AQA GCE AS & A Level PE
The following is a cross-reference of the AQA GCE AS and A-level Physical Education course (June 2014 onwards)[1] and the location of related information on the Sports Coach website. The links indicate the page where you will find the information -you may have to search that page to find the specific topic.
Unit 2 PHED2 Analysis and evaluation of physical activity as a performer and in an adopted role/s
Section B - Application of theoretical knowledge for effective performance
| Applied Exercise Physiology in practical situations | |
| Principles of training – concepts of specificity, progression, over-training, overload, reversibility and tedium, FITT principles. | Training Principles FITT Principles |
| Calculating working intensities for optimal gains through heart rate and Borg scale, weights – one rep max. | Heart Rate Maximum Heart Rate Borg Scale One Rep Max |
| Fitness testing – reasons for testing, principles of maximal and sub-maximal tests, limitations of testing, specific test protocols, and issues relating to validity and reliability. | Performance Evaluation |
| The physiological and psychological value of a Warm-up and cool-down; types of stretching exercises, active, passive, static and ballistic; principles of safe practice. | Warm-up & cool-down Types of Stretching Static Stretching Exercises Dynamic Stretching Exercises |
| Training methods – continuous, intermittent, circuit, weights, plyometrics and mobility training; explanation of the principles of each method, specific examples, advantages and disadvantages. | Interval & Continuous Training Circuit Training Weight Training Plyometrics Mobility |
| Skill Acquisition in practical situations | |
| Factors to consider when developing skills and planning training/coaching sessions. | Skill Classification Skill Development Skill, Technique and Ability Planning the Training Personal Exercise Plan |
| Teaching styles – command, reciprocal, discovery and problem-solving. | Teaching Styles |
| Methods of presenting practice – whole, progressive part and whole-part-whole. | Methods of Practice |
| Types of practice – massed, distributed, variable and mental practice. | Types of Practice |
| Methods of guidance – verbal, visual, manual and mechanical. | Methods of Guidance |
| Feedback – types of feedback, Knowledge of Performance, Knowledge of Results, terminal, concurrent, delayed, positive and negative, intrinsic, extrinsic. | Feedback |
Unit 3 PHED3 Optimising performance and evaluating contemporary issues within sport
Section A - Applied physiology to optimise performance
| Aerobic energy system | |
| Simplified biochemistry in the breakdown, release and regeneration of ATP in glycolysis, the Kreb cycle and Electron transport chain, the role of mitochondria, and use in sporting situations. | ATP Electron Transport Kreb Cycle Mitochondria |
| Oxygen deficit, Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption, including fast and slow components of the recovery process. | Oxygen deficit |
| VO2 max-limiting factor to performance. | VO2 max |
| Anaerobic energy systems | |
| Simplified biochemistry in the anaerobic lactate system – use in sporting situations. | Exercise Intensity and Energy Source |
| Lactate threshold/Onset of Blood Lactate Accumulation (OBLA) and fatigue; relationship with VO2 max. | OBLA Lactate Threshold VO2 max |
| ATP-PC energy system – used in sporting situations. | Energy Systems |
| Muscles | |
| Structure and function | Muscle Types |
| Characteristics of different fibre types (slow-twitch (type I), fast glycolytic (type IIb) and fast oxidative glycolytic (type IIa)) and examples in sport. | Muscle Types |
| Sliding filament hypothesis. | Muscle Movement |
| Motor units; spatial summation. | Speed Training |
| Preparation and training | |
| The role and effectiveness of creatine, protein supplements, herbal remedies, bicarbonate of soda and caffeine. | Creatine Supplements Sodium Bicarbonate |
| Water and electrolyte balance; the athlete's diet. | Sports Drinks |
| Achieving optimal weight for activities. | Weight Management Ideal Weight |
| Effects of ergogenic aids, EPO, anabolic steroids, Human Growth Hormone and beta-blockers. | Supplements Ergogenic Aids |
| Specialised training | |
| Plyometrics. | Plyometrics |
| PNF stretching. | PNF |
| Altitude training. | Altitude |
| Glycogen loading. | Carbohydrate Loading |
| Periodisation | Planning |
