was there to present his latest

study, signing up because he was

eager to find out more about the

physical education and sports

scene in Asean nations.

On the first day of the

conference, we were given

opportunities to interact with

participants from other countries,

as we were mixed into groups, and

given stations to complete together

as a team.

It was a good start to the

conference, as we would be seeing

our new friends fairly often over

the next few days.

Additionally, there were

also plenary sessions by Professor

Dr Richard Bailey, Professor

Doune MacDonald, Dr Pichit

Muangnapoe, and Associate

Professor Erik Juul; from ICSSPE,

University of Queensland,

Srinakharinwirot University in

Thailand, and the VIA College in

Denmark, respectively. These

sessions covered topics from

pedagogy, to coaching, to physical

education, to health education.

The team

from NIE

and a teacher

from CHIJ

Toa-Payoh,

outside the

Semarang

State

University

(UNNES)

Poster and oral

presentations were also

conducted, where mutual sharing

among the Asean nations

occurred, and participants could

have an idea of the research

scene in the different countries

and universities.

Two different workshops

were also being conducted

concurrently, one on relaxation

techniques, and the other on

motor skills. These workshops

utilised fun and interactive

means to engage participants.

Mr Raymond Ong from

ITE College East (top),

and poster presentation by

Mr Sherwin Goh, a SSM

Student (right)

All in all, we had a good time of enjoying the hospitality shown to us

by our Indonesian friends. We also had opportunities to network with other

participants from the various other participating countries, as well as gain

and share knowledge in the physical education and sports field. Do consider

signing up for next year’s conference. It will be held at Mindanao State

University- Iligan Institute of Technology, in the Philippines.

Workshop on motor skills,

conducted by Associate

Professor Erik Juul from

VIA-College, Denmark

SPEA Workshop and Learning Series-

Teambuilding Games for Teachers and Coaches

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. “

Henry Ford

We all know the importance of good

teamwork. It may be easy to form a team but to

have good teamwork requires lots of effort from

everyone in the team. Teamwork is sometimes

described as the oil that makes team works. The

workshop conducted by Mr Kang Jaw Yeu at ITE

College East aimed to provide the participants an

array of activities that could be used as

teambuilding or ice-breakers. A total of 46

teachers and coaches from the National Registry

of Coaches (NROC) attended the 3-hour

workshop.

What I hear, I forget. What I see, I know. What I do, I remember.

Confucius

The participants were required to

engage actively in all the activities. By

doing, they gained a better understanding for

themselves about these activities. In

particular, they understood what it feels like

to take part in the activity. Hence, when they

conduct the activities for their students or

athletes, they will be able to better

understand the demands of these activities.

Participants were also guided in using these

activities to bring across specific lessons and

values to their students, or athletes.

Workshop participants

engaging in sit-down

activities

SPEA Workshop and Learning Series-

Teambuilding Games for Teachers and Coaches

The participants all enjoyed

themselves immensely. A post-workshop

survey was conducted and we are extremely

happy to know that all respondents felt that

the workshop had met its objectives.

The second run of this popular

workshop will be in January 2016.

Announcements will be made to all SPEA

members so do look out for it!

Learning to use everyday items to

develop team building activities

Workshop conductor, Mr

Kang Jaw Yeu teaching

a new way to shake

hands

Mentoring Beginning Teachers in PE

In education, mentoring is a complex and multi-dimensional process of guiding, teaching,

influencing and supporting a beginning or new teacher. It is generally accepted that a mentor teacher

leads, guides and advises another less experienced teacher in a work situation characterised by mutual

trust and belief. Typically, mentoring programmes pair novice teachers with more experienced teachers

who can ably explain school policies, regulations and procedures; share methods, materials and other

resources; help solve problems in teaching and learning; provide personal and professional support; and

guide the growth of the new teacher through reflection, collaboration, and shared inquiry (Feiman-

Nemser & Parker, 1992).

Mentoring provides beginning teachers (BTs) with a strong foothold as they embark on their

teaching career. It also creates an opportunity for teacher leaders (TLs) in schools to take on formalised

roles to lead and contribute towards the professionalism of education (Little & Nelson, 1990). An added

benefit of supporting BTs from the onset is that it contributes to the retention of new teachers in the

school system (Boyer, 1999; Ganser, 1996; Gold, 1999).

