This paper will focus on the Cooperative Learning by Roger and David Thomson, and Teaching for Personal and Social Responsibility” (TPSR) model, which was developed by Don Hellison. The TPSR Model draws insights from the authors experiences in urban physical education settings (Casey & Kirk, 2020). He created the model and marked a crucial shift in how physical education is approached. Before it was developed, physical education primarily focused on physical fitness and motor skills, often relegating character development and social skills. The traditional approach prioritized competition and winning, often at the expense of comprehensive student growth. Don Hellison recognized the importance of bridging the gap between physical skills and character development, leading to the model’s creation.
On the other hand, Cooperative learning focuses on having students work together to achieved common goals (Casey & Kirk, 2020). The model promotes individual and group success through working towards improving their learning outcomes.
(a) Physical Education Before TPSR
Before the discovery of the TPSR and cooperative learning models, physical education predominantly revolved around physical fitness and motor skills. The focus of physical training before this model was on competition, athleticism, and the pursuit of winning, neglecting the critical aspects of character development, personal responsibility, and social skills. In this traditional paradigm, physical education frequently operated in isolation, significantly emphasizing students’ physical abilities and competitive spirit. Ultimately, this resulted in the holistic growth of individuals getting overlooked, leaving a significant gap in their personal and social development. Thus, the invention of the TPSR model by Don Hellison stepped in to address this limitation by redefining the purpose of physical education, emphasizing and prioritizing physical skills and personal and social responsibility (Martinek & Hemphill, 2020). Besides, the invention of cooperative learning was dominated by competitive and individualized learning. The model fundamentally shaped how educators approached this essential component of students’ development. This transformation marked a fundamental shift moving away from a singular focus on competition to embrace a comprehensive educational approach that fosters character, integrity, and values alongside physical proficiency.
(b) The Origin of the Model and Its Creator
The creation of the TPSR model can be attributed to its founder, Don Hellison, a highly regarded authority in physical education (Jacobs & Templin, 2020). The contribution of Hellison’s model is rooted in his extensive involvement in urban physical education settings, which enabled him to bring significant changes in physical education. The model developed from Don Hellison’s experiences working in challenging environments in urban settings, where he gained profound insights into the educational landscape (Martinek & Hemphill, 2020). Thus, based on his hands-on experiences, he was convinced of the pressing need for a paradigm shift in physical education that went beyond the conventional focus on physical skills and placed equal emphasis on personal and social development.
The development of Cooperative Learning model was done in the 1980s as small group learning when individualized and competitive learning was widely implemented within the education system (Yang, 2023). The model was developed to promote cognitive development, social interdependence, and behavioral learning among learners during their development stages. The authors used their personal experiences as a learning ground in the development of the model by comparing the old learning model against the new model. The model allowed them to challenge their individual perceptions, feelings, and expressions, with the existing community values, perceptions and beliefs. This led to the deconstruction of the old teaching model allowing the students to freely express themselves among their peers without the fear of judgement.
(c) The Models’ Purpose and Rationale
The purpose of the TPSR model was to bring change in physical education, and its inventor, Don Hellison, wanted to shift the focus away from traditional physical fitness and athleticism to a holistic approach that emphasized personal and social responsibility (Scanlon, Baker, & Tannehill, 2022). Therefore, the model focuses on empowering students to become responsible individuals capable of making informed and ethical choices while enhancing effective social interactions.
Consequently, the cooperative learning model was developed to improve student learning experiences by learning collaboratively. The model helped in creating positive relationships among learners which allowed diversity of ideas and beliefs (Metzler, 2017). Through the implementation of the model, social and learning skills were improved by fostering interpersonal relationships among students. Besides, the models nurtured character, integrity, and values, equipping students with a well-rounded foundation for lifelong success (Casey & Kirk, 2020). The aspects of these models align with the more significant educational trend towards comprehensive development, emphasizing character, values, and social skills as the pillars of physical education.
(d) The Models’ Structure and Key Components
The central structure of the TPSR model is anchored on using physical education as an active platform for developing personal and social responsibility (Pavao, Santos, Wright, & Gonçalves, 2018). The model has critical components, which include helping students make responsible decisions, giving them choices, and enhancing a welcoming and inclusive learning atmosphere. By empowering the students to exercise their independence in making decisions and choices, the model encourages them to take ownership of their actions and development. Also, in TPSR, learning goals go beyond just physical abilities. They include facilitating the development of essential life skills like self-control, respect for others, and leadership capabilities.
According to (Yang, 2023), cooperative learning is structured to allow learners appreciate the efforts and commitment of every person in the success journey. The model is structure with core elements that help promote group and individual success. The elements include positive interdependence among group members who aim at working towards set group goals to achieve group success. The learners also learn the importance of individual and group accountability to achieving goals by measuring the milestones achieved against the set targets (W. Johnson & T. Johnson, 2019). This approach allowed them to remain focused and committed towards the main targets. The model is also structured to promote interactions and consultations among learners during self-learning sessions. This has been helpful in developing personal and academic support systems that foster success.
(e) Application and Research
Various studies consistently reveal positive results, underscoring the model’s capacity to propel and shape student behavior and character development improvements. According to Merino-Barrero, Valero-Valenzuela, Belando Pedreño, and Fernandez-Río (2020), using the TPSR results in better student behavior, including increased responsibility and accountability. The TPSR model has been broadly applied, and its utilization includes physical education programs that emphasize underserved communities and urban segments. In these areas, the model’s impacts have been most significant. Educators have welcomed and implemented the model as a valuable tool to educate their students, focusing on improving their physical skills and developing their character and personal growth (Dunn & Doolittle, 2020).
The development of cooperative learning began with the pioneers undertaking extensive research on how the existing learning model impacted the learners (W. Johnson & T. Johnson, 2019). Having established the contribution of the model on key features such as cognitive learning and interdependence among learning, the model has been championed to help improve the learning outcomes among students. The model has been embraced in the current education systems due to its impact in building positive qualities, and values among students.
(f) Examples of Application
The TPSR model has been embraced and applied in numerous physical education and youth sports settings, contributing to the transformation of how educators conduct physical education. Teachers have successfully adopted the TPSR model to educate their students and instill valuable qualities in students. Within a physical education class utilizing the TPSR model, students frequently enjoy the liberty to select their activities, empowering them to make decisions and be responsible for their equipment and conduct. This autonomy is essential in instilling a sense of ownership in students about their learning and actions, promoting a sense of responsibility that extends beyond the boundaries of the gymnasium.
The cooperative learning is used in promoting cooperation among learners and teachers through having session of group consultations, and discussions to share idea, perceptions and beliefs (W. Johnson & T. Johnson, 2019). The application of the model extends beyond the classroom to the work environment as organization strive to promote conducive working relations among employees. Consultations among the management and employees is now highly encouraged to allow all members of the organization take part in its success. Departmental goals and targets are set to allows all members channel their skills and energy towards the common goal for the greater good of the organization.
To summarize, today, the models are still relevant in addressing the holistic development of students, which is essential in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. This model offers a structure for imparting life skills via physical education, promoting social responsibility, and cultivating positive personal development. It is especially beneficial in guiding young individuals to become accountable citizens and leaders on and off the field. Finally, the models align with the broader shift and educational trend emphasizing character education and social-emotional learning, making it an indispensable framework for modern physical education programs.
References
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