The Relationship of Teachers’ Task Refinement and Feedback to Students’ Practice Success

This study examined the relationship of teachers’ task refinement and feedback to the practice success of low- and high-skilled students. Data were gathered from two introductory striking units taught to fourth graders by physical education specialists. Four high- and 4 low-skilled subjects from intact classes were randomly selected in order to examine practice success when receiving refining tasks as compared to when receiving extending and applying tasks, both before and after teacher feedback. Success for low-skilled subjects remained about the same (74%) in response to both refinement and extending and applying tasks. Modest increases in success occurred when refining tasks were followed by specific feedback. High-skilled subjects’ practice success improved by 14% when they received refining tasks, as compared to when they received extending and applying tasks; however, no increase in success was experienced when teacher feedback followed refining tasks. Feedback following extending and applying tasks did result in increases in practice success for these subjects.