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Introduction
The article, ‘The Mountain of Motor Development: A Metaphor,’ by Clark and Metcalfe, is about understanding the human motor development all throughout his lifespan. According to the authors, just like many scientific phenomena, a man’s motor development may be difficult to conceptualize (Clark & Metcalfe 2). For the same reason, several ways have been devised in order to facilitate its understanding. Two methods have been described as the most common methods employed by those who wish to teach or instruct a certain phenomenon and that is through the creation of a model or a metaphor. A model, according to the authors, “is a formal system that is usually connected to a set of empirical data” (Clark & Metcalfe 2). A metaphor, on the other hand, is similar to modeling, but on a less formal scale. As observed by the authors, “a metaphor is often the first approximation of a representation and is therefore less formal and more speculative” (Clark & Metcalfe 2). Many scientific phenomena that are difficult to explain uses models and metaphors to facilitate its deeper understanding. Similarly, in the area of motor skill development, a good metaphor is also important. There are many metaphors that aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of motor skill development, but none is as successful as the mountain metaphor. In their article, the authors discusses the importance of choosing a good metaphor as well as the reason why they choose the mountain metaphor as the ultimate metaphor for describing motor skill development.
The Importance of Selecting an Appropriate Metaphor
In order to understand motor development, specifically understanding how individuals become skillful in their movements, the authors found it necessary to select a metaphor (Clark & Metcalfe 2). Selecting a metaphor that would explain motor development, however, is considered as a crucial task. The authors believe that the chosen metaphor should be assessed for quality and suitability (Clark & Metcalfe 3). In order to assess the quality and suitability of a metaphor, the author suggests two levels of consideration. First, the metaphor should be assessed according to its local application; that is, the metaphor should fit with the existing knowledge regarding a phenomena. One of the most important factors to consider when assessing a metaphor according to its local application is in its usefulness. As observed by scholars, metaphors “cannot be assessed as true or false” rather, they can only be “more or less useful” (Clark & Metcalfe 3). A metaphor, therefore, is not necessarily linked to the phenomena. The important thing is, it can serve as a theoretical framework for explaining the phenomena in question. Second, in assessing the quality and suitability of a metaphor, its global assumptions must also be considered (Clark & Metcalfe 4). Global assumptions refer to how the metaphor fits in a wider or global perspective (Clark & Metcalfe 4). The global assumptions assessment is concerned about knowing how the metaphor is interconnected with the “larger organization of nature” (Clark & Metcalfe 4).
How to Determine a Good Metaphor
According to the authors, the metaphors used by scientists for the motor development of an individual can be divided into three broad categories: metaphors that focus on the product; metaphors that focus on the process; and metaphors that focus on both product and process (Clark & Metcalfe 5). Metaphors that focus on product, for instance, are those that represent what is observed in motor development. Metaphors that focus on process, on the other hand, tries to explain why the changes occur. If a metaphor can explain both the product and the process, then it is considered as an integrated metaphor (Clark & Metcalfe 5). There are different types of metaphors that may fall under these three broad categories. One of the most common is the stage metaphor, which is often used in describing the development of living organisms. The life cycle of a butterfly, for instance, is described in stages from the egg, to the caterpillar or larva stage, to the pupa stage, and finally to the adult stage (Clark & Metcalfe 5). In humans, the metaphor of the stage is also frequently used. Stage metaphors in humans, for instance, starts with the embryo stage, infant, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age stage (Clark & Metcalfe 6). The Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget, for instance, used the stage metaphor in his theory, which he used in describing the stages of human cognitive development. The stage metaphor is also used before in describing the human motor development. It was, however, abandoned when Wohlwill argued that stages metaphors could not adequately describe the changes that takes effect in performing tasks (Clark & Metcalfe 7). For the same reason, scholar abandoned the stage metaphor when referring to motor development. Aside from the stage metaphor, several other metaphors were used by scholars in an attempt to provide a theoretical framework for motor development. Examples of such are the tree metaphor; the computer metaphor; the machine metaphor; the hourglass metaphor; etc. According to the authors, none of these metaphors are satisfactory in describing motor development except for the Mountain of Motor Development metaphor (Clark & Metcalfe 7).