| Thermoregulation in differing environments. | Environmental Effects |
| Lactate sampling, respiratory exchange ratio (RER). | Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER) |
| Sports injuries | |
| Prevention and rehabilitation – use and effect of hyperbaric chambers, oxygen tents and ice baths on recovery. | Cryotherapy |
| Delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS). | DOMS |
| Mechanics of movement | |
| Vectors and scalars – velocity, acceleration and momentum /impulse in sprinting. | Biomechanics |
| Newton's Laws applied to movements– application of forces in sporting activities. | Biomechanics |
| Projectile motion – factors affecting distance, vector components of parabolic flight. | Biomechanics Factors affecting distance |
| Angular motion – conservation of angular momentum during flight, the moment of inertia and its relationship with angular velocity. | Biomechanics |
Section B - Psychological aspects that optimise performance
| Aspects of personality | |
| Definition of personality. | |
| Interactionalist perspective. | |
| Personality as a predictor of performance. | |
| Use of personality testing. | |
| Profile of mood states (POMs). | POMS |
| Achievement motivation – motives to achieve. | |
| (Nach) and avoid failure (Naf), and the characteristics of each. | |
| Incentive value and the probability of success. | |
| Development of approach and avoidance behaviour. | |
| Arousal | |
| Drive, inverted U and catastrophe theories. | Inverted U Catastrophe Theory |
| Practical applications and impact on performance. | Competitive Anxiety |
| Zone of Optimal Functioning and peak flow experience. | |
| Controlling anxiety | |
| Different types of anxiety – somatic; cognitive, trait and state. | Types of Anxiety |
| Measuring anxiety – Observations; questionnaires; SCAT, STA1, CSAI 2, physiological measures. | SCAT CSAI-2 |
| Cognitive techniques – imagery, mental rehearsal and stress management, attentional control and cue utilisation, thought stopping, self-talk. | Imagery skills Self Hypnosis Stress Management Self Confidence |
| Somatic techniques – biofeedback, centring, breathing control and muscle relaxation. | |
| Goal-setting – characteristics of effective goal setting. | Goal Setting |
| Attitudes | |
| Definitions and components of an attitude. | |
| Influences on the formation of an attitude and behaviour. | |
| Changing attitudes through cognitive dissonance and persuasive communication. | |
| Aggression | |
| Definitions and types – channelled and instrumental aggression, the difference between aggression and assertion. |
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| Theories of aggression – instinct theory, learning theory and aggressive cue theory. | |
| Strategies to control aggression. | |
| Confidence | |
| Self-confidence and self-efficacy – Bandura's model – determinants and changes in self-efficacy. | Self Confidence Bandura's Model |
| Social facilitation and inhibition | |
| Evaluation apprehension, Baron's distraction conflict theory, home-field advantage. | |
| Strategies to eliminate the adverse effects of all the above on performance. | |
| Attribution theory | |
| Weiner's model and its application to sporting situations. | |
| The link between attribution and task persistence. | |
| Attribution retraining, self-serving bias. | |
| Learned helplessness, general and specific | |
| Group success | |
| Group formation and dynamics, Carron's antecedents. | Group Dynamics |
| Factors affecting cohesion – cooperation and coordination. | Group Dynamics |
| Task and social cohesion. | Group Dynamics |
| Steiner's model of potential and actual productivity, faulty group processes, and strategies to overcome faulty processes. | |
| Ringlemann effect and social loafing – strategies to overcome social loafing. | Group Dynamics |
| Leadership | |
| Qualities associated with leaders. | Leadership |
| Types of leadership – autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire. | Leadership Styles |
| The effectiveness of leadership styles. | Leadership Styles |
| Prescribed and emergent leaders. | |
| Fiedler's Contingency model – task and person orientated and Chelladurai's multi-dimensional model. |
References
- AQA (2014) GCE AS and A Level specification Physical Education, Version1.6
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- MACKENZIE, B. (2007) AQA GCE AS & A Level PE [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/gcse.htm [Accessed