Use of Instructional Statements by Preservice Teachers for Overhand Throwing Performance of Children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to (a) determine preservice teachers’ ability to use component-specific feedback to influence student performance on the overhand throw and (b) to develop an instrument to record teachers’ verbal behaviors concurrent with student performance. Preservice teachers used a force-production sequence of overhand throw components (Siedentop, Herkowitz, & Rink, 1984) to intervene upon sport-skill performance of elementary age children. Techniques for observing, recording, and accessing overhand throwing performance and the subsequent instructional statements of the preservice teachers were presented, using the sport skill process variable assessment instrument (SSPVA). Analyses of data suggested three major patterns of instructional feedback statements provided by preservice teachers: (a) Preservice teachers often provided feedback on a component that had been consistently demonstrated at a high level of efficiency; (b) some components were not demonstrated at consistently high efficiency levels, yet little or no specific feedback was directed toward these components; and (c) when preservice teachers were able to recognize errors and provide appropriate feedback, change did occur.