ABSTRACT
The transfer of information from instructor to learner is crucial for effective skill acquisition. The mode of delivering this information may take many different forms, but coaches require methods that convey lasting information with maximal efficiency. Demonstration is one method that appears to meet these expectations, and coaches and researchers alike often invoke the notion that ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ to portray its potential. Not surprisingly, demonstration is estimated to be the most commonly used mode of instruction in skill acquisition (Magill, 2001), a fact reflected in recent physical education texts. The most common teaching technique in physical education settings is direct instruction (Graham et al., 2001) or interactive teaching (Rink, 1998) both of which consider that a demonstration is the first and arguably most significant stage of the skill acquisition process. In this chapter, we review contemporary research and theory to determine whether such confidence in demonstrations is well founded. Prevalent theories from cognitive and ecological accounts of learning are considered, and a critical review of the associated research provided. Finally, we highlight recent neuroscience research that questions theoretical premises from both cognitive and ecological perspectives. It is not our intention to provide a detailed review of the research literature on developmental and psychosocial issues and the effectiveness of demonstrations (for detailed reviews of these areas, see McCullagh and Weiss, 2001; Williams et al., 1999).
