Sports psychology - Types of guidance — OCR GCSE Physical Education
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Sports psychology - Types of guidance explained
Guidance is the information a coach or teacher gives to help a learner acquire or improve a skill.
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Visual guidance uses something the learner can see, such as a demonstration or video, and suits beginners because it creates a clear picture, though a poor demonstration can mislead. Verbal guidance uses spoken explanation or feedback and can give detailed technical points, but too much talk can overload a beginner. Manual guidance physically moves the learner through the movement, for example a coach guiding a gymnast's arms, which builds correct feel but can reduce the learner's own decision-making if overused. Mechanical guidance uses equipment or aids, such as a harness or float, to support the movement safely, though the aid may create dependence. Apply each type to a named skill and say what the learner gains and what limits it.
Your focus
- Describe visual, verbal, manual and mechanical guidance accurately.
- State an advantage and a disadvantage of each type of guidance.
- Apply each type of guidance to a specific practical sporting example.
Sports psychology - Types of guidance exam tips
Marking Points
- Identifies visual guidance as demonstration or video and states an advantage such as creating a clear mental picture for a beginner.
- Explains verbal guidance as spoken explanation or feedback and gives a disadvantage such as overloading a novice with too much information.
- Describes manual guidance as physically supporting the learner through the movement and states a limitation such as reduced independent decision-making.
- Identifies mechanical guidance as using equipment or aids and applies it to a named practical example with an advantage and a disadvantage.
Examiner Tips
- 💡For each guidance type, give one advantage and one disadvantage before moving on.
- 💡Anchor every type to a named skill, such as a demonstration for a basketball set shot.
- 💡Check that manual and mechanical guidance are described distinctly, since examiners test the difference.
Common Mistakes
- Treats manual and mechanical guidance as the same; keep manual as physical support from a coach and mechanical as support from equipment or aids.
- Lists only advantages for each type; include a disadvantage for every type named.
- Gives a general definition without a practical example; attach each type to a named skill and situation.