Teaching practice between ostension and proximity: The case of a seasoned physical education teacher in clinical didactics

Abstract

This study aims, within a clinical didactics framework, to identify the crucial role of “proxemics” (Hall, 1966, 1973), as a major driver of the non-verbal interaction within the teaching-learning process in Physical Education (PE) and the relationship that it maintains with ostension. We proceeded with a double analysis (quantitative and qualitative) case study of a Physical Education teacher‟s in situ practice in order to identify this singularity (Terrisse, 2000). Results show a significant dependence between the use of didactic distance types (Forest, 2006) and ostension types (Salin, 2002) utilized in his teaching practice. As a result, we noticed that “distance” is intimately related to different types of ostension and has a major role, as an implicit form of interaction, in the regulation and the management of didactic situations.