Between Exploitation and Exploration of Motor Behaviours: Unpacking the Constraints-Led Approach to Foster Nonlinear Learning in Physical Education.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The constraints-led approach (CLA) and more generally a complex systems perspective on motor learning emphasizes the role of perceptual-motor exploration during learning in order to ensure the acquisition of a highly individualized, adapted and adaptable movement pattern. Recent studies have shown that human beings have a strong tendency to exploit already stable patterns rather than looking for new potentially more efficient patterns. In order to shape the amount of exploration, we implemented two learning designs based on a CLA where constraints were used to limit the boundaries of the perceptual-motor workspace of the learners. We sought to highlight how practitioners can play with the perceptual motor workspace boundaries in order to (i) promote the use of exploratory behaviours and (ii) guide the learner towards task-relevant functional areas.Method: For the experiment, twenty-four beginners in breaststroke swimming were allocated to three groups of learning: a control group rec...