May the Force(s) be with You: The Utility of Using a Game-Based Approach to Teach Biomechanics
Creators: name: Evans, Stuart
name: Sanders, Kellie
Publisher: name: La Trobe
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 3901
subject: Curriculum and pedagogy
classificationCode: 4207
subject: Sports science and exercise

description: Abstract:  Many high school students fear and dislike introductory biomechanics, which can add to the challenges physical educators face in teaching and supporting their students’ learning. There is evidence that active and participative learning approaches can improve student engagement with and understanding of biomechanical concepts. This can be done by teaching the theoretical and practical components of biomechanics within a specific pedagogical approach, namely Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU). As TGfU has been shown to significantly improve student engagement and learning in a wide variety of other related disciplines, this article provides strategies for introducing biomechanics using the TGfU pedagogy framework—which may also benefit STEM engagement and the application of STEM-related knowledge.
The mere mention of biomechanics can send many high school students running for the hills. Why? The reasons differ, but the fact that many topics covered in a characteristic biomechanics curriculum involve abstract terminology, variables that are not observable but are implied, and a raft of formulas can make the subject off-putting. When tasked with learning a subject that can be complex and difficult to put into practice, high school students often experience anxi­ety. In fact, many university students even avoid or drop out of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors (including biomechanics) due to anxiety about science and mathematics (Keogh et al., Citation2021). This is a shame, as both teaching and learning biomechanics should be fun, engaging, and rewarding, and ought to provide a significant opportunity for the appreciation and understanding of human movement—something physical education (PE) teachers strive to promote. Physics education research has documented that many high school students fear and dislike university physics, and these negative perceptions endure even after the course is completed (Docktor &amp; Mestre, Citation2014). This may parallel with the anxiety and negative perception of both physics and biomechanics held by many high school students. The consequential outcome is that student comprehension of biomechanical concepts is poor.
However, poor student comprehension could be due to the overly theoretical approach used to teach the various subjects contained within biomechanics. While aspects of biomechanics may lend themselves to being taught scientifically and verified through logical or mathematical proofs (e.g., positivism), many of the constructs and definitions can be taught prior to introducing the mathematical formulas involved. This “flipped” approach may enhance student understanding when it comes to calculating velocity, displacement, speed, and acceleration, for instance, and can be used in PE.
One area that is actively promoted to enhance student engagement and comprehension in PE is the use of game-based learning activities. Specifically, game-based learning has been shown to be beneficial to learning, especially when taught in a blended learning environment (Keogh et al., Citation2017). Different authors have reported on the influence of the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) pedagogy on game performance, physical education, and psychosocial variables (Ortiz et al., Citation2023). Yet, while many researchers working in K–12 educational settings have supported the incorporation of TGfU pedagogy into PE, little has been communicated about the effect of integrating TGfU into the teaching of biomechanics. Therein lies an opportunity, as many biomechanics-based activities lend themselves to practical tasks that can be aligned with the curriculum. To establish the teaching-for-understanding process in biomechanics, the physical educator needs to apply biomechanics in a practical and theoretical context. This article provides a practical strategy for combining several key biomechanical principles using one single sporting activity by means of the TGfU pedagogical method.