How do you choose approaches and set targets to improve a weakness in a performance?
Approaches to develop performance, including selecting appropriate approaches for each factor, the use of SMART targets, and the principles of effective practice such as progression from simple to complex and from practice to game-like conditions.
An SQA National 5 Physical Education answer on approaches to develop performance, covering how to select an appropriate approach for each factor, the use of SMART targets, and the principles of effective practice such as progressing from simple to complex and from practice to game-like conditions.
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What this dot point is asking
Once data shows what is weak, you choose how to improve it. The SQA wants you to know how to select an appropriate approach for the factor you are developing, how to set SMART targets, and the principles of effective practice, especially progressing from simple to complex and from isolated practice to game-like conditions.
Selecting an approach for the factor
The approach must fit the factor you are developing.
- Skill weakness. Repetition drills groove technique; pressure drills add game-like demands once the basic skill is secure.
- Fitness weakness. A training method targeted at the component, such as continuous training for cardio-respiratory endurance.
- Mental or emotional weakness. A pre-performance routine to steady arousal, or positive self-talk to build confidence.
SMART targets
Good targets keep development focused and trackable.
- Specific and measurable. "Raise first-serve success from 50 to 70 per cent" is clear and checkable; "get better at serving" is not.
- Achievable and realistic. A challenging but possible target keeps motivation high; an impossible one causes the performer to give up.
- Time-bound. A deadline, such as six weeks, adds focus and lets you judge success.
Principles of effective practice
How you structure the practice decides whether it transfers into a game.
- Simple to complex. Begin with the skill on its own, then add a defender, then full opposition.
- Practice to game-like. Move from a static drill to a small-sided game, so the skill is performed under realistic pressure.
Examples in context
Example 1. Pressure drills in basketball. A player who shoots well in practice but misses in games adds pressure drills: shooting against a closing defender and a shot clock. This bridges the gap between practice and the game so the skill holds up in matches.
Example 2. A routine for arousal in athletics. A sprinter who gets over-aroused before races uses a pre-performance routine of breathing and a fixed warm-up sequence. This steadies their arousal towards the optimal level so they start cleanly.
Try this
Q1. State what each letter of SMART stands for. [1 mark]
- Cue. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound.
Q2. Give one principle of effective practice. [1 mark]
- Cue. For example, progressing from simple to complex, or from practice to game-like conditions.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA N5 style4 marksDescribe an approach you could use to develop a skill, and explain why it would be effective.Show worked answer →
This question has two parts: describe an approach, then explain why it works. Marks come for the description and for the reasoning.
Approach. To develop a weak tennis serve, use repetition drills, practising the serve on its own many times, starting with no opponent and gradually adding targets in the service box.
Why it is effective. Repeating the skill in isolation lets you groove the correct technique and build consistency without the pressure of a rally. Starting simple and adding targets is progression, which keeps the practice achievable then challenging, so the skill transfers into the game.
Markers reward the approach described (1-2) plus reasoning that links it to improvement, such as grooving technique and progression (1-2), to a total of four.
SQA N5 style4 marksExplain how setting SMART targets can help a performer develop.Show worked answer →
The command word is explain, so each point should link a feature of SMART targets to how it helps development.
Specific and measurable targets make it clear exactly what to improve and by how much, so progress can be checked, for example raising pass completion from 60 to 75 per cent.
Achievable and realistic targets keep the performer motivated, because the goal is challenging but possible rather than out of reach.
Time-bound targets set a deadline, which adds focus and lets the performer judge whether they have succeeded in the planned period.
Markers reward developed points linking SMART features to motivation, focus and the ability to track progress, up to four marks.
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