What is Effective Teacher Communication in PE?

Communication is an interpersonal skill that involves sending and receiving messages. Communication can be either verbal or non-verbal. The effectiveness of a person's communication impacts on the thoughts, feelings and actions of the people/person receiving the message. In a PE context this is particularly relevant as the person sending this message is a role model to the person receiving the message - i.e. the class teacher to the pupil.  Often feelings are communicated nonverbally. Effective communication is closely linked with autonomy, choice and a feeling of connection or belonging.

Effective Teacher Communication Strategies in PE

Providing meaningful rationales, constructive feedback, acknowledging and accepting feelings and using non-pressuring language are all effective communication strategies shown to support autonomy and increase motivation (Deci et al. 1994). In a PE context, it may be useful to consider the most appropriate time to use each strategy within the lesson. A number of strategies for providing effective teacher communication and dealing with disengagement within a PE lesson are outlined in the downloadable poster below.

Why focus on Effective Communication in PE?

Effective communication, using the strategies outlined above has been shown to support a perception of autonomy amongst pupils. Effective communication that increases autonomy leads to a climate that values effort over improvement.  This mastery climate has been identified as beneficial to a pupils motivation (Hastie et al 2013).  Provision of effective communication also has some additional benefits.

• Teacher feedback relating to a task can be a source of confidence which will help build a motivational climate

• Teachers using effective communication strategies report greater satisfaction from teaching (Cheon et al.,2014)

• Explanatory rationales help students accept and value a teachers request and this supports their motivation to be involved in the PE lesson  (Reeve 2015)

References 

• Coulter, M., Scanlon,D., MacPhail, A., O’Brien, W., Belton, S., Woods, C. (2020): The (mis)alignment between young people’s collective physical activity experience and physical education curriculum development in Ireland, Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education

• Cheon, S. H., Reeve, J., Yu, T. H., & Jang, H. R. (2014). The teacher benefits from giving autonomy support during physical education instruction. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 36, 331-346.

• Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum.

• Hastie,P., Rudisill, M.,  & Wadsworth, D. (2013) Providing students with voice and choice: lessons from intervention research on autonomy supportive climates in physical education, Sport, Education and Society, 18:1, 38-56, DOI: 10.1080/13573322.2012.701203

• Reeve, J. (2015). Autonomy-supportive teaching: What it is, how to do it. In J. C. K. Wang, W. C. Liu, and R. M. Ryan’s (Eds.), Motivation in educational research: Translating theory into classroom practice (Chpt 5). New York: Springer.