Movement Skills, Learning Stages, and Sociocultural Factors

Posted on Jan 15, 2024 in Physical Education

Movement skills

There are many classifications of movement skills including:

  • Basic Skills: Simple moves like running and jumping. (Fundamental movement skills)
  • Sport-Specific Skills: skills for specific sports.
  • Open Skills: Skills in unpredictable settings.
  • Closed Skills: Skills in stable situations.
  • (Gross skills) Big Muscle Skills: Use large muscles.
  • (Fine skills) Small Muscle Skills: Use small muscles.
  • Discrete Skill: Skills with a definite start and finish.
  • Serial skill: A series of actions linked together.
  • Continuous Skills: no clear start/end

Characteristics of learning stages

Cognitive Stage: Initial learning, high cognitive effort & focus on understanding.

Associative Stage: Skill refinement, reduced cognitive effort, and more consistency.

Autonomous Stage: Skill mastery, minimal conscious effort, and automatic execution

Sociocultural Factors Affecting Skill Development

Social Support: Encouragement & resources from family/peers/coaches

Cultural Norms: Cultural values and expectations shaping skill choices.

Access to Facilities: Availability of training spaces and equipment.

Economic Factors: Financial resources impacting skill development opportunities.

Movement influence

Individual Constraints: Factors related to the person, like their age, genetics, and physical condition. Task Constraints: Aspects of the activity or task itself, such as its complexity or rules. Environmental Constraints: elements in the surroundings, like weather, equipment, or the playing surface

Movement Analysis

Principles help in systematically analyzing and improving movement techniques in Physical Education.

  • Preparation: Getting ready to analyze movement, setting up equipment, selecting the skill to observe, and identifying key points to watch.
  • Observation: Actively watching the movement in detail, paying attention to key elements like body position, timing, and technique.
  • Evaluation: Assessing the quality of the observed movement, comparing it to ideal or desired performance standards.
  • Error Correction: Identifying mistakes or areas for improvement, providing feedback or suggestions for making corrections

The biomechanics principles for human movement include

KINETICS: Focus on forces & motion

  • Newton’s Laws of motion, Inertia (the tendency of objects to resist changes in their state of motion), Mass (The amount of matter in an object), Force (Push or pull that can change an object’s motion), Momentum (Product of mass and velocity, indicating the amount of motion), Impulse (Change in momentum)

KINEMATIC: Focus on motion characteristics

  • Distance, Speed, Velocity, Acceleration, Projectile Motion (Motion of an object projected into the air, influenced by height, angle, and speed of release)

EQUILIBRIUM: Balance and leverage

  • Levers (Force, Axis, Resistance), Stability (center of Gravity, base of Support).

Coaching approaches

influence how skills are taught and learned in Physical Education, coaching approaches include:

  • Direct Coaching: Traditional instruction with clear guidance.
  • Constraints-Based Coaching: Emphasizes adjusting constraints to promote skill development.

There is a link between motor skill development and participation and performance.

Learning motor skills helps you do sports and activities better.

Doing sports and activities improves your motor skills.

Better motor skills lead to better performance and more fun.

Achieving proficiency in motor skills can lead to higher performance levels in specific sports or activities.

  • Practice Amount: Determining how much practice is needed.
  • Practice Distribution: Deciding between massed (concentrated) and distributed (spread out) practice.
  • Practice Variability: Choosing between blocked (repeating the same skill) and random (mixing different skills) practice.

Feedback –

  • Intrinsic Feedback: Internal, real-time sensory cues during performance.
  • Augmented Feedback: External information, including knowledge of results (KR) and knowledge of performance (KP). Can be given during or after the performance.
  • Feedback Frequency: Determines how often feedback is provided during practice, impacting learning and skill development in PE

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Oxygen Uptake Phases:

  • Rest: Low oxygen intake, body’s basic needs.
  • Exercise: Oxygen intake increases for energy during activity.
  • Recovery: Oxygen intake stays high after exercise to recover.

Phases of Oxygen Uptake:

  • Oxygen Deficit: At exercise start, oxygen lags behind energy needs.
  • Steady State: Oxygen matches energy during exercise.
  • Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC): Oxygen stays high after exercise for recovery.

ATP Resynthesis and Fuel Sources:

  • Rest: ATP is primarily resynthesized at rest through oxidative phosphorylation using chemical fuels like fats and carbohydrates obtained from food.
  • Physical Activity: During physical activity, ATP resynthesis also involves the breakdown of stored glycogen (a carbohydrate storage form), utilization of immediate energy from creatine phosphate, and the oxidation of fats and carbohydrates from food.
  • Exercise Intensity: The relative contribution of fuel sources varies with exercise intensity. Higher-intensity activities rely more on carbohydrates as the main fuel source, while lower-intensity activities primarily use fats as an energy source.

