How do guidance and feedback help a performer improve?
The types of guidance (visual, verbal, manual, mechanical) and feedback (intrinsic, extrinsic, concurrent, terminal), their advantages and their use with performers of different levels.
A focused answer to Edexcel GCSE PE on guidance and feedback: the four types of guidance (visual, verbal, manual, mechanical) and four types of feedback (intrinsic, extrinsic, concurrent, terminal), their advantages, and which suit beginners and experts.
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What this dot point is asking
Edexcel wants you to describe the four types of guidance and four types of feedback, give their advantages and disadvantages, and explain which suit performers of different skill levels. This topic is the focus of Component 2's 9-mark extended-response question.
The four types of guidance
Visual and verbal guidance are often combined (show, then talk through). Manual and mechanical guidance reduce risk and build confidence but can feel unrealistic and create dependence, so they are used early then withdrawn.
The four types of feedback
Matching guidance and feedback to the performer
A beginner needs visual guidance (to see the skill), plenty of extrinsic feedback (because they cannot judge their own performance), and terminal feedback (so they are not overwhelmed during the action); positive extrinsic feedback also keeps them motivated. An experienced performer can use verbal guidance for fine detail, intrinsic feedback (they feel when a movement is right) and concurrent feedback to adjust in real time. The graphs the exam shows (for example improvement plotted against the amount or type of feedback) usually illustrate that feedback speeds learning, but too much extrinsic feedback can create dependence.
Positive and negative feedback, and the limits of each type
Feedback can also be positive (praise for what was done well, which builds confidence and motivation, ideal for beginners) or negative (pointing out errors to correct, more useful for experienced performers who can act on detail without losing heart). A good coach mixes the two, leading with encouragement for a beginner so they keep trying.
Every type has a limit the exam rewards you for knowing. Visual and manual or mechanical guidance can create dependence if overused, so the support is gradually withdrawn as the learner improves. Verbal guidance can overload a beginner with detail they cannot yet use, and a long demonstration can confuse if it shows too much at once. Intrinsic feedback is unreliable for a beginner who does not yet know what a correct movement feels like, while concurrent feedback can distract during a fast skill. Matching the type to the level, and knowing when each falls short, is what lifts an answer into the top band, especially on the 9-mark question.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Edexcel 20193 marksIdentify the four types of guidance, and state which type is most useful for a complete beginner learning a new skill.Show worked answer →
A Component 2 short-answer question. One mark for naming the four types, up to two for the best for a beginner with a reason.
Award marks for: the four types are visual, verbal, manual and mechanical guidance; visual guidance (a demonstration) is most useful for a beginner because they need to see a clear mental picture of the whole skill before attempting it, and may not yet understand detailed verbal instructions.
The reason (a beginner needs to see the skill) earns the higher marks.
Edexcel 20229 marksEvaluate the use of different types of feedback for improving the performance of a beginner and an elite performer in a sport of your choice. (This is the 9-mark extended-response question.)Show worked answer →
The Component 2 9-mark extended-response question, marked in levels on the quality of applied analysis and the judgement reached.
A top-band answer applies feedback types to a named sport for both levels: a beginner benefits from extrinsic feedback (from a coach) because they cannot yet judge their own performance, and from terminal feedback after the action so they are not overloaded during it; positive extrinsic feedback also maintains motivation. An elite performer can use intrinsic feedback (their own kinaesthetic sense of the movement) and concurrent feedback during the action, because they understand the skill well enough to adjust in real time. The answer should weigh advantages and limitations (too much extrinsic feedback can create dependence; intrinsic feedback is unreliable for a beginner) and reach a reasoned judgement, for example that the best approach changes with the performer's level, starting extrinsic and terminal, moving towards intrinsic and concurrent.
Examiners reward balanced, applied reasoning and a clear conclusion, not a list of definitions.
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Sources & how we know this
- Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Physical Education (1PE0) specification — Pearson Edexcel (2016)