Pre-service teachers’ perception of Teaching Games for Understanding: A Hong Kong perspective

Abstract

This study aims to examine pre-service physical education (PE) teachers’ perception of Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) in Hong Kong. Adopting a qualitative approach, 20 pre-service PE teachers (F = 8, M = 12) were recruited for individual semi-structured interviews. Most pre-service teachers responded that TGfU is beneficial for students because of its tendency to enhance students’ engagement, stimulate their thinking and include students with varying skill levels. However, difficulties in understanding the nature and implementation of TGfU have been encountered. The results indicate that the majority of pre-service teachers are likely to use TGfU in the future, while a handful of them prefer to implement the skill-based approach during teaching practice due to a lack of support from cooperative teachers and a short period of teaching practice. Suggestions for improving the TGfU professional development programme and collaboration between pre- and in-service teachers are provided.