Skill, Transfer and Practice | AQA A-Level Physical Education (7582)
Skill, Transfer and Practice
- 75 questions
- 5 subtopics
- Paper 1: Factors affecting participation in physical activity and sport
- Paper 1
Skill, Transfer and Practice is examined in Paper 1, Factors affecting participation in physical activity and sport.
It covers characteristics of skill, classifying skills on the six continua, transfer of learning, whole, progressive part and whole–part–whole practice and massed, distributed, variable and mental practice.
Sample questions from Skill, Transfer and Practice
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Characteristics of skill
Why is a skilled performer described as efficient?
Show the answer
A skilled performer wastes no movement or energy. The action uses only the effort the task requires, so fatigue is delayed. -
Characteristics of skill
Why are sports skills classified on continua rather than into fixed categories?
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Most skills show features of both extremes to some degree. A continuum lets a skill be placed at a point between the two ends. -
Classifying skills on the six continua
Why is cycling classed as a continuous skill?
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Cycling has no obvious beginning or end to its movement pattern. The end of one pedal stroke is the start of the next. -
Classifying skills on the six continua
What is the organisation continuum based on?
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The organisation continuum measures how closely the subroutines of a skill are linked. Tightly linked subroutines make a skill highly organised. -
Transfer of learning
Why might a tennis player find badminton frustrating at first?
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Tennis uses a firm wrist, while badminton needs a flexible, whipping wrist action. The similar situation calls for a different response, which causes negative transfer. -
Transfer of learning
Why should young children master fundamental motor skills before sport-specific skills?
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Fundamental skills such as running, throwing and catching underpin most sports skills. A secure base allows positive transfer into later, more complex skills. -
Whole, progressive part and whole–part–whole practice
Why is the triple jump suited to progressive part practice?
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The triple jump is a serial skill with distinct, low-organisation phases. The hop, step and jump can each be learned and then linked in sequence. -
Whole, progressive part and whole–part–whole practice
Evaluate the whole–part–whole method.
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Whole–part–whole keeps the feel of the full skill while fixing a specific weakness. Separating a highly organised skill can be difficult, and the method takes time.
The 5 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Characteristics of skill | Skill and ability, goal-directed, efficient, fluent and consistent movement, coordination and control, novice and expert, the technical model, and why skills are classified on continua. | 14 |
| Classifying skills on the six continua | The open–closed, discrete–serial–continuous, gross–fine, self-paced–externally paced, organisation and simple–complex continua, with justified placements of sporting skills. | 16 |
| Transfer of learning | Positive, negative, zero and bilateral transfer, examples from tennis, badminton and basketball, how a coach promotes or limits transfer, and skill-to-skill against practice-to-performance transfer. | 14 |
| Whole, progressive part and whole–part–whole practice | The whole, progressive part and whole–part–whole methods, their advantages and drawbacks, and choosing a method for a tennis serve, front crawl, the triple jump and gymnastics. | 15 |
| Massed, distributed, variable and mental practice | Massed, distributed, variable and mental practice, their advantages and drawbacks, mental practice for novices, experts and the injured, and matching practice to skill classification. | 16 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Physical Education Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,084 questions with their answers.