2nd International Conference:

Teaching Sport and Physical Education for understanding

Thursday 11 December to Sunday 14 December 2003

to be held at

The University of Melbourne

Endorsed by
Association de Internationale des Ecoles Superieurs d'Education Physique

Significant changes in the meaning and practice of education over the past few decades challenge physical educators to develop and implement innovative practices that can advance the relevance and value of physical education. Coaches of sport at all levels must also strive to improve the effectiveness of their coaching and its relevance for young athletes. First promoted two decades ago Bunker and Thorpe's Teaching Games for Understanding model has attracted growing interest from both the physical education field and the coaching community. It offers one means through which teachers and coaches can develop better games players, provide educationally valuable experiences of games and contribute to making young people's experiences of games and sport rewarding, relevant and enjoyable.

Following on from the success of the first international conference on teaching sport and physical education for understanding at New Hampshire, USA in 2001 The University of Melbourne and The University of Tasmania will jointly promote the second International Conference: Teaching Sport and Physical Education for Understanding from December 12th to December 14th 2003 at The University of Melbourne. This conference is aimed at promoting the development of teaching and coaching approaches that recognise and account for the complexity of learning in physical activity and the essentially contextual nature of skilled performance through debate and the sharing of ideas from researchers, teachers and coaches. While the TGfU model presents an excellent example of this approach we hope that this conference will bring together researchers and practitioners working with TGfU and other conceptual approaches to teaching and coaching, not only in sport and games but in any other sport or physical activity. It is clearly aimed at bringing together researchers, teachers and coaches to share ideas, disseminate knowledge and advance teaching and coaching approaches.

Program Format
The 2001 New Hampshire conference brought together presenters from eighteen different countries with a common interest in developing the understanding approach to teaching. Two years later the conference in Melbourne offers the opportunity to examine the ways in which the understanding approach has since developed across the globe and to strengthen existing international networks of educators committed to an understanding approach. Its location in Melbourne also offers the chance to highlight developments in the field within the Asia Pacific region and for local teachers and coaches to access some of the world's leading researchers and practitioners in this area. The conference will maintain the New Hampshire model of simultaneously providing twenty-minute theoretical paper presentations, fifty- minute practical sessions and poster presentations so that delegates can move between practical and theoretical sessions.

Key Note Speakers
We have been fortunate to attract three very prominent speakers, Joy Butler, Rod Thorpe and Jean-Francis Grehaigne, one each from the USA, the UK and Europe. Joy Butler has published extensively on TGfU in schools and convened the inaugural 2001 conference in New Hampshire. She provides a valuable link between the Melbourne and the New Hampshire conference. Rod Thorpe probably needs little introduction due to his work with David Bunker in developing the TGfU model. Rod is well known by coaches in Australia and will specifically address the practical concerns of coaches and teachers. He has also kindly offered to run a practical session during the conference. Jean-Francis Gréhaigne is Professor of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences at the University Institute for Teacher Education of Franche-Comté at Besançon in France. His has published widely on soccer and has now moved towards developing a systemic analysis of game play. His primary interest now lies on modelling of team sports in relation to the teaching-learning process in physical education.

The Conference Site
The conference will be held at the University of Melbourne at the beginning of the Australian summer when it is typically fine and hot. The university offers excellent facilities for both theoretical and practical presentations, key note addresses, functions and accommodation within a few minutes walk of each other. Accommodation will be offered in on-campus colleges and at Rydges hotel, a five-minute walk from the conference site. The campus is situated in the city within the lively Carlton area and is a few minutes walk from the cafes and restaurants of Lygon Street.

For international delegates interested in attending the Melbourne conference it is worth noting that the Australian Association for Research in Education is holding its annual conference in Auckland, New Zealand a week prior to the Melbourne conference. AARE has a very large and active health and physical education Special Interest Group and provides the major conference at which those in the field gather. The AARE conference might offer an ideal stop over on the way to Australia.

Scientific Committee

Richard Light (The University of Melbourne)
Ross Brooker (the University of Tasmania)
Karen Swabey (The University of Tasmania)
Les Bee (Victorian Coaching Centre