Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition: Applications for Physical Education and Sport

Motor learning is the study of how we learn (or acquire) motor skills. Understanding motor learning is important for individuals involved in instructing or teaching movement skills, such as physical education teachers, primary education teachers, coaches and exercise scientists. Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition is organised to initially provide a general understanding of what motor learning is and some important variables related to understanding learning in sport and physical education. Once the reader understands what learning is and some factors that can influence learning, the topic of motor control in introduced. Understanding how we control movement is important as a basis for understanding how to develop approaches for teaching and coaching. If an instructor understands how someone produces a movement, they will be much better equipped to be able to help a learner to actually do it. The book then goes further and explores how to create an effective learning environment to assist in learning and performing movement skills in physical education, exercise and sport science. Being an instructor in physical education, exercise and sport science is an art, and the topics covered in the textbook will provide students with a research and theoretical basis on which to make decisions about how to set up learning environments to help learners achieve their best.

Table of Contents:
PART 1 Motor learning and skill acquisition in physical education and sport Chapter 1 Introduction to motor learning and skill acquisition Chapter 2 Skills in sport and physical education Chapter 3 Learning and performance of motor skills Chapter 4 Changes in learning of motor skills PART 2 Motor control in physical education and sport Chapter 5 Neuromuscular mechanisms Chapter 6 Senses influencing performance and motor learning Chapter 7 Cognitive approaches to motor control and motor learning Chapter 8 Dynamic systems approaches to motor control and learning Chapter 9 Movement planning and preparation PART 3 Preparing to apply motor learning and skill acquisition in physical education and sport Chapter 10 Abilities and learning styles Chapter 11 Motivation and confidence Chapter 12 Attention and memory Chapter 13 Transfer of learning PART 4 Applying motor learning and skill acquisition in physical education and sport Chapter 14 Presenting skills and tasks Chapter 15 Practice schedules Chapter 16 Varying practice Chapter 17 Practice design and planning Chapter 18 Application of other types of practice Chapter 19 Feedback Chapter 20 Providing feedback Chapter 21 Instructional approaches

About the Author :
Michael Spittle is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University.