Increasingly, mentoring programmes are seen as an integral part of the Continuing Professional

Development (CPD) of BTs. The Skilful Teacher Enhanced Mentoring (STEM) programme was

implemented in 2010 by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, with 30 schools. The programme has

steadily grown in size and stature over the years. A key outcome of STEM has been to strengthen the

professional competencies of BTs as a result of the professional expertise of the ‘Instructional Mentors’

and the school support provided for mentoring. SCOPE AND SCHEDULE

PESTA Programme Managers (PMs) and a

Visiting Fellow (VF), Dr Susan Capel of Brunel

University, worked with 9 schools (5 Secondary, 4

Primary), which were invited to participate in the

‘PE-specific Mentoring Programme’. Schools

involved in this project had to nominate a TL as

the mentor for a BPETwho was in his/her first

three years of teaching.

The project started in January 2015 and

was completed in August 2015. There were three

main phases for the project as summarised in

Table 1.

FOCUS

With the growing momentum of mentoring

in Singapore schools through the STEM

programme there is a wealth of pedagogical

content knowledge emerging, which is generic to

all classroom teaching and is not subject-specific.

However the demands of Physical Education (PE)

and its pedagogical principles go beyond the

classroom, warranting the need to look with greater

specificity at mentoring within the context of PE.

The ‘Mentoring Beginning Teachers in PE’

pilot project with selected schools was initiated by

the Physical Education and Sports Teacher

Academy (PESTA) to deepen the prevailing

understanding of mentoring specific to the teaching

of PE. The primary focus of this pilot project was

to introduce a PE-specific mentoring programme

for Beginning PE Teachers (BPETs) and evaluate

its effectiveness.

Mentoring sessions supported by PESTA(above)

“…strengthen the

professional competencies

of BTs…”

Table 1. Project Phases

PHASE 1 PHASE 2a PHASE 2b PHASE 3

Initiation & Planning 12 Jan – 23 Jan ‘15

(10 Days)

Execution & Monitoring 23 Feb - 17 Apr ‘15

(39 Days)

Execution & Monitoring 20 Apr – 22 Jul ‘15

(48 Days)

Review & Closure 27 Jul – 21 Aug ‘15

(18 Days)

PESTA PMs and the

VF defined the scope

of the project.

PESTA PMs and the

VF conducted needs

analysis interviews

with both mentors and

BPETs.

PESTA PMs and VF

conducted a

mentoring workshop

for the respective

levels of mentors.

Mentors, supported by

PESTA PMs and the

VF, conducted two

Lesson Observation

Cycles (LOCs) with

their respective

BPETs.

Mentors conducted

one or two LOCs with

their respective

BPETs.

PESTA PMs

administered online

questionnaires for

mentors and BPETs.

PESTA PMs and the

VF conducted

separate interviews

for mentors and

BPETs.

Mentoring Beginning Teachers in PE

Diagram 1. PELOT Lesson Observation Process

In Phase 1, a needs

analysis was conducted with

each mentor and their

respective BPET. This was

followed by a three-hour

workshop conducted to inform

the mentors about the project

and provide some initial

training in mentoring. Kyle,

Moore and Sanders (1999)

stated that prospective mentors

should participate in

professional development to

learn about the mentoring

process and what is expected

of them before they start. This

workshop equipped them with

essential information, such as,

applying a Conceptual

Framework for Differentiated

Instructional Mentoring as

highlighted in Table 2.

.

Phase 2, was the execution of the pilot project. This was divided into

two parts, Phase 2a comprised two Lesson Observation Cycles (LOCs). Each

LOC comprised of one lesson observation of the BPET by the mentor

encompassing a pre-lesson observation discussion, lesson observation and

post-lesson observation discussion. This was based on the process in the

Physical Education Lesson Observation Toolkit (PELOT). As illustrated in

Diagram 1, another follow-up action within the process was included. This

was the BPET observing lessons taught by their respective mentors in which

the mentor could role-model good practice.

.

