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This lesson covers the four teaching methods (also known as methods of presenting practice) as required by the Edexcel GCSE PE specification (1PE0 — Topic 3: Sports Psychology). Understanding the whole method, part method, whole-part-whole method and progressive part method — and knowing when each should be used — is essential. Like the types of practice, this content is unique to the Edexcel specification and is examined in a specific way.
graph TD
T["Teaching Methods"] --> W["Whole Method"]
T --> P["Part Method"]
T --> WPW["Whole-Part-Whole Method"]
T --> PP["Progressive Part Method"]
W --> W1["Skill taught as a<br/>complete action"]
P --> P1["Skill broken into<br/>sub-routines, taught<br/>separately"]
WPW --> WPW1["Whole → isolate a<br/>weak part → reassemble<br/>the whole"]
PP --> PP1["Parts added<br/>progressively:<br/>A, then A+B,<br/>then A+B+C"]
style T fill:#2c3e50,color:#fff
style W fill:#2980b9,color:#fff
style P fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
style WPW fill:#8e44ad,color:#fff
style PP fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
style W1 fill:#3498db,color:#fff
style P1 fill:#2ecc71,color:#fff
style WPW1 fill:#9b59b6,color:#fff
style PP1 fill:#f39c12,color:#fff
Definition: The whole method involves teaching a skill as a complete action from start to finish, without breaking it into parts.
The performer attempts the entire skill in one go. The coach demonstrates or explains the whole skill, and the performer tries to replicate it as a complete movement.
Teaching a forward roll in gymnastics — the performer attempts the full roll (crouch, tuck, roll, stand) as one continuous movement from the first attempt.
| Suitable When... | Reason |
|---|---|
| The skill is high organisation | High organisation skills cannot be broken into meaningful parts without distorting the skill |
| The skill is simple (basic) | Simple skills are easy enough to attempt as a whole from the start |
| The skill is fast | Fast actions (e.g. a sprint start) happen too quickly to be meaningfully separated into parts |
| The performer is experienced | Experienced performers can cope with the demands of performing the whole skill immediately |
Definition: The part method involves breaking a skill into its sub-routines (separate parts) and teaching each part independently before combining them into the whole skill.
The coach identifies the separate phases or parts of the skill. Each part is taught and practised individually until the performer is competent. Then the parts are joined together to form the complete skill.
Teaching the front crawl in swimming:
| Suitable When... | Reason |
|---|---|
| The skill is low organisation | Low organisation skills have clearly identifiable sub-routines that can be separated |
| The skill is complex | Complex skills have many parts; teaching each separately reduces information overload |
| The skill is dangerous | Breaking it into parts allows the performer to develop competence safely before attempting the whole |
| The performer is a beginner | Beginners benefit from focusing on one element at a time |
Definition: The whole-part-whole method involves attempting the whole skill first, then isolating a specific part that needs improvement, practising that part in isolation, and then returning to the whole skill to integrate the improvement.
Teaching a badminton serve:
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