“Getting the Tip of the Pen on the Paper”: How the Spectrum of Teaching Styles Narrows the Gap Between the Hope and the Happening

Purpose: In response to the limitations with what has been termed a “traditional” Physical Education method, in the last decade Models-Based Practice (MBP) has emerged as an alternative. However, these limitations were recognized by Mosston in 1966 and from which The Spectrum of Teaching Styles (The Spectrum) was presented as a means toward a more obvious educative focus in Physical Education. We propose that The Spectrum provides a bridge between the hope and happening of MBP suggested by Casey and colleagues. Method: Using a qualitative narrative approach, we construct a fictional discussion between two academics (one from a country with centralized, mandated curriculum and one without) through which to navigate the mythical island of quality Physical Education in order to analytically frame The Spectrum and the “happening” of teacher’s implementation of MBP. Use of a fictional dialogue as a qualitative instrument enabled us to be provocative through the posing of questions in a novel fashion. Results: We suggest adopting a nonversus perspective reorients the view of model fidelity and, The Spectrum provides the “how” or micropedagogies to close the gap between the “hope” and the “happening.” Conclusion: This conversation is timely considering reservations about the successfulness of “second-generation” MBP exist in the literature and evidence of the continuation of the historically common Physical Education method despite its well-recognized limitations.

An Exploration of Mosston’s Spectrum of Teaching Styles in Athletic Training Education

Athletic training educators teach in didactic, laboratory and clinical settings, all requiring an array of pedagogical strategies to effectively instruct students. Mosston’s Spectrum of Teaching Styles is a theoretical framework to support pedagogical decision making in physical education. The purpose of the commentary is to examine teaching styles from Mosston’s Spectrum in the context of athletic training education. A general introduction, review of comparative literature and practical application to athletic training education is provided for each of the eleven teaching styles. The examination and application of educational theory from other disciplines may provide athletic training educators additional resources to enhance student learning.

Effects of command and guided discovery teaching styles on acquisition and retention of the handstand

The influential Mosston’s Spectrum of Teaching Styles is a guide to teaching decisions in Physical Education. This highly researched topic has been tested in many contexts so that our focus is centered on the type of skill during motor skill acquisition in physical education settings. Given that the tasks employed in the studies have been either specialized or manipulative fundamental skills, we sought to extend our understanding of the issue addressing the effects of teaching styles in the process of learning a stability fundamental skill. Our purpose was to examine motor and psychological effects of command and guided discovery teaching styles from Mosston's Spectrum in the acquisition and retention of the handstand in scholars. Third graders from a suburban school in Sao Paulo, Brazil, were assigned to a command (n=22) and a guided discovery (n=23) group. The process of learning the handstand lasted six acquisition sessions, carried out between a pretest and a posttest/retention. We used as dependent variables the motor developmental level (initial, elementary and mature), the movement ratings (scores from 0 to 10) and the motivation levels (post-learning self-reported subscales from the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory). The guided discovery teaching style led more scholars to reach the mature developmental stage of the handstand on retention compared to the command teaching style. No group differences were detected with respect to ratings or intrinsic motivation. Regardless of the group, the pretest ratings were lower than the posttest ones as well as boys scored higher in pressure and tension subscale as compared to girls. The current findings suggest that both teaching styles promoted motor acquisition, but the guided discovery teaching style seemed to yield superior handstand retention.

Effects of command and guided discovery teaching styles on acquisition and retention of the handstand

The influential Mosston’s Spectrum of Teaching Styles is a guide to teaching decisions in Physical Education. This highly researched topic has been tested in many contexts so that our focus is centered on the type of skill during motor skill acquisition in physical education settings. Given that the tasks employed in the studies have been either specialized or manipulative fundamental skills, we sought to extend our understanding of the issue addressing the effects of teaching styles in the process of learning a stability fundamental skill. Our purpose was to examine motor and psychological effects of command and guided discovery teaching styles from Mosston's Spectrum in the acquisition and retention of the handstand in scholars. Third graders from a suburban school in Sao Paulo, Brazil, were assigned to a command (n=22) and a guided discovery (n=23) group. The process of learning the handstand lasted six acquisition sessions, carried out between a pretest and a posttest/retention. We used as dependent variables the motor developmental level (initial, elementary and mature), the movement ratings (scores from 0 to 10) and the motivation levels (post-learning self-reported subscales from the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory). The guided discovery teaching style led more scholars to reach the mature developmental stage of the handstand on retention compared to the command teaching style. No group differences were detected with respect to ratings or intrinsic motivation. Regardless of the group, the pretest ratings were lower than the posttest ones as well as boys scored higher in pressure and tension subscale as compared to girls. The current findings suggest that both teaching styles promoted motor acquisition, but the guided discovery teaching style seemed to yield superior handstand retention.

Turkish Physical Education Teachers’ Use of Teaching Styles: Self-Reported Versus Observed

Objective: The objectives of this study were to (a) identify Turkish middle-school physical education teachers’ self-reported use and perceptions of spectrum teaching styles, (b) determine the spectrum teaching styles the teachers use when teaching, and (c) examine whether gender and teaching experience were differentiating factors. Method: A convenience sample of 58 female and 62 male teachers working in 86 different middle schools located in Adana (Turkey) were recruited into the study. The data were collected using two validated instruments: the Physical Education Teachers’ Use of Teaching Styles and Perceptions of Styles Questionnaire, and the Instrument for Identifying Teaching Styles. Results: The findings based on the teachers’ reported perceptions (questionnaire data) revealed that the teachers employed the full spectrum of teaching styles in their classes, ranging from teacher centered to student centered, regardless of their gender or level of teaching experience. However, the data based on actual observations of teaching styles yielded less evidence that the self-reported styles were used in actual teaching settings. The teachers’ perceptions and their actual use of teaching styles did not vary according to the gender and/or teaching experience of the teacher. Conclusion: There is a discrepancy between teachers’ self-reported teaching styles and the actual use of the styles in their teaching.