title: Nonlinear pedagogy: an effective approach to cater for individual differences in learning a sports skill.
abstract: Learning a sports skill is a complex process in which practitioners are challenged to cater for individual differences. The main purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a Nonlinear Pedagogy approach for learning a sports skill. Twenty-four 10-year-old females participated in a 4-week intervention involving either a Nonlinear Pedagogy (i.e.,manipulation of task constraints including equipment and rules) or a Linear Pedagogy (i.e., prescriptive, repetitive drills) approach to learn a tennis forehand stroke. Performance accuracy scores, movement criterion scores and kinematic data were measured during pre-intervention, post-intervention and retention tests. While both groups showed improvements in performance accuracy scores over time, the Nonlinear Pedagogy group displayed a greater number of movement clusters at post-test indicating the presence of degeneracy (i.e., many ways to achieve the same outcome). The results suggest that degeneracy is effective for learning a sports skill facilitated by a Nonlinear Pedagogy approach. These findings challenge the common misconception that there must be only one ideal movement solution for a task and thus have implications for coaches and educators when designing instructions for skill acquisition.
authors.affiliation: Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Miriam Chang Yi
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jia Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.affiliation: CETAPS, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Rouen, Rouen, France.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Komar
authors.affiliation: Physical Education and Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Clara Wee Keat
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Button
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D013715:Tennis / Q000502:physiology