Evaluating Types of Guidance (AQA GCSE Physical Education (PE))

Evaluating Types of Guidance

• When learning or developing skills, performers may need assistance from a coach or teacher; this assistance is known as guidance, and can come in various forms:

  • Visual

  • Verbal

  • Manual

  • Mechanical

• The type of guidance chosen in any given situation will depend on the experience level of the performer; beginners will need different guidance to elite performers

Visual guidance

• This involves a performer being shown how to carry out a particular skill so that they can see what it looks like, e.g.

  • A live demonstration

  • A video

  • A photograph

  • Watching an event

• Visual guidance allows learners to see a skill performed as a whole movement, or broken down into individual, smaller actions

• This type of guidance is especially important for beginners learning new skills, who may struggle to follow spoken instruction without first being able to visualise a movement

• Elite performers may rely less on visual guidance as they are more familiar with complex spoken terminology

  • Elite performers may make use of visual guidance in the form of slow motion video, or software that breaks movements down into a series of still images

• Visual guidance should be:

  • Clear

  • Easy to understand

  • Shown at a realistic level of difficulty for the learner

  • Accompanied by spoken instruction

Verbal guidance

• Verbal guidance is spoken guidance, and involves a performer being told how to perform a skill by a coach or teacher

• When given to beginners verbal advice is likely to be more effective when used alongside visual guidance; this is because:

  • Beginners may not yet have a good grasp of sport-specific language

  • Beginners may not be able to visualise a skill performed effectively

• Elite performers are likely to make more use of verbal guidance, and may not need it to be accompanied by visual aids

  • Elite performers will have learned complex terminology relating to particular skills

  • Elite performers will know what skills should look like

Manual guidance

• This involves a coach physically moving or supporting a performer's body to show how to perform a skill correctly, or to aid the performance

  • Note that sports governing bodies will have specific rules on the use of manual guidance to ensure that coaches and performers agree on how and when such guidance should be used, and that performers are comfortable receiving such guidance

• Manual guidance is used more during beginner development, allowing beginners to carry out skills which they might otherwise be unable to complete, and to learn how a movement feels, e.g.

  • Physically guiding the body of a beginner through a complex movement, such as a golf swing

  • Supporting a beginner as they perform a movement that might otherwise be too dangerous, such as a beam balance

• Elite performers are unlikely to require manual guidance

Mechanical guidance

• Mechanical guidance plays a very similar role to manual guidance, but it involves the use of supportive equipment rather than physical support from a coach, e.g.

  • Armbands or floats used by a new swimmer

  • A trampoline harness

• This type of guidance provides additional support and safety, allowing beginners to learn new skills without worrying about harm

• As with manual guidance, this is unlikely to be needed by elite performers