Enhance PE Participation with Small-Sided Games

Autonomy, mastery, and purpose lead to a better performance, greater satisfaction, and a higher level of engagement in physical education.

How can small-sided games help students gain autonomy, mastery and purpose in physical education?

1. Autonomy

Jessica Shawley loves implementing small-sided games into her class because they offer students more choices, which helps them build independence. Everyone deserves the chance to participate! Small-sided games maximize participation and inclusion. With smaller team sizes, there is more opportunity for students to be involved in the game!

2. Mastery

Students can master skills thanks to the extra involvement and practice. Small-sided games allow students to learn skills and applications in small groups first!  This progression is important in helping students be successful. Also, your assessment and feedback given to students is more accurate and specific!

3. Purpose

With more interaction in a game, students also make more of a difference for their team and gain a greater purpose in class. Shawley enjoys using pedometers with her class to keep students engaged in moving. To encourage her students to move more, Shawley wears a pedometer and her students need to try to “beat the teacher’s MVPA”. It is also motivating for students to try beating their highest score!

If you have a small space, be creative with your equipment. Try having your students rotate to different stations with new equipment. For large class sizes, live sidelines are another great way to increase students’ involvement and activity levels. Students in the sidelines can work on separate exercises or strategize for the game!

You can watch the full Webinar Enhance PE Participation with Small-Sided Games on our website!

Webinar Presenter: Jessica Shawley was the 2012 National NASPE Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year. She is a National Board (NBPTS) certified Physical Education Specialist and received a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Idaho. Shawley focuses on teaching various activities that offer meaningful connections to their lives.