Energy interplay

  • Intensity
  • High Intensity: Uses ATP-CP and Anaerobic Glycolysis.
  • Moderate Intensity: Combines Anaerobic Glycolysis and Aerobic.
  • Low Intensity: Relies on the Aerobic system.
  • Duration
  • Short Duration: Relies on ATP-CP.
  • Medium Duration: Mixes Anaerobic Glycolysis and Aerobic.
  • Long Duration: Primarily Aerobic.
  • Activity type
  • Explosive/strength: ATP-CP and Anaerobic Glycolysis.
  • Mix of Strength & Endurance: Combination.
  • Endurance: Aerobic.
  • physiological responses
  • CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM- Heart Rate: Increases to pump more blood and oxygen to working muscles.
  • RESPIRATORY SYSTEM- Breathing Rate (Respiratory Rate): Increases to bring in more oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.
  • MUSCULAR SYSTEM- Blood Flow: Increases to muscles, delivering more oxygen and nutrients.

Energy system characteristics:

  • ATP-CP (Phosphagen) System:
  • -Rate of ATP Production: Rapid but limited.
  • -Yield: Provides immediate ATP for short bursts of high-intensity activity.
  • -Fatigue/Limiting Factors: Limited creatine phosphate stores; depletion occurs quickly.
  • -Recovery Rates: Active recovery helps regenerate ATP-CP system faster than passive recovery.
  • Anaerobic Glycolysis System:
  • -Rate of ATP Production: Moderately fast.
  • -Yield: Generates ATP from the breakdown of glucose without oxygen, suitable for medium-duration, high-intensity activities.
  • -Fatigue/Limiting Factors: Accumulation of lactic acid contributes to muscle fatigue.
  • -Recovery Rates: Active recovery helps clear lactic acid faster than passive recovery.
  • Aerobic System:
  • -Rate of ATP Production: Slower but sustained.
  • -Yield: Utilizes oxygen to produce ATP from fats and carbohydrates for long-duration, lower-intensity activities.
  • -Fatigue/Limiting Factors: Typically sustainable as long as oxygen and fuel are available.
  • -Recovery Rates: Active recovery helps maintain oxygen supply and clears byproducts, promoting faster recovery.

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Purpose Of Fitness Testing

  • Physiological Perspective: Evaluating physical health indicators like endurance, strength, & flexibility
  • Psychological Perspective: Assessing motivation, self-esteem, and mental well-being.
  • Sociocultural Perspective: analyzing cultural/social influences on fitness

Pre-participation Health Screening- A questionnaire identifying potential health risks before physical activities. Ensures participants’ safety in specific exercises.

Informed Consent: obtaining individuals’ permission before fitness tests, explaining purpose, risks, and benefits.

Test Aims: Clearly defined goals for each fitness assessment.

Test Protocols: Standardised procedures for conducting tests.

Test Reliability: Consistency and accuracy of repeated test results.

Test Validity: How well a test measures what it’s meant to measure accurately

Activity analysis-

is a systematic process used to examine and evaluate physical activities or tasks. It involves breaking down an activity into its component parts and analyzing various aspects of it. In the context of PE and sports, activity analysis typically includes examining:

  • Skill Frequencies: Identifying how often specific skills or movements are utilized during the activity. This helps in understanding which skills are most crucial for success.
  • Movement Patterns: Observing and documenting the patterns of movement & body positions involved in the activity. This can include analyzing techniques, strategies & the sequence of movements.
  • Heart Rates: Monitoring the participants’ heart rates throughout the activity. This provides insights into the cardiovascular demands and intensity of the activity.
  • Work to Rest Ratios: Calculating the balance between periods of activity and rest or recovery. This ratio can help assess the overall intensity and demands of the activity.

Fitness component

  • Aerobic power- Definition: the ability of the CVS to deliver oxygen to muscles during prolonged physical activity. Factors: Genetics, training, age
  • Agility- Definition: The ability to change direction quickly and efficiently. Factors: Coordination, balance, reaction time, and practice.
  • Anaerobic Capacity- Definition: The ability to perform high-intensity activities that rely on anaerobic energy systems. Factors: Training, muscle mass & diet.
  • Balance- Definition: The ability to maintain stability and equilibrium. Factors: Core strength, sensory input, and practice.
  • Body Composition- Definition: The proportion of fat, muscle, bone, etc. in the body. Factors: Diet, genetics, physical activity, and metabolism.
  • Coordination- Definition: Ability to use body parts together smoothly and efficiently. Factors: Practice, neurological development, and proprioception.
  • Flexibility- Definition: joint’s range of motion. Factors: Genetics, age & joint health.
  • Muscular Endurance- Definition: Ability of muscles to perform repeated contractions. Factors: Training, muscle fiber type, and aerobic capacity.
  • Power- Definition: a combination of strength and speed in an explosive effort. Factors: Strength, speed, and neural adaptations.
  • Strength- Definition: Maximum force a muscle or group of muscles can generate. Factors: Genetics, training, muscle cross-sectional area, and nutrition.
  • Reaction Time- Definition: The time it takes to respond to a stimulus. Factors: Genetics, practice & neuro
  • Speed- Definition: Ability to cover a distance in the shortest time possible. Factors: Genetics, training, stride length, and technique.

