David J. Langley

Exploring Practical Knowledge: A Case Study of an Experienced Senior Tennis Performer

The purpose of the study was to explore sport-related practical knowledge through the perceptions and experiences of a senior adult competitive tennis performer. Practical knowledge was defined as goal oriented, experiential knowledge developed within particular physical activity settings. Data were collected through formal interviews and participant observation and analyzed through narrative inquiry and conventional coding techniques. The data suggest that the tennis environment was perceived in terms of the opportunities afforded by that environment. Specifically, the participants practical knowledge centered on performance capabilities and strategic planning that revealed opponent limitations. This knowledge appeared to be developed and expressed within the relationships among individual capabilities, the task, and the situated context of game play.

Exploring Student Skill Learning: A Case for Investigating Subjective Experience

Current approaches to student skill learning have not specifically addressed the meaning of student experience within the situated context of the teaching/ learning environment. This paper advances the value of research on the students subjective experience during the evolution of skill learning. Following an overview of conventional approaches, the advantages of an interpretive paradigm for the study of skill learning are presented. Although a number of analytic procedures may adequately render subjective experience, narrative is offered as a preferred tool for analyzing and interpreting this experience. Pertinent research questions on subjective experience are posed to expand our understanding of the multidimensional process of skill learning.

Examining the Personal Experience of Student Skill Learning: A Narrative Perspective

Examining the meaning of student skill learning from the learners perspective is a valued but understudied topic in physical education. This paper investigated the learners perspective as a storied experience and used narrative theory to interpret the meanings students derived from their learning experiences. Four narrative accounts were presented involving university students enrolled in a beginning level bowling class. The narratives centered on describing student goals and the conflicts and resolution of conflicts experienced by these students during skill learning. Two sources of generating meaning from experience were delineated: (a) an individuals active construction of meaning and (b) the enculturing influence of the social context. These narratives provided an opportunity for teachers and researchers to examine the realities constructed by students as a result of their learning experiences.