The use of OPTIMAL Instructions and Feedback in Physical Education Settings

In physical education (PE), the use of instruction and feedback are central to children’s motor skill learning. Recently, it has been identified that instruction and feedback which promote OPTIMAL theory motor learning factors (e.g., an external focus of attention, enhanced expectancies and autonomy support) can enhance children’s motor learning. However, it is unclear how PE teachers use OPTIMAL instructional approaches and therefore, was examined in the present study. Verbal statements (n = 5765) from seven PE teachers (Mean age: 39.29 ± 7.19yrs) over 10 PE lessons were collected and thematically analysed. Results indicate that PE teachers use more externally focused (25%) vs internally focused (10%) instructional behaviours. Moreover, PE teachers used instructional approaches that enhanced (35%) as compared to diminished expectancies (8%) in addition to statements which supported (35%) rather than thwarted (23%) autonomy. Overall, PE teachers appear to use instructional behaviours which support OPTIMAL motor learning however, more efforts are needed to improve the provision of optimised instructional behaviours. Additionally, the findings indicate that OPTIMAL instructions and feedback are rarely delivered in isolation and may be influenced by the contextual factors of PE and sometimes conflict in their delivery (i.e., externally focused and autonomy thwarting).