How do novice learners build knowledge? Joint activity organisation in the development of fighting knowledge

Abstract

From the sociocultural constructivist perspective, knowledge construction is an individual process built by the learner along the interaction and continuous negotiation with the expert, who guides the process looking for a greater autonomy of the apprentice, like it is suggested by the metaphor of "scaffolding". In addition, Game Centred Approach models, such as the Integrated Technical-Tactical model, emphasize the use of semiotic resources like questions, recapitulations, or debates for favoring significant learnings. The present study focuses on the process of knowledge construction in a general approach of combat sports in a school setting with novice learners. Avelar-Rosa and Lopez-Ros analyze the joint activity organization (JAO) between teacher, apprentices and content, and their evolution, in a didactic sequence developed according to the IT-TM. The results show the main features of the JAO and its evolution during the learning process which is neither easy nor linear and present setbacks and disruptions.

INTRODUCTION

From the sociocultural constructivist perspective, knowledge construction is an individual process built by the learner along the interaction and continuous negotiation with the expert (Vygotsky, 1978), who guides the process looking for a greater autonomy of the apprentice, like it is suggested by the metaphor of "scaffolding" (Wood, Bruner, & Ross, 1976).

In addition, Game Centred Approach models, such as the Integrated Technical-Tactical model (IT-TM) (López-Ros & Castejón, 2005), emphasise the use of semiotic resources like questions, recapitulations, or debates for favouring significant learnings.

The present study focuses on the process of knowledge construction in a general approach of combat sports in a school setting with novice learners. We analyse the joint activity organisation (JAO) between teacher, apprentices and content, and their evolution, in a didactic sequence (DS) developed according to the ITTM.

METHODS

This research is an intrinsic case study developed from an interpretative and naturalistic perspective.

The DS was applied through participant observation, with 4th year elementary Portuguese school pupils (n=12), constituted by 10 sessions of 60 minutes, recorded in audio-visual format, and build around two tasks of striking and throwing (according to Avelar-Rosa et al., 2015). All actions and verbal interactions were observed through a pragmatic discourse analysis, looking for the segments of interactivity (SI) that emerge as particular forms of JAO (Coll, Onrubia, & Mauri, 2008).

RESULTS

Seven types of SI were identified: activity organisation (SIAO), guided practice (SIGP), directive practice, observed practice, discussion, recapitulation and transition. These SI are coherent with other studies (Llobet-Martí, López-Ros, & Vila, 2018). However, once there was no decrease of the SIAO and increase of SIGP (both in time and number), which could suggest the knowledge appropriation through a lesser need of teacher intervention, it was found that the existence of prior moments of discussion inside the SIAO and the interactions of the teacher with different pairs individually throughout the SIGP seem to have influence in the knowledge construction process.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show the main features of the JAO and its evolution during the learning process which is neither easy nor linear and present setbacks and disruptions. These results also show the singularities of each pattern of interactivity, suggesting: a) each process of knowledge construction has its particular features; b) these features are not defined in advance; c) the intersubjectivity between the agents around the contents is also built during the process of teaching and learning.

References

References

Avelar-Rosa, B., Gomes, M.S.P., Figueiredo, A., & López-Ros, V. (2015). Caracterización y desarrollo del "saber luchar": contenidos de un modelo integrado para la enseñanza de las artes marciales y de los deportes de combate. Revista de Artes Marciales Asiáticas, 10(1), 1633. doi: 10.18002/ rama.v10i 1.1501.

Coll, C., Onrubia, J. & Mauri, T. (2008). Ayudar a aprender en contextos educativos: el ejercicio de la influencia educativa y el análisis de la enseñanza. Revista de Educación, 346, 33-70.

Llobet-Martí, B., López-Ros, V., & Vila, I. (2018). The analysis of interactivity in a teaching and learning sequence of rugby: the transfer of control and learning responsibility. Physical Education ami Sport Pedagogy, 23(1), 84-102. doi: 10.1080/17408989.2017.1341472.

López-Ros, V., & Castejón, F.J. (2005). L'ensenyament integrat tecnicotactic dels esports en edat escolar. Apunts. Educació Física i Esports, 79, 4048.

Vigotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.

Wood, D., Bruner, J.S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem-solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 17, 89-100. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1976.tb00381.x.