Observe

mentors’ lessons

Table 2. Conceptual Framework for Differentiated Instructional Mentoring

Instructional Collaborative Facilitative

Mentor directs the interaction

based on assessed needs.

Mentor provides information

about teaching or procedures.

Mentor offers suggestions and

solutions with rationale.

Mentor and BPET co-construct

solutions and materials.

Mentor guides interaction

without directing it.

Mentor and BPET

contribute ideas equally.

Mentor acts as a facilitator of the

teacher’s thinking and

problem-solving.

BPET actively directs the flow

of information.

BPET self-assesses and self-

prescribes.

Share a process for analysing

student work;

Model an instructional strategy;

Offer a menu of ways to

differentiate instruction;

Reference current research; and

Provide relevant information.

Co-develop a lesson or

curriculum unit;

‘Problem solve’ issues of

practice;

Analyse examples of student

work together; and

Co-observe another teacher and

then debrief together.

Facilitate a group of

beginning teachers as they assess

student work;

Listen as the BPET analyses

observation data; and

Pose questions that clarify and

deepen BPET’s thinking.

Adapted from Source: Singapore Mentor Forum #1, 11 and 12 February 2015

Copyright © 2014 New Teacher Center

Mentoring Beginning Teachers in PE

Interviews were used to

triangulate the data obtained from

viewing the LOCs in phase 2b

along with the responses from the

online questionnaires. This phase

also allowed PESTA to find out

about the support mentors want

for their future development.

OUTCOME

Impact

As demonstrated through

the three or four LOCs, it was

observed that mentors had

generally improved their ability

to support BPETs in their lesson

planning and facilitate BPETs’

learning from the lesson

observation. Mentors also

showed improvement in

facilitating reflective thinking

during the mentoring session over

the span of the project.

Throughout the process of

each LOC, the mentor and BPET

were supported by the VF and

PESTA PMs. On-the-job training

was also provided for the mentors.

For example, the mentors were

provided with sample questions to

help them facilitate the pre-lesson

and post-lesson discussions. A

sample of the questions is shown

in Table 3.

In Phase 2b, the mentor

conducted an additional one to two

LOCs without guidance from the

VF and PMs in order to apply the

learning without support.

Phase 3 reviewed the

execution of the project in order to

identify the impact of the

mentoring, perceived value of

mentoring as well as barriers to

mentoring BPETs, and the learning

by mentors and BPETs.

Value and Barriers

Mentors valued both the

workshop and on-the-job training

as these equipped them with the

necessary skills and knowledge to

begin their roles as mentors.

During the interviews, both

the mentors and BPETs

acknowledged the value of the

project. Most of the mentors and

BPETs affirmed their desire to

engage in this mentoring process

because they found it valuable and

it had a meaningful impact on

improving the quality of the BPETs

teaching. One of the BPETs shared

that the project had ‘created a habit

of being reflective after each

lesson’ and that this has helped him

realize that he ‘wanted to work on

instructions and engagement of

student learning’.

AUTONOMOUS TEACHERS

Mentoring Beginning Teachers in PE

This was noted especially by the

BPETs who had also had non-PE

trained mentors within existing

mentoring structures in the

school. They were able to

acknowledge this distinction

especially in the quality of

support received for the teaching

of PE.

Mentoring structures need

time commitment as was

observed during the project and

surfaced by the mentors and

BPETs. To facilitate effective

mentoring, schools need to allow

time for both discussions and

observations. Ideally, at least 1.5

hours of mentoring conversation

should be scheduled into the

weekly timetable as well as

opportunities for mutual

observation of lessons by both the

mentor and BPET. This would be

similar to the current STEM

programme as was seen with 2

schools on this project.

There are many aspects

that contribute to the complexity

of mentoring. Some of these

include the developmental issues

or concerns of mentors, as well as

that of BPETs, their pre-existing

repertoire of mentoring and

teaching skills, and the school

culture. In reviewing the project

and through interviews with the

respective schools, it was evident

from the variability that the

mentoring process had to be

tailored to the needs of each

mentor and BPET to determine

the ideal duration and focus of

mentoring. There was no such

thing as a “one size fits all”

approach.

