METHOD 1
PERFORMANCE PROFILING WHEEL
Sub-factors: can be applied to all social sub-factors

Describe one method you could use to collect data on social factors. (4).KEY
Descriptive point 1
Descriptive point 2
Descriptive point 3
Descriptive point 4

‘A method I used to collect data on social factors was the Performance Profiling Wheel (PPW).’

‘The PPW is a wheel arranged into 8 different sections with a social sub-factor written on the outside of each section. Within each section, are 10 segments which represented a score of 1 (inside) – 10 (outside) with 1 being the poorest and 10 being the best.’

‘To begin with, I considered how the captain of my team (model performer) would score in each section and coloured in this segment in red. For e.g., if I thought their communication was an 8, I coloured in the 8th segment in red. After doing this, I considered my capabilities in this section. If I scored myself a 4 for communication, I coloured in segments 1-4 in blue. I then coloured in the rest of the segments up to 8 (model performer) in red. I then identified my strengths and weaknesses. A weakness was where red remained.’

NOTE:
The candidate has clearly made more than 4 points of description whilst achieving the 4 marks. Always do this to provide full answers and show the examiner that you are a pupil with high standards.

Explain why you could use this method to collect data on the social factor. (4).
KEY:
Point of explanation

‘I used the PPW because it was practical as I was able to do it at home away from the training ground. This meant I took my time in completing the method as I was not rushed to go out and train and I therefore provided well thought out and valid responses.’

‘I also used the PPW because it was practical as it was very easy to interpret my data. This meant it was easy for me to accurately identify my strengths and weaknesses as I just looked for the colour red remaining in each section. This lead to me selecting the correct weak sub-factors and collecting more detailed data on why they were a weakness.’*

‘Another reason why I used the PPW was because it was practical as it was quick and easy to complete. This meant that I did not get bored in a long winded process and was able to really focus and give honest answers as I remained motivated.’

‘Finally, the PPW was selected because it was measurable as it was a permanent record. This meant I was able to compare my subsequent re-tests back to my initial data to measure my improvements. This then lead to me receiving a boost in confidence when I noticed my progress and enabled me to set even more challenging goals to ensure I did not plateau.’*

*Paragraphs 2 and 4 both contain what is referred to as a point of development. Having explained why the part of PARV(M) helped them select this method in sentence 2, a third sentence further explaining the impact this then had on the data collection process was identified. Consequently, although the question was out of 4, the candidate provided 6 points of explanation

Analyse how suitable this method is in collecting data on the social factor. (4).
KEY:
Point of analysis

‘It is important when using the PPW that you use a realistic model performer. This is because if you used an elite athlete such as Serena Williams, you may lose motivation and confidence as you will find that you are consistently marking yourself lower than them which can then lead to you giving up and not giving 100% in completing the method and your development plan.’

‘It is also important that you complete the PPW at home. This is because if you did it at the training ground, you may feel rushed by the coach to get out and train or you may feel embarrassed in completing the PPW in front of your teammates which can lead to you not taking it seriously and filling it out incorrectly.’

‘Another important thing to consider with the PPW is how honest you are in the process. This is because it uses purely subjective data which can mean you may lie to impress your coach meaning you therefore produce inaccurate data and do not begin an appropriate development plan to improve your performance.’

‘Finally, it is important that you scan the PPW and keep an electronic copy of it. This is because you will always have a second copy of your baseline data to refer back to even if you lose the initial sheet and will therefore be able to make valid measurements of your progress during your development plan.’

Evaluate how effective this method was in collecting data on the social factor. (4).
KEY:
Evaluative point

‘The PPW was fairly effective in collecting data on social factors.’

‘It was beneficial because it was practical as it was very easy to complete. This was good as I made very little errors in understanding what I had to do which meant I filled it out correctly and received valid data.’

‘It was also beneficial because it was practical as it was very easy to interpret my data. This was good as it meant I was able to clearly identify my social strengths and weaknesses.’

‘However, the PPW was limited as it was not very appropriate in that it did not tell me why a sub-factor was weak. This was poor as I had to collect even more data to analyse this and I started to get bored and did not give this my full attention or effort leading to me having slightly questionable data.’

‘The PPW was also limited because I used an elite athlete as my model performer. This was poor as it meant that I quickly lost confidence as I found myself being much lower than them on every social sub-factor and I therefore went into my development plan in a very negative state of mind.’

