How can setting the right goals improve a performer's training, motivation and confidence?
The use of goal setting to improve and optimise performance: the SMART principle, the difference between outcome and performance goals, short-term and long-term goals, and the benefits of setting and reviewing goals.
A focused answer to Eduqas GCSE PE Component 1 on goal setting: why performers set goals, the SMART principle (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound), outcome versus performance goals, short-term versus long-term goals, and how good goal setting raises motivation and confidence.
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What this dot point is asking
Eduqas wants you to explain why performers set goals, apply the SMART principle, distinguish outcome and performance goals, distinguish short-term and long-term goals, and explain the benefits of setting and reviewing goals.
Why performers set goals
Goals work best when they are challenging but reachable, written down, and reviewed regularly so they can be adjusted.
The SMART principle
The SMART principle turns a vague wish ("I want to be better at football") into a useful target ("I will raise my pass-completion rate to 80 percent within eight weeks"), which can be trained for and measured.
Outcome and performance goals
Outcome goals can motivate elite performers but depend on opponents, so a performer can do well and still lose, which is demotivating. Performance goals reward the performer's own improvement, so they keep beginners motivated and confident even when they do not win, which is why coaches often set performance goals during training.
Short-term and long-term goals
Goals also work over different timescales. A long-term goal is the big aim (make the county team by the end of next season), while short-term goals are the smaller steps along the way (improve the personal best by half a second this month). Short-term goals keep motivation high because they are reached often, and each success builds the confidence to keep working towards the long-term goal. Goals should be reviewed regularly: if a goal is reached early it can be raised, and if it proves too hard it can be adjusted, so the targets stay challenging but achievable throughout the season.
Why goal setting matters
Goal setting underpins an effective training programme: it sets the targets that the principles of training (specificity, progressive overload) then work towards, and achieving goals builds the confidence and motivation that managing arousal and anxiety also aims to protect. Reviewing and re-setting goals keeps a performer improving across a season.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas 20195 marksExplain the SMART principle of goal setting, stating what each letter stands for and giving a sporting example.Show worked answer →
A Component 1 item testing the SMART principle. Award one mark for each letter correctly explained, up to five.
Specific: the goal is clear and precise (improve the 100 metre time, not just "get faster"). Measurable: progress can be measured (run 100 metres in 13.0 seconds). Achievable: the goal is within the performer's reach with effort. Realistic: the goal is sensible given the performer's time, situation and resources. Time-bound: the goal has a deadline (by the end of the season).
Markers want each letter named and explained, ideally with a brief sporting example such as a sprinter setting a target time.
Eduqas 20224 marksExplain the difference between an outcome goal and a performance goal, and discuss why a performance goal can be better for a beginner.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark item testing the two types of goal and applying them.
An outcome goal focuses on the result against others (winning the race, finishing first). A performance goal focuses on the performer's own standard, improving on their previous best regardless of others (beating their own personal best time).
Why a performance goal can be better for a beginner: outcome goals depend on opponents, so a beginner may lose even after improving, which is demotivating. A performance goal lets them measure their own progress and stay motivated and confident even when they do not win.
Markers reward the result-versus-personal-standard distinction plus a sensible reason a performance goal suits a beginner, such as protecting motivation.
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Sources & how we know this
- Eduqas GCSE (9-1) Physical Education C550QS specification — Eduqas (2016)