The Mountain Metaphor and the Nature of Motor Skill Development
The mountain metaphor compares motor development to learning to climb a mountain (Clark & Metcalfe 7). Climbing a mountain, for instance, requires a combination of many processes, behaviors and skills, which makes it as a suitable metaphor for motor skill development. The peak of the mountain can also aptly resemble the “ultimate accomplishment” of a person when he reaches the peak of his motor development (Clark & Metcalfe 9). This peak varies between individuals, which is why a mountain metaphor in motor development is quite appropriate. The mountain as a metaphor is also commended by the authors as a fitting metaphor for describing a dynamic system such as the learning process that occurs during motor development. Accordingly, “the path up the mountain, as well as the level of success attained, are products of the characteristics of the mountain, environmental conditions on the mountain, and the individual skills and abilities of the mountaineer” (Clark & Metcalfe 10). A mountaineer, for instance, may choose not to reach the peak depending on his motivation and the circumstances that surrounds his journey on the mountain. Or, perhaps the mountaineer would find it easy to reach peak performance on a certain task, but he may find it harder to reach peak performance on other tasks. This dynamic interaction can also be aptly represented by the mountain metaphor. Almost all aspects of motor skill development can be linked with the mountain. For the same reason, whether it is viewed metaphorically or literally, the mountain provides a good comparison to describe the phenomenon of motor development (Clark & Metcalfe 10).
The Integrated Framework of the Mountain Metaphor and Why it is Important
An integrated framework requires that a metaphor can be used both as a way to describe the products and the processes of a phenomenon. The mountain metaphor, as stated by the authors, can accomplish such requirement when it comes to motor skill development. In terms of product, for instance, the mountain metaphor can aptly describe the acquisition of skills when an individual engages in motor skill development. The mountain metaphor, for instance, is simple enough to be used as a heuristic tool and is also versatile enough that it is able to capture the complexity of human motor skill development. The acquisition of skills, adaptation and reflexiveness, for instance, varies as an individual matures. The mountain metaphor can provide an adaptive method wherein it can map an individual’s progress along its curves. One important feature of the mountain is that it is flexible and is not constrained by age. As observed, “progress is determined by the specific constraints for each individual and not merely time spent on the mountain” (Clark & Metcalfe 11). An individual’s journey up the mountain begins at prenatal when he begins to move his muscles. And as he undergoes the six major motor skill development, such as the reflexive, preadapted, fundamental patterns, context-specific, skillful and compensation development, his progress can be aptly represented in the mountain metaphor (Clark & Metcalfe 11). The mountain metaphor is equally effective in describing motor development as a process. Among the important processes involved in motor development, for instance, such as the reason why a person must develop a particular motor skill as well as the learning processes involved in acquiring a motor skill, can be aptly represented by the mountain. Whether there is a specific goal or non-specific goal, the mountain provides a solution in describing the processes involved in motor development. A person’s physiological maturity as well as his flexibility and potential to learn a particular motor skill can be symbolically represented by the environment and terrain on the mountain as he progress over time. The importance of finding an integrated metaphor, especially in describing motor development could not be undermined. An integrated metaphor, for instance, facilitates a better understanding of a phenomenon because it can be applied both as a way to describe the product and the process. And since the metaphor serves as a heuristic tool, choosing the right metaphor in describing a phenomenon can encourage not only the understanding of a phenomenon, but also encourages the discovery of better solutions to a particular concern related with motor development.
Applying the Mountain Metaphor in Teaching Physical Education
Knowing how the mountain metaphor works, especially on how it effectively fits in to the products and processes of motor skill development, can be an illuminating way on how to visualize motor development for an educator. An educator who wish to develop the motor skills of his or her students can greatly benefit from the idea behind the mountain metaphor. Using the mountain metaphor as a theoretical framework, it can be deduced that every individual has his own unique capability and that the progress of each individual as he climbs the mountain varies as well. Knowing this important aspect of the mountain metaphor, the educator can devise ways to increase his student’s ability to adapt to their unique and changing environment. As observed by the authors, “An informed metaphor will recognize that heredity and environment are ends of the same continuum and the critical influence on development is their mutual, interdependent interaction” (Clark & Metcalfe 4). A person, for instance, is a developing organism. For the same reason, in order to adequately represent the development of an organism, the metaphor should also adapt to the developmental change, which the metaphor of the mountain aptly addresses. And since the mountain metaphor provides an integrated framework for understanding motor skill development, such metaphor can be utilized by physical education teachers in developing programs that aims to address the motivational as well as the desired outcome of the motor skill that they wish to develop. A good grasp of how motor skill development works through sound metaphors can further improve the teaching skill of a physical education instructor.
Works Cited
Clark, J., & Metcalfe, J. "The Mountain of Motor Development: A Metaphor." Motor development: Research and reviews (n.d.): 1 - 31.