This project also

highlighted the importance of

having a same-subject mentor, as

this allowed greater depth in the

lesson discussion on subject

matter knowledge and

pedagogical content knowledge.

Further, mentors felt that

the mentoring process would have

greater impact if it began as early

as possible in teacher training

(possibly with untrained PE

contract teachers). Table 4

illustrates a suggested continuum

of the mentoring process across

the different stages of the training

and CPD of the PE teacher.

Learning

Through the LOCs it could

be seen that the mentors learned

and developed both their

mentoring and teaching whilst the

teaching from BPETs improved.

More mentoring practice would

help to further develop their

confidence and observation skills

during lesson observations, and

enable mentors to better identify

the BPET’s main areas for

improvement.

Pre-Lesson Discussion Post-Lesson Discussion

Discussion of the lesson plan, e.g.

Why did you select those activities/tasks

to work towards the intended learning

outcomes (LOs)? What other

activities/tasks could you have used?

How do you know students have achieved

the LOs you set for the lesson?

What do you want me to observe

specifically in the lesson? (if the BPET

does not know, the mentor can identify

something)

How do you think that lesson went?

What impact did your teaching have on pupils learning?

How do you know pupils have learned what they were

supposed to?

What went well? Why – what evidence do you have for saying

that?

What area for development did you identify?

What about the identified area for observation – how did that

go?

How was today’s lesson different compared to previous

lessons? Why was it different?

How would you do it differently with this class for the next

lesson or with a different class on the same learning area?

What have you learnt from today’s lesson and how are you

going to follow up in the next/ future lessons?

What are you planning for the next lesson that will build on the

learning in this lesson?

Table 3. Sample Questions for Mentors

Table 4. Mentoring Continuum

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Untrained Contract Teaching

Pre-service Training Dip in PE/ PGDE / BSc

1

In-service Training BPET

1 Diploma in PE/ Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PE)/ Bachelor of Science (PE)

1 Diploma in PE/ Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PE)/ Bachelor of Science (PE)

Mentoring Beginning Teachers in PE

References:

1. Boyer, K. (1999). A qualitative

analysis of the impact of mentorships

on new special educators' decision to

remain in the field of special

education. Unpublished doctoral

dissertation, George Mason

University, Fairfax, VA.

2. Danielson, C. (1999). Mentoring

beginning teachers: The case for

mentoring. Teaching and Change,

6(3), 251–257.

3. Feiman-Nemser, S. and Parker, M.B.

(1993) Mentoring in context: a

comparison of two U.S. programs for

beginning teachers, International

Journal of Educational Research, 19,

699-718.

4. Ganser, Tom (1996). Preparing

Mentors of Beginning Teachers: An

Overview for Staff Developers

Journal of Staff Development, 17(4),

8-11.

5. Gold, Y. (1999). Beginning teacher

support. In J. Sikula, T. Buttery, & E.

Guyton (Eds.), Handbook of research

in teacher education (2nd ed.) (pp.

548–594). New York: Macmillan.

6. Kyle, D., Moore, G., & Sanders, J.

(1999). The role of the mentor

teacher: Insights, challenges, and

implications. Peabody Journal of

Education, 74(3–4), 109–122.

7. Little, Judith, Nelson, & Linda

(February 1990). A Leader’s Guide to

Mentor Training. Far West Laboratory

for Educational Research and

Development.

8. New Teacher Centre (2004)

Formative Assessment System, Santa

Cruz, CA.

It is noteworthy to share

that the use of the technological

affordance of video recording

during the LOCs provided a

valuable opportunity for the

mentor to have a prolonged richer

discussion through the ability to

control the playback of the video

recordings of lessons.

CONCLUSION

Danielson (1999) found

that mentoring helps BTs face

new challenges through reflective

activities and professional

conversations hence improving

their teaching practice. Danielson

also concluded that mentoring

fosters the professional

development of both new

teachers and their mentors.

Acknowledging the benefits of

the mentoring process, some

schools went on to use their

professional learning community

(PLC) to share the improvements

in the quality of PE lessons. This

is a positive step forward in

creating a teacher-led culture of

professional learning within PE

departments that extends beyond

just the mentor and BPET.

