Lesson 3: Drill and Practice

Objectives(Learning Outcomes):

● Define drill and practice as teaching strategy;

● Name the different types of drill and practice;

● Identify the methods of drill and practice; and

● Enumerate the advantages and disadvantages of using drills and practice.

Introduction:

The saying “practice makes perfect” emphasizes the importance of practice in mastering essential skills.
This is particularly relevant in physical education and health curriculum, where drill and practice are
essential for various activities like dancing, singing, and exercise routines. Repetition is crucial in
teaching these subjects, especially to young students. This lesson will discuss the definition of drill and
practice as a teaching strategy in physical education and health, presenting different types of drill and
practice, their methods, and evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of using this strategy in teaching
the subject.

THINK: Drill and Practice

Physical education teachers play an essential role in developing the motor skills needed to become
physically literate (Silverman and Mercier, 2015). A study showed that teachers must provide a well-
tailored instructional plan that enhances motor skills. To become experts at performing the skills, they
need to undergo drills and practice. Hence, drill and practice strategies should be used by the teachers to
achieve this purpose.

Marwan (2018) defines a drill as a method in which the pupil is invited to skills training to see how to
make something, how to use it, what is it made of, its benefits, and others. This method is anchored in the
principle of repetition of motion until the pupils have mastered the skill. On the other hand, practice is
defined as using an idea to gain familiarity and expertise (Mohammed, 2020). The teachers should use
drill and practice to help the pupils become experts in performing games or other physical and health-
related activities

Teachers play a crucial role in selecting and deciding on activities for an instructional plan, as well as the
strategy for presenting them. The plan should target and help students achieve the target skill. There are
two types of drill and practice: massed practice and individual practice. Massed practice involves
continuous practice of one skill with a brief rest period, varying drills to improve the skill. This type is
suitable for highly motivated students or practicing simple discrete skills, but can be difficult and cause
fatigue and loss of motivation. Familiarity with drill and practice types is essential for effective teaching.

Distributed practice is a method where students work on an activity over several short sessions over a
long period, promoting meaningful learning. This approach differs from massed practice, where students
are given few exercises with a long study session. Distributed practice is more effective because it allows
students or athletes to become responsive in competitive situations, recall their practiced skills, and send
messages to the appropriate muscles. This approach has long-term benefits for both students and athletes,
as they become excellent in performing tasks.
Distributed practice improves learning and retention of knowledge and skills by allowing athletes to
perform different skills in sequence and compare techniques. This leads to better understanding and
performance. Distributed practice also attracts attention, making it more challenging and requires better
focus. It also allows flexibility in applying skills learned, allowing athletes to adapt to changes in speed,
direction, distance, sequence, or opposition if needed. Overall, distributed practice enhances learning and
performance in both athletes and students.

Methods of Drills and Practices

Different types of drills and particular skills can be taught depending on the type of pupil and the skills
taught. The following are the methods of drill and practice:

● Whole Method – This method is done by demonstrating the skills and practicing the whole from
beginning to end. This method allows the pupil to acquire the skills, have timing, and see the end
product. This method is best used for a fast skill that cannot be easily separated into subpart.
● Part Method It focuses on practicing parts of the skills in isolation, which is useful in complicated
skills and is suitable for maintaining motivation and concentrate on specific skill elements. It is
possible that the transfer of skills from part to the whole may not be effective, and it may also
reduce kinesthetic awareness for the full skill.
● Whole-part-whole Method – The whole skill is being presented and broken into constituent parts
to practice and improve it before it is shown again as a whole. This method is effective in skills
that have easily recognized parts, particularly if the whole skill is complex and hard to learn as a
whole.
● Progressive Part Method It is also called a chaining method. It focuses on practicing part of the
skills individually and in order before being linked together and expanded. This method is a slow
process, but it allows pupils to identify the skills to be targeted and understand the relationship of
the sub-routines.

Advantages of Using Drill and Practice

The following are some of the advantages of using drill and practice:
1. The pupils can apply knowledge through interaction.
2. The pupils can learn certain concepts efficiently and effectively.
3. Teaching the pupils various repetitive activities can help them use them in different environments
and many different ways.
4. It can accommodate the diverse characteristics of pupils.
5. The pupils can acquire and master high-level skills quickly and effectively.
6. Materials needed can easily be prepared.
7. The teachers can easily monitor the pupils if they can perform the routines well or need
assistance.

Disadvantages of Using Drill and Practice

The following are some of the disadvantages of using this strategy: