A contingency perspective on learning and instruction in physical education

Abstract

In this article, we focus on the contingency between learning and instruction in physical education (PE). We argue that the complex interconnectedness of teachers’ instruction and students’ learning processes should be studied using a unit of analysis that expresses the relationship between the two factors. A contingency perspective foregrounds the individual differences between different learners and how a teacher regards these differences. Furthermore, it has the potential to provide a precise lens for empirical research on how the students’ situations shape the evolution of the teaching--learning process. Based on scaffolding research and adaptive teaching research, which draws on socio-constructivist foundations, we call this unit of analysis ‘contingency’. We outline a framework of research that suggests depicting contingency dimensions, respective instructional continua, and contingency rules when investigating contingency in PE. Furthermore, autonomy as a core contingency dimension for PE and methodological issues will be discussed.