If you are interested in

starting a mentoring programme

in your school, contact PESTA

for more information. Email us at

MOE_PESTA@moe.gov.sg.

Suggested Readings:

1. Crasborn, F., Hennissen, P.,

Brouwer, N., Korthage, F.

and Bergen, T. (2011)

Exploring a two-dimensional

model of mentor teacher roles

in mentoring dialogues,

Teaching and Teacher

Education, 27, 320-331.

2. Grossman, P., Compton, C.,

Igra, D., Ronfeldt, M.,

Shahan, E. and Williamson,

P. (2009). Teaching practice;

A cross-professional

perspective. Teachers College

Record. 111 (9).

3. Kremer-Hayon, L. (1995,

August) On becoming and

being a mentor: A road of

roses and thorns, Paper

presented at the 6th European

Conference for Research on

Learning and Instruction,

Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

4. Whitehead, M. (2010) Aims

of physical education, In S.

Capel and M. Whitehead

(eds) Learning to teach

physical education in the

Secondary School: A

companion to school

experience (pp.13-23).

London: Routledge

Engaging the Cognitive Domain in

Physical Education through Video

Analysis

In any type of learning process, the

organisation of practice and the use of feedback are

essential factors in acquiring new motor skills.

Feedback is information about the action and its

environment for a comparison between the real state

and that determined by the action system, allowing

the correction of movements. Within sports, the

feedback on students’ performance has a

motivational function during practice, besides being

a source of information for reinforcement or

correction for learning and improvement (Ferracioli,

Ferracioli, & Castro, 2013).

Typically, verbal feedback is the predominant

means of intervention in the teaching of motor skills

(Magill, 1993). This requires teachers to encode a

physical performance into words and the students

can then decode the verbal feedback into physical

performance. Yet, this mode of communication can

result in disappointing outcomes, such as a

misunderstanding of the feedback given (Tan &

Koh, 2003). It has also been shown that visual

models providing information about a movement are

more effective than the use of only verbal input in

teaching a new pattern of coordination (McCullagh

& Caird, 1990; Wood, Gallagher, Martino & Ross,

1992).

The use of video feedback, which enhances

the learning of a motor skill, is widely documented

by other researchers (Aiken et al., 2012; Bunker et

al., 1976; Dillon, 2008; Jambor & Weekes, 1995;

Menickelli, 2004; Razali et al., 2012; Roberta &

Gregg, 1980; Tan & Koh, 2003).

Several explanations have been put forward

to account for the benefits of video feedback. A

key advantage of video feedback is its ability to

provide learners the ability to view and thus assess

their own performances, which would otherwise

be impossible with verbal feedback only. It will

also allow learners to focus on key movements due

to the ability to replay recorded motions at slower

speeds or to pause as and when required or

wanted.

A student having a discussion with her

teacher using video feedback

Learners are also more motivated to view

their own performances for a variety of reasons

(Tan & Koh, 2003). Learners are generally

motivated to acquire knowledge of performances,

and generally get motivated when they receive

feedback. It was also suggested that videos can

illustrate realistic representations of procedures and

processes in order to gain and focus learners'

attention (Fenrich, 1997).

We identified a few challenges to learning in

Physical Education (PE) lessons in the absence of

video feedback. Firstly, students are unable to

visualise bodily movements, which affect their

ability to engage in cognitive processes. Secondly,

with regards to reciprocal teaching, students are

unable to provide quality feedback due to lack of

ability to recall all physical actions and lack of

scaffolds.

Hence, we embarked on an Edulab project

that aimed to study how the use of video analysis

might engage the cognitive domain in PE lessons.

Student taking turns to video each other doing

a batting task (above, bottom left), and then

giving feedback, based on the video taken

(bottom right)

St Gabriel’s Primary Hong Wen School St Gabriel’s

Secondary

Serangoon Junior College

Standing Broad Jump

Two Primary four

classes (10 years old)

Standing Broad

Jump

Two Primary four

classes (10 years

old)

Frisbee Backhand

Throw

Two Secondary

three classes (15

years old)

Softball Batting on Tee

Three JC two classes (18

years old)

Four schools were involved in

this project: Monfort Junior

School, Hong Wen School,

Monfort Secondary School, St.

