Utilizing Guided Discovery to Promote Transfer of Responsibility Values in Young Children

Purpose: In a Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) program, Hellison noted that transferring responsibility values to areas beyond the gym was the most important aspect of a responsibility-based program. The purpose of this study was to examine how the use of guided discovery strategies in a TPSR program impacts and promotes how elementary students construct meaning and action related to responsibility values. Method: The participants were 12 second and third graders who attended an underserved public elementary school and were part of an after-school program. In the TPSR program, participants engaged in cooperative activities and researcher-led discussions, using the guided discovery teaching style, to promote transfer of life skills. Results: The findings indicate that the students better understood the meaning of responsible behaviors following an 8-week TPSR after-school program that included a heavy dose of the guided discovery teaching style. This, in turn, suggests that the guided discovery teaching style served to stimulate the transfer of these responsibility behaviors beyond the program. Discussion and Conclusion: Transfer is challenging to facilitate. Having a program that uses the scaffolded approach of guided discovery may be a key component in transferring responsible behaviors to areas outside of a physical activity program.