How do guidance and feedback help a performer learn and improve skills?
The types of guidance (visual, verbal, manual, mechanical) and the types of feedback (intrinsic, extrinsic, knowledge of results, knowledge of performance, positive, negative).
A focused answer to AQA GCSE PE on guidance and feedback: the four types of guidance, the types of feedback, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and which suit beginners and experts.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to describe the four types of guidance and the types of feedback, give their advantages and disadvantages, and say which suit beginners and which suit experts.
Types of guidance
- Visual guidance suits beginners who need to see what the skill looks like, but a poor demonstration is copied.
- Verbal guidance is quick and useful for experts, but complex skills are hard to describe in words alone.
- Manual guidance builds confidence and safety for beginners, but the performer can become dependent on it.
- Mechanical guidance allows risky skills to be practised safely, but again can create dependence and does not feel like the real skill.
Types of feedback
Feedback can also be positive (praising what went well, good for beginners and motivation) or negative (pointing out what went wrong, useful for experts who can act on it). Beginners need clear extrinsic, positive feedback; experts rely more on intrinsic feedback and can use negative feedback to fine-tune technique.
The reason the right type changes with the learner is the level of skill and the ability to feel the movement. A beginner has no stored memory of how the correct skill should feel, so intrinsic feedback is almost useless to them; they need extrinsic feedback (a coach telling them what to change), delivered positively to keep them motivated and willing to keep trying. They also benefit from knowledge of results, because the simple outcome ("the ball went in") is easy to understand. An expert has a rich internal model of the skill, so they can feel when a movement is wrong (strong intrinsic feedback) and they need detailed knowledge of performance to refine the fine points of technique, and they can cope with negative feedback because they can act on it without losing confidence. Matching guidance and feedback to the stage of learning is the single idea most application questions test, so always state the learner's level first.
The same logic applies to guidance: visual, manual and mechanical methods give a beginner the picture, the shape and the safety they cannot yet provide for themselves, while an expert can act on quick verbal cues alone because they already understand the skill. Over-using manual or mechanical guidance with any learner risks dependence, where the performer cannot do the skill once the support is removed, so these are used early and then withdrawn.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20194 marksExplain which types of guidance would best suit a beginner learning to swim and justify your choice.Show worked answer →
A Paper 2 application item rewarding guidance types matched to a beginner.
Award marks for: visual guidance (a demonstration of the stroke) so the beginner forms a clear mental picture; manual guidance (the coach supporting the body in the water) to build the correct shape and confidence; and mechanical guidance (a float or armbands) to allow safe practice.
The justification marks need the link to the beginner: they cannot yet feel the correct movement, so they need to see it and be supported, rather than relying on verbal instruction alone.
AQA 20223 marksDescribe the difference between knowledge of results and knowledge of performance, and state which is more useful to an experienced gymnast refining a routine.Show worked answer →
A Paper 2 item testing two feedback types applied to an expert.
Award marks for: knowledge of results gives the outcome (the score or whether the landing was clean); knowledge of performance gives the quality of the technique (the body shape and timing during the move).
Knowledge of performance is more useful to the experienced gymnast, because they already know the result and need detailed technical information to fine-tune the routine.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Physical Education (8582) specification — AQA (2016)