Examining the personal experience of student skill learning: a narrative perspective

Examining the meaning of student skill learning from the learner's perspective is a valued but understudied topic in physical education. This paper investigated the learner's perspective as a storied experience and used narrative theory to interpret the meanings students derived from their learning experiences. Four narrative accounts were presented involving university students enrolled in a beginning level bowling class. The narratives centered on describing student goals and the conflicts and resolution of conflicts experienced by these students during skill learning. Two sources of generating meaning from experience were delineated: (a) an individual's active construction of meaning and (b) the enculturing influence of the social context. These narratives provided an opportunity for teachers and researchers to examine the realities constructed by students as a result of their learning experiences.