Differences in Adaptive Outcomes between Previous Physical Education and a Teaching Games for Understanding Games Unit in Adolescent Girls

Two weeks into a new academic school year, a physical education (PE) class of 25 grade nine girls completed a survey relative to their previous PE experiences. Following the completion of a six-lesson territorial games unit using the six-step teaching game for understanding (TGfU) model taught by a guest certified female teacher with TGfU expertise, the sample completed the same survey except applying to the TGfU-games unit. The study investigated differences in self-reported likes, dislikes, self-efficacy, value, ability conceptions, physical activity, anxiety, and need for cognition between previous PE experiences and a TGfU games unit. Both the PE-experience and TGfU-unit surveys consisted of 39 items (34 Likert style, two open-ended, and three demographics). One-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess differences in these constructs between previous PE and the TGfU-games unit and Creswell's protocol was applied to analyze data from the two qualitative survey items (students' likes and dislikes of PE and TGfU). Results revealed both likes and dislikes for TGfU and PE with significantly higher self-efficacy and lower anxiety, value, and entity ability conception in the TGfU-games unit. The study provides new insight potential differences between previous experiences in PE and a TGfU-unit on students' motivation and the need for cognition in PE. Keywords: TGfU, ability conceptions, self-efficacy, value, gender