METHOD 2
YOUTH SPORTS ENVIRONMENT QUESTIONNAIRE
Sub-factors: co-operation, relationships and team dynamics

Describe one method you could use to collect data on social factors. (4).KEY
Descriptive point 1
Descriptive point 2
Descriptive point 3
Descriptive point 4

‘The Youth Sports Environment (YSE) Questionnaire is a method performers can use to collect data on social factors (co-operation, relationships and team dynamics).’

‘The YSE Questionnaire has 18 statements that are split into 3 categories: social cohesion, task cohesion and spurious negative. For each statement is a scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 9 (strongly agree).’

‘The performer would complete the questionnaire at home. They would read each statement and place a circle that best represents their response to each statement. The performer would then analyse their results and identify their strengths and weaknesses.’

NOTE:
The candidate has clearly made more than 4 points of description whilst achieving the 4 marks. Always do this to provide full answers and show the examiner that you are a pupil with high standards.

Explain why you could use this method to collect data on the social factor. (4).
KEY:
Point of explanation

‘I used the YSE Questionnaire because it is practical as it was quick to complete. This meant I had correct and valid responses as I did not get bored in a long process and remained motivated to carry out the method correctly.’

‘I also used the YSE Questionnaire because it was practical as I was able to complete it at home. This meant I produced valid results as I was not pressurised by the presence of my teammates to answer statements on team dynamics falsely. This lead to my data being accurate and reliable as I completed the method honestly and created an appropriate development plan.’*

‘Finally, I used the YSE Questionnaire because it was measurable as it was a permanent record. This meant I had baseline information to compare my re-tests to and measure any improvements. This then lead to me getting a boost in motivation when I saw I had improved and lead to me giving 100% in future sessions to keep improving.’*

*Paragraphs 2 and 3 each contain points of development as the candidate has further explained how their initial justification in sentence 2 further aided the data collection process in sentence 3. This can clarify why the candidate has only provided 3 paragraphs for a 4 mark answer and can even be argued that they have actually achieved 5 marks.

Analyse how suitable this method is in collecting data on the social factor. (4).
KEY:
Point of analysis

‘It is important that you complete the YSE Questionnaire at home away from the training ground. This is because you will not be in the presence of your teammates when answering questions which means you will not feel uncomfortable providing responses on your relationships with them and can lead to you provide more honest and frank responses which can really help you identify how well you get on with others.’

‘It is also important that you are totally honest when completing the YSE Questionnaire. This is because the responses you provide are completely qualitative as they are your opinions meaning you may lie to look like you are more of a team player to your coach which means your results will not be accurate and you may therefore avoid developing an actual weakness as it does not show up in your results.’

‘It is also important that you ask your coach to clarify any statements you don’t understand before taking the YSE Questionnaire home. This is because you will fully understand what each statement means which can lead to you knowing exactly how to answer each statement and can therefore lead to you providing correct and valid responses.’

‘Finally, it is important that you scan and electronically save your initial YSE Questionnaire. This is because it will ensure you have a second permanent copy to refer to which means you will still have baseline information to compare your future results to even if you lose the initial sheet and therefore you will still be able to monitor the effectiveness of your development plan.’

Evaluate how effective this method was in collecting data on the social factor. (4).
KEY:
Evaluative point

‘The YSE Questionnaire was very effective in collecting data on the social factor.’

‘It was beneficial because it was practical as it was easy to interpret. This was good as I was able to identify my social strengths and weaknesses accurately and confidently.’

‘It was also beneficial because it was practical as I was able to complete it at home. This was good because I did not feel pressurised by the presence of my teammates to provide false answers and I was therefore able to provided my honest opinions on how we operated as a team.’

‘Another benefit of this method was it’s validity as I found the statements easy to understand. This was good because I knew exactly what each statement meant and this helped me answer each statement correctly.’

‘Finally, it was beneficial because it was measurable as it was a permanent record. This was good because it helped me chart the effectiveness of my development plan as I was able to compare my re-tests results to my baseline data and measure my improvements.’

METHOD 3
COMMUNICATION OBSERVATION SCHEDULE
Sub-factor: communication

Describe one method you could use to collect data on social factors. (4).KEY
Descriptive point 1
Descriptive point 2
Descriptive point 3
Descriptive point 4

‘A method I used to collect data on social factors (communication) was the communication observation schedule.’

‘This method was in a table format: down the left hand column were different forms of communication whilst the next 2 columns to the right were for game 1 and game 2.

NEXT STEPS:

Having covered 3 of the 4 factors, let’s consider how we can collect data on the physical factor.