Kagan’s Seven Keys for Success and Implementation in the ...



Kagan’s Seven Keys for Success and Implementation in the Physical Education Classroom

Kristin Holloway

January 21, 2013

EDUC 540

Dr. Kagan dedicates a major portion of his text to what he calls the seven keys for success. The seven keys work together to create an ideal learning environment conducive to cooperative learning. The seven keys include structures, teams, management, class building, team building, social skills, and basic principles (PIES). Each of these may be adapted to suit any classroom setting, including physical education.

The first key is structures. Kagan describes these structures as tools to deliver content, since the structure itself is content free. The structures are activities that teachers use to help students master content. Activities range from flashcard activities and pair test taking to round tables and thinking activities. The structures are intended to develop, improve, and master skills. They can be used for practically any subject area and accommodate each type of learner.

There are several ways to implement structures into a physical education setting. To name a few, a physical education setting opens the floor for communication skill structures. One example would be decision makers. These structures allow students to communicate while respecting one another’s thoughts and feelings. Consensus seeking could take place when choosing a team name or a dance to present to the class. Value lines can be used when discussing health lessons during an introductory activity to see where students stand on vague or complex issues. Statements of the value issue may include telling a teacher if a classmate has brought a gun to school or standing up for a younger student who is being bullied at recess by the popular kids.

The second key is teams. Kagan identifies four different kinds of teams, which include heterogeneous, random, interest (student selected), and homogeneous. These four teams are different in how they are chosen, which are based upon language levels, achievement level, different topics, and even student selected teams. Engagement occurs through different cooperative learning activities. Students within the teams work together toward a common goal, learn about one another, and cooperate together. Kagan even identifies activities that old teams can do once the activity or lesson is completed and new teams are formed.

In the physical education setting, teams can be used often for any kind of lesson or activity. There are times when students are matched randomly for stations or group work, and there are times when students are purposefully teamed based on skill level. One student many be able to tutor another student within a group, while in another activity each team is grouped homogeneously. This would allow the educator to move from group to group and instruct each team in a way that benefits the team the most. One team may need more fine-tuning, while another team may need the gross skill re-taught. There are activities when students want to select their own team members. In physical education, this may include a team for a dance or gymnastic presentation.

The third key Kagan discusses is management. Management involves maintain a learning environment that is engaging, but still under control. Kagan discusses how cooperative learning environments require a different kind of management strategy than that of a traditional one. When students are in groups or teams it may be more difficult for an educator to control volume level or amount of space per group. The author offers several ideas educators can utilize for classroom management. These include having quiet, start, or stop signals, establishing class rules, seating arrangements or defined space per group, the role of the teacher, and recognition systems.

Management of a classroom in physical education can vary from class to class. A couple tools used in the gymnasium setting of physical education include music, seating of students, whistles, and cones. Music and whistles serve as excellent quieting, starting, or stopping tools. The whistle may be the more obvious of the two. For example, one whistle blow may mean to begin an activity, while two whistle blows may mean to pause, or one long whistle blow may mean that the teacher needs everyone to stop what they are doing and sit down immediately where they are. The latter is convenient for an injured student or if a guest walks into the gym and needs to address the students. Music can signal starting or stopping of an activity. The students may begin the activity when the music begins, and they should stop and sit down when the music ends. Seating arrangements such as rows, on the floor lines, in teams, at cones or on spots on the floor can allow for easy roll calling, quick grouping, or dividing of skill or achievement level.

Class building is the fourth key. This key creates a sense of community in the classroom. Students recognize that they are a whole, and that they work together. Class building allows students to understand that their actions or work effect those of others. Kagan suggests utilizing class projects, class goals, and class activities that require the whole student body of the class to cooperate, rather than a group, team, or pair. Actually building a sense of community within the classroom would involve the students becoming acquainted with one another, valuing differences and different opinions, and mutual support the students share for one another.

Class building in the physical education setting is perhaps more important than some may think. In an environment where physical skills are exposed for all students to see, it is important to establish core class values. Students should respect one another and each other’s skill levels. Some students will be more advanced than others at certain activities. By the students getting to know one another, the students will feel more comfortable when they are grouped or paired with someone of a different achievement level. By having class goals such as an overall improvement score from week to week or from the beginning of a semester to the end of a semester, students can work together and share ambitions to improving the overall class rather than just their own individual goal. For example, a class goal could be to raise the total number of sit-ups everyone can do in one minute by 50 over the course of 3 weeks. A class of 20 students may only be able to increase their own number by two or three, but when all the students increase their own by that much then the class has reached its goal as a whole.

The fifth key Kagan emphasizes is Team Building. Kagan lists aims of team building as getting acquainted with team mates, and ultimately classmates, in addition to a mutual support system, synergy amongst the students, and valuing differences. It is very similar to class building, but team building is on a smaller scale. Students can do activities that allow them to really get to know each other, which will help them to work together on a team. Team names and goals allow the students to work together to create a team identity, uniting them with a name and a purpose.

Team building in a physical education setting can be implemented very similarly to class building. Activities can be done to encourage students to learn about one another and to work cooperatively with one another. Students often choose team names and set team goals during cooperative learning times in physical education. Team building allows the students to work within a group of individuals each knows well and feels comfortable with.

Social skills make up the sixth key. Communication skills and managing one’s actions in a group can have an impact on the group’s success. Kagan encourages educators to allow the students to discuss and debate back and forth. Once students learn socially acceptable behavior within a group activity, they will be more prepared to enter other social settings as well. These include athletics and professional careers. Activities and lessons often rely on the assumption that students will be able to work together without conflict. If students are not exposed to others’ ideas and opinions in a safe, accepting environment, their social skills will not be strong enough for them to deal with real societal issues.

Physical education requires students to act and communicate socially. Students are asked to work in a team, group, or station without causing conflict amongst their teammates. Often students can even help teach their peers, much like peer tutoring. For example, if a student is struggling with a skill in call, peer tutoring is a structure that can ultimately improve the skill of the tutoring student and the tutored student. If the team members are not used to be constructively criticized by a classmate, however, then there will be issues within the group. If the teammates are familiar with giving and receiving help from classmates, which is a large part of society as adults, then the group will be more successful.

Kagan’s final key to success is called Basic Principles, or PIES. PIES is an acronym for Positive Interdependence, Individual Accountability, Equal Participation, and Simultaneous Interaction. Kagan explains that PIES allows students to take responsibility for his or her own learning and achievement. The group gains from this because students are held accountable for their own achievement, which in turn improves the overall group achievement. Students help their teammates or group members and they contribute during the activities.

PIES can be used in the physical education setting in multiple ways. Students in teams are assigned roles or choose roles within their teams, and they are accountable for the work they need to accomplish on their own. This can be seen when a team of students is assigned to create a fitness plan project. High school students, for example, would be divided into teams of three. Each of the students would be responsible for different roles such as nutritionist, cardio-respiratory trainer, and strength trainer. While the students are working on their own assignments, they will be working together to create a plan that works for the three different roles.

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