Enhancing Fundamental Motor Skills through the Teaching Games Understanding (TGfU) Model
Keywords:
Physical education, Motor movement, Children development, Tgmd-2Abstract
This study examines the effectiveness of the Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) model in enhancing fundamental motor skills among elementary school students. A one-group pretest-posttest design involved 42 fifth-grade students who participated in an eight-week TGfU-based intervention. The instructional sessions emphasized tactical awareness, decision-making, and gameplay understanding, aiming to improve locomotor (e.g., running, jumping) and object control (e.g., throwing, catching) skills. Pretest and posttest assessments using the TGMD-2 instrument showed significant improvements in both locomotor and object control domains. Paired sample t-tests indicated substantial gains, with large effect sizes supporting the intervention’s impact (sign. < 0.05). The results suggest that TGfU is a practical pedagogical approach that provides meaningful, game-based learning contexts for motor skill development. These findings highlight the model’s potential as a student-centered strategy in physical education, promoting both skill acquisition and engagement. The study contributes practical insights for educators seeking to enhance physical literacy in school settings.
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