Speaker
Description
Teaching psychomotor skills to students with special needs is at most times difficult especially if they are within the moderate to severe range of their condition and have intellectual difficulties. Helping them grasp the games concepts so that they can effectively apply the psychomotor skills they have learnt is even more difficult.
Most studies focus on teaching motor skills to students with special needs but not many touched on games concepts. What if there was a way to teach simple games concepts to these students providing them with the ability to enjoy playing games in an active and constructive capacity?
Feuerstein, Rand, Hoffman and Miller (1980) developed the theory to a Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) through their work with orphaned and traumatized youths Feuerstein noticed that practice focused on students’ failure to learn and not their potential for learning. He stated that “the quality of interaction between the individual and the environment via an intentional human being (the teacher) played a pivotal role” (Tan, 2003).
An action research study on the effectiveness of an MLE approach in the teaching net-barrier games concept to students was conducted in Singapore. A baseline level of games concept application was taken. Intervention using the MLE approach was implemented, and post-data collection was conducted.
Data showed a significant improvement in the application of the game concept. Based on the nature of the student cohort in special education schools, the findings were substantial. These will be shared at the session.
