Effects of Teaching Games on Decision Making and Skill Execution: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

The question of how games should be taught is still a controversial subject. There has been a growing number of studies on teaching games and coaching sports since the first publication of Bunker and Thorpe on Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU). In this sense, the present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to systematically review the scientific literature about the effects of technical and tactical approach interventions on skill execution and decision making, and to examine the influence of the teacher/coach management style. A systematic literature search was carried out in accordance with PRISMA guidelines in Web of Science (WOS), PubMed (Medline), Scopus, and SportDiscus electronic databases. A total of seven and six studies were deemed to meet the inclusion criteria for decision making and skill execution, respectively. Meta-analysis results showed that tactical interventions achieved significant improvements in decision making (effect size = 0.89 with 95% confidence interval (CI) from 0.12 to 1.65), but they did not show significant improvements in skill execution (effect size = 0.89 with 95% CI from −0.45 to 2.23) compared to technical approaches. However, the heterogeneity of interventions was large and the quality of evidence was low according to GRADE. In conclusion, tactical approaches are recommended to teach games and sports in order to develop technique, understanding, tactical knowledge, and decision making, which are demanded in game play. These findings could be useful for teachers and coaches to improve these aspects of their players and students.

Fostering Holistic Development with a Designed Multisport Intervention in Physical Education: A Class-Randomized Cross-Over Trial

“…The convergence is due to the fact that ‘hot’ executive functions integrate the rational conceptualization of executive functions, attuned to the cognitive TGfU perspective [ 33 ], with the consideration of bottom-up emotional processes in cognitive control that are better attuned to the CLA perspective [ 35 ]. The positive effect of our intervention on decision-making skill is supported by evidence of efficacy of both TGfU-based training of tactical comprehension [ 55 ] and CLA-based manipulation of game features and risk taking [ 56 ] that is a distinguishing feature of decision making in ‘hot’ executive function research [ 22 ]. Moreover, the assessment of decision making in the emotionally salient team game setting seems best suited to detect a decision-making skill generalizable to other life domains, as it was found predictive of self-regulation in everyday life [ 19 ].…”

“…These approaches were integrated as complementary paths that especially foster decision making. We relied on evidence that both TGfU-based interventions focused on tactical comprehension [ 55 ] and CLA-based ‘small-sided conditioned games’ in which exploration is constrained to facilitate the roundtrip between stability and variability of individual and team actions [ 56 ] achieve significant improvements in decision making.…”

The Effect of Decision Training, from a Cognitive Perspective, on Decision-Making in Volleyball: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…To perform the current review, we adopted procedures from previous review and meta-analysis studies [56,57]. Further, we considered reporting standards and guidelines from systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA) [58].…”

New Developments in Physical Education and Sport

“…Abad, Collado-Mateo, Fernández-Espínola, Castillo, and Fuentes-Guerra [ 5 ] conducted a systematic review with a meta-analysis of the effects of technical and tactical intervention approaches on skill execution and decision-making, and they examined the influence of the teacher/coach management style. This study was performed following PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) using the Web of Science (WOS), PubMed (Medline), Scopus, and SportDiscus electronic databases.…”