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EnglandPhysical Education

Contemporary issues in physical activity and sport (Component 03)

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do commercialisation and the media shape modern sport?

The golden triangle of sport, sponsorship and the media, and the positive and negative effects of commercialisation and media coverage on sport, performers and spectators.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on commercialisation and the media: the golden triangle linking sport, sponsorship and the media, the forms of media coverage, and the positive and negative effects of commercialisation and the media on the sport, the performer and the spectator.
10 min answer →

Why do athletes use performance-enhancing drugs, and how is doping tackled?

The types of performance-enhancing drugs and their effects, the reasons athletes dope and the arguments for and against, and the strategies used to combat doping.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on drugs in sport: the main classes of performance-enhancing drug and their effects, the physiological, psychological and social reasons athletes dope, the arguments for and against allowing drugs, and the strategies (testing, education, sanctions) used to combat doping.
10 min answer →

How does technology affect performance, officiating and the experience of sport?

The use of technology in performance analysis, officiating and equipment, and the benefits and drawbacks of technology for performers, officials and spectators.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on technology in sport: the use of technology in performance analysis and feedback, in officiating (goal-line technology, video review, Hawk-Eye), and in equipment, clothing and surfaces, and the benefits and drawbacks for performers, officials and spectators.
10 min answer →

How has the modern Olympic Games been used politically and shaped by commercial forces?

The values and development of the modern Olympic Games, their political use (propaganda, boycotts and protest), and the impact of commercialisation on the Games.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on the modern Olympic Games: the Olympic values and the development of the Games, their use as a political platform for propaganda, boycotts and protest (Berlin 1936, the Cold War boycotts, Black Power 1968), and the impact of commercialisation since 1984.
10 min answer →

What causes violence by performers and spectators, and how is it reduced?

The causes of violence by performers and by spectators (including the role of the media and deindividuation), and the strategies used to reduce violence in sport.
A focused answer to OCR A-Level PE on violence in sport: the causes of violence by performers (the win-at-all-costs ethic, frustration, retaliation) and by spectators (hooliganism, deindividuation, alcohol, rivalry and the media), and the strategies used to reduce violence on and off the field.
10 min answer →