Reconsidering The Spectrum of Teaching Styles and models based practice

The aim of this presentation is to reconsider how The Spectrum of Teaching Styles (The Spectrum) sits ‘inside’ the trending models based practice (MBP) paradigm. Pedagogical models have been proposed to overcomes the limitations and deficits in student learning arising from what has been termed the traditional ‘physical education method’ (Metzler, 2011). However, these limitations were recognised by Mosston in 1966 and from which The Spectrum of Teaching Styles was presented as a solution. Using The Spectrum, we will suggest ways to bridge the gap between the idea of MBP and the ‘happening’ of teacher’s implementation of MBP, addressing concerns raised in recent academic debates (Casey et al., 2020). Whilst we intend to be provocative through our suggestions it is not our intention to suggest that any MBP in particular is failing. Rather we question why The Spectrum continues to be largely ignored in contemporary discussion of MBP’s and reconstructed notions of the educational value of quality Physical Education. This conversation is timely considering reservations about the successfulness of ‘second generation’ (Ennis, 2014) MBP exist in the literature and along with evidence of the continuation of the historically common physical education method despite its well-recognised limitations and despite the academic promotion of MBP as a ‘solution’.