Gabriel’s Secondary School, and

Serangoon Junior College

(SRJC). As part of this project,

each school was to conduct a

study on how the use of video

analysis can heighten the level of

cognition in students. In this

article, we’ll be sharing our

experiences from the perspective

of SRJC.

In a series of lessons for

softball and with a focus on the

skill of batting (on a tee), we used

a video analysis application

(Ubersense) as a visualisation

tool that allows students to record

and review their batting

techniques. Students worked in

pairs to provide video and verbal

feedback that are process-

oriented, constructive and

corrective, via Ubersense on the

iPad minis and the aid of a

Rubrics Assessment Checklist

(RAC).

These lessons lasted two weeks

over a total of four lessons. A pre-

test and a post-test for both

proficiency in batting on a tee, as

well as a theory test on the cues of

this motor skill was conducted to

determine the students’

improvement in their proficiency

and understanding of the cues.

In these lessons, students

were first taught how to take videos

for video analysis, how to provide

process-oriented, constructive, and

corrective feedback, and also taught

the movements of a proficient bat

swing. Demonstrations were used in

the teaching of all the above and

they were constantly reiterated and

reinforced throughout the lesson.

Students were then paired up

for batting practice on a tee. In their

pairs, one student (Student A)

would bat three times while her

partner (Student B) takes a video

with Ubersense using the iPad mini

for each swing of these three bats.

Thereafter, Student B provided

verbal feedback to Student A based

Table 1. Motor skills studied by each of the four participating schools and age group of participants

on the videos recorded with

reference to the RAC for the

cues of a proficient bat swing.

For example, Student B,

with reference to the RAC,

would show Student A the

recorded videos and point out

her strengths, the areas for

improvement and specifically

what to do (e.g. you need to

bend your knees) in order to

improve on those areas. Student

A will then bat another three

times taking into consideration

her areas for improvement

while Student B observes her

improvement. Subsequently,

Student B would take over the

batting and Student A would

take over as observer and

provide the feedback. This

would go on for a few cycles. In

addition, all students were told

to use the RAC to set targets for

themselves with regards to their

achieved batting proficiency by

the end of each lesson.

Crafting the learning

task (Activities)

Social connections

(Participation)

Individual learner

(Participation)

Social Surround

Clear illustration and

outlining of specific points

to help improve the

performance in sports skill

through structured

sequence of steps involved

in a model sports skill

Clear illustration and

outlining of how students

are executing their sports

skill.

1. Recording of student’s

actions

2. Analysis using checklist

Feedback groups are

created to allow structured

feedback and interaction

through:

1) Organised pairs /groups

that do not change

2) Feedback that fosters

individual techniques

Learners will be given

time to analyse

performance through video

analysis. Students to be

explicitly told to use the

checklist to analyse

specific points both in

segments of the video and

as a whole sequence.

This is to allow:

1) Watching each segment

of the video to analyse a

particular movement

2) Watching the entire clip

to synthesise how the

segments result in an ideal

jump

A safe space is created to

allow learners to fail and

improve through multiple

iterations. This is

facilitated by:

1) Emphasising the sports

technique rather than the

performance

2) Encouraging students to

provide feedback on the

technique rather than the

performance

Activities span over

sufficient number of

periods to allow time

needed for repeated

mindful iteration of sports

skill, video analysis, and

reflection

Students are explicitly

taught how to provide

constructive criticism to

help their peers improve

performance. This is done

through teacher role-

modelling the content and

manner of providing

constructive feedback

Teacher should negotiate

with students the safe

parameters in which

feedback should be

provided

Based on a detailed

analysis of the video,

students set realistic targets

and progress by focusing

on each sports skill

concept in isolation before

performing an action. This

focused progress allows

students to master each

concept before going to the

next

Each school has to adhere strictly to a set of design principles, as shown in Table 2, in their design

and execution of their lessons.