Fitness Test

  • Aerobic Power- 12-Minute Run/Walk Test (Cooper Test): Participants run or walk as far as they can in 12 minutes.
  • Agility– Illinois Agility Test: participants navigate a timed obstacle course, weaving through cones and changing direction quickly.
  • Anaerobic Capacity- 30-Second Wingate Anaerobic Test: Participants cycle on a stationary bike at maximum effort for 30 sec.
  • Body Composition- Skinfold Caliper Test (Jackson and Pollock Method): Measures skinfold thickness at specific sites on the body to estimate body fat percentage.
  • Flexibility- Sit and Reach Test: Participants sit with legs extended and reach forward toward their toes
  • Muscular Endurance- Push-Up Test: perform as many push-ups as possible without resting.
  • Power and Strength- Vertical Jump Test: Participants perform a maximal vertical jump
  • Speed- 40-Yard Dash Test: Participants sprint a distance of 40 yards (36.58 meters) as quickly as possible

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Monitoring Training

  • Training Diaries- Method: Maintain a written log of workouts, including exercise type, duration, intensity, and feelings. Purpose: Allows athletes to track progress, identify patterns, and make adjustments.
  • Digital Activity Trackers- Method: Use wearable devices that record physiological data like heart rate, steps, and sleep patterns. Purpose: real-time feedback on activity levels & sleep quality, aiding in goal setting and adjustments.
  • Apps- Method: Utilise smartphone apps designed for fitness & health tracking. Purpose: Offer comprehensive data collection, analysis, and visualization, making it easy to monitor and optimize training

Training Principle

  • Frequency: How often workouts occur within a week.
  • Intensity: The level of effort or resistance in exercises.
  • Time: The duration of each training session.
  • Type: The specific exercises and activities included.
  • Progression: Gradual increase in the difficulty or intensity of workouts.
  • Specificity: Tailoring training to achieve specific goals or sports.
  • Individuality: Recognizing that different people respond differently to training.
  • Diminishing Returns: The concept that as fitness improves, gains become smaller.
  • Variety: Incorporating diverse exercises to prevent boredom and overuse injuries.
  • Maintenance: Continuing training to sustain achieved fitness levels.
  • Overtraining: Excessive training without adequate recovery, leading to fatigue and decreased performance.
  • Detraining: Loss of fitness gains when training is stopped or reduced.

Psychological Strategies for Performance and Recovery

Sleep: Prioritise quality sleep to support physical and mental recovery.

Confidence: Cultivate self-belief through positive self-talk and past successes.

Motivation: Stay driven by clear goals & intrinsic motivation

Optimal Arousal: Manage arousal levels to find the right balance for peak performance.

Mental Imagery: Use visualization techniques to mentally rehearse success.

Concentration: Develop concentration skills to maintain focus during performance. 


Traning Phases 

Warm-up- Purpose: Prepares the body for exercise by gradually increasing heart rate, circulation & body temp

Activities: Light aerobic exercises, dynamic stretching & mobility drills. 

Conditioning Phase- Purpose: The main part of the workout, where the primary training goals are addressed.

Activities: Specific exercises, drills, or sports-related activities.

Intensity: Varied based on training objectives, can include strength, endurance, speed, or skill work. 

cool down- Purpose: Gradually reduces heart rate and body temperature, preventing the pooling of blood in working muscles.

Activities: Gentle aerobic exercises and static stretching 

Training Methods 

Continuous Training: moderate-intensity exercises over an extended period.

Interval Training: Alternating between high-intensity and rest/low-intensity.

– Short Interval

-Intermediate Interval

-Long Interval

-High-Intensity Interval 

Fartlek Training: continuous and interval training with varying speeds & terrains.

Circuit Training: Rotating through a series of exercises, targeting different muscle groups with minimal rest.

Weight/Resistance Training: Using weights and resistance to build strength and muscle.

Flexibility Training: stretching focus to improve range of motion / prevent injury

Plyometric Training: Explosive exercises involving rapid muscle lengthening and contraction to enhance power


Recovery nutrition – nutritional recovery strategies 

Water Rehydration: Replenish lost fluids to maintain hydration.

Carbohydrate Replenishment: Restore glycogen stores with carbohydrates.

Protein Intake: Consume protein to support muscle repair and growth.

Chronic Adaptions 

Cardiovascular system:

Aerobic Training: Improved stroke volume, cardiac output, and capillarization of muscles, enhancing oxygen delivery.

Anaerobic Training: Limited impact on cardiovascular adaptations compared to aerobic training.

Resistance Training: Minimal changes in cardiovascular parameters.

Respiratory system: 

Aerobic Training: Enhanced lung efficiency, increased vital capacity, and improved oxygen exchange.

Anaerobic Training: Limited impact on respiratory adaptations compared to aerobic training.

Resistance Training: Minor influence on respiratory function.

Muscular system: 

Aerobic Training: Increased mitochondrial density, improved muscle endurance.

Anaerobic Training: Enhanced muscle strength, power, and hypertrophy.

Resistance Training: Promotes muscle hypertrophy, strength, and endurance.