Skill Acquisition
PDHPE ESSAY
Skill acquisition refers to the process that athletes use to learn or acquire a new skill. A skill can be defined as an act or task such as typing or drawing, or in the instance of sport, catching, throwing, and running.
Skill acquisition is a gradual developmental process that requires our cognitive (thinking) processes to work with our physical abilities to learn how to perform movements that we were previously unfamiliar with. For performers and coaches to produce peak performance, it is essential that they understand how the level of skill acquisition can affect performance. This includes an understanding of the learning process, analysis of how well it is performed and identification of how the performance of this skill can be improved.
Learning can occur in three ways: * cognitive learning - learning by receiving knowledge and information * affective learning - learning on a social level (e.g. self-esteem and fair-play) * motor learning - learning by acquiring physical motor skills.
When learning physical skills motor learning is of greatest importance.
The ability of individuals to experience, learn and refine motor skills greatly affects their ability to perform any physical activity. This section explores the processes that individuals undertake when learning a new skill and how these processes can be adapted to help individuals learn these skills more easily and quickly.
The process of learning new motor skills can be organised into three stages. The learner gains a better understanding of the skill, and improves their ability to execute the skill as they move through these stages of skill acquisition.
Cognitive
The cognitive stage of skill acquisition is the early identification and understanding of the skill to be learned. Individuals focus on what to do, that is most of the learner’s activities during this stage will be in the mind – watching, thinking, analysing, reasoning, judging and visualising, rather than lots
Skill acquisition refers to the process that athletes use to learn or acquire a new skill. A skill can be defined as an act or task such as typing or drawing, or in the instance of sport, catching, throwing, and running.
Skill acquisition is a gradual developmental process that requires our cognitive (thinking) processes to work with our physical abilities to learn how to perform movements that we were previously unfamiliar with. For performers and coaches to produce peak performance, it is essential that they understand how the level of skill acquisition can affect performance. This includes an understanding of the learning process, analysis of how well it is performed and identification of how the performance of this skill can be improved.
Learning can occur in three ways: * cognitive learning - learning by receiving knowledge and information * affective learning - learning on a social level (e.g. self-esteem and fair-play) * motor learning - learning by acquiring physical motor skills.
When learning physical skills motor learning is of greatest importance.
The ability of individuals to experience, learn and refine motor skills greatly affects their ability to perform any physical activity. This section explores the processes that individuals undertake when learning a new skill and how these processes can be adapted to help individuals learn these skills more easily and quickly.
The process of learning new motor skills can be organised into three stages. The learner gains a better understanding of the skill, and improves their ability to execute the skill as they move through these stages of skill acquisition.
Cognitive
The cognitive stage of skill acquisition is the early identification and understanding of the skill to be learned. Individuals focus on what to do, that is most of the learner’s activities during this stage will be in the mind – watching, thinking, analysing, reasoning, judging and visualising, rather than lots