Table 2. Design principles of the study

FINDINGS:

We compared students who

used Ubersense for their lessons and

students who did not use Ubersense

using their pre-test and post-test

rubric assessment scores. The

students who used video analysis

registered greater improvement for

their pre- and post-test scores

compared to the control group.

All students however, were

paired and provided feedback to each

other using the Reciprocal style of

teaching via use of the RAC. Thus,

this indicates that the use of video

analysis for teaching and learning

enhances the learning experience.

THOUGHTS:

Video analysis worked. It enhanced the teaching

effectiveness of the entire module by increasing the level of

cognition by the students.

Using the Ubersense application, students giving feedback

were able to analyse their peer’s movements on a slow motion or a

frame-by-frame basis and relate what they see in the video with the

movement cues written on the RAC. This enabled the students to

provide immediate verbal and video feedback clearly, accurately,

and in a structured manner.

As the performers were also able to view their video while

the feedback was provided, this enabled them to easily and clearly

recognize their areas for improvement, which they were then able

to quickly remedy. Learning was thus enhanced and there was

strong improvement in the students’ batting (from a tee) ability.

Video reviewing and processing was an arduous job at the

back end. Nevertheless, it was exciting to see the students thinking

much more as they earnestly seeking to improve their techniques.

The increased cognition created much interest in the lessons as

students were able to keep a “Memento” from their PE lessons and

it also acted as a report card of sorts for them to judge their

improvement.

MOVING ON:

The lessons were planned to facilitate the study and could be used as

part of the 16 hour sports module in the JC Physical Education curriculum.

However, we need to analyse the appropriateness of using video

analysis based on the needs of our students. Looking ahead, we could be

developing a complete package for the students that looks into analysing

three different fields; Analysis of basic closed skills followed by open skills

and lastly looking at game conceptual understanding via Video analysis.

There would also be a sequential lead-up of feedback processes via the video

analysis, starting from teacher-directed feedback to peer feedback and ending

with each student able to conduct purposeful self-directed feedback by

looking at their own videos.

References: 1. Suwa, M. (2008). A

cognitive model of

acquiring embodied

expertise through

metacognitive verbalization.

Transactions of the

Japanese Society for

Artificial Intelligence, 23(3),

141-150.

2. Nakashima, H. Suwa, M. &

Fujii, H. (2006). Endo-

System view as a method

for constructive science.

Proceedings of the 5th

International Conference on

Cognitive Science,

ICCS2006, 63-71.

3. Mosston, M. (1966).

Teaching physical

education. Columbus, OH:

Charles Merrill.

4. Jackson, J.A. & Dorgo, S.

(2002). Maximizing

learning through reciprocal

teaching style. Teaching

Elementary Physical Education, March, 12-18.

ABOUT SPEA:

SPEA is a non-profiting

organisation that is established and

managed by a group of sports

practitioners with the heart to serve.

If you wish to be a part of this

family to support the development

of physical education and sports

science in Singapore, we will be

delighted to hear from you at

enquiries@spea.org.sg

SPEA committee members:

(Clockwise/From Left) Mr Randall Lim,

Mr Brian Lui, Dr Koh Koon Teck (above),

Mr Ong Bok Liong (below), Mr Mohamed

Taufeek Ramlan, Dr John Wang (above),

Ms Chow Mei Peng (below), Ms Ho Yieng

Yieng (above), Ms Shermaine Lou

(below), Ms Mariette Ong, Dr Eugene

Chew

Bottom row: Mr Goh Ek Piang, Ms Helen

Low, Dr Steven Tan, Mr Yong Tze Woon,

Dr Zason Chian

Editorial Team:

Dr Koh Koon Teck

Ms Ho Yieng Yieng

Ms Shermaine Lou

Contributors:

Mr Chua Wei

Guang Andy

Ms Chang Shu Yuet

Mr Charles

Timothy D’Cruz

Mr Ong Bok Liong

Ms Shermaine Lou

Ms Ho Yieng Yieng

Upcoming Events of 2016

January 2016 SPEA Learning Series: Teambuilding

Workshop

February 2016 Annual General Meeting

Annual General Meeting 2014

Subsequent events after our AGM will be updated on our website and Facebook pages. Members will also be

notified via email. Do keep a look out for them!