Group Work in Physical Education : Exploring the Interconnectedness of Theoretical Approaches and Practice

Student group work is a central feature of many contemporary pedagogical approaches to teaching physicaleducation. Despite this proliferation, our understanding of the teaching-learning dynamics inherent in groupwork remains limited and has tended to be under-theorized. The purpose of this paper was to examine differenttheoretical approaches to group work to identify similarities and differences and consequently provide insightsand recommendations into ways of using group work as a pedagogical strategy. Four theoretical approaches togroup work models were described in detail with brief empirical examples used to illustrate aspects to whicheach approach draws attention. The examination demonstrates conceptual overlap, elaboration and distinctionsbetween the theoretical approaches related to: (i) content knowledge; (ii) engaging learners; (iii) theteacher’s role; and (iv) group composition. Meta-theoretical discussions of teaching strategies such as groupwork generate important discourse on the potential for the development of effective pedagogical practice