§-Physical Education Q&A
SA · SACE Board← Physical Education
Physical Education Q&A by dot point
A short Q&A bank for every SA Physical Education syllabus dot point. Each question and answer is drawn directly from our worked dot-point page, so you can scan key concepts before opening the long-form answer.
Assessment and Investigation
Design and conduct the 30 percent external Investigation: frame a question, gather and analyse evidence, and communicate findings about a focus-area concept.
Plan and complete a Performance Improvement task by analysing a performance, applying a concept, implementing a strategy and evaluating its effect with evidence.
Focus Area 1: In Movement
Explain the acute (immediate, short-term) physiological responses of the cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular systems to a single bout of exercise.
Apply the principles of angular motion - torque, moment of inertia and conservation of angular momentum - to explain and improve rotating movements.
Apply biomechanical principles - force, levers, Newton's laws, projectile motion and stability - to analyse and improve movement.
Explain the chronic (long-term) cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular adaptations to aerobic and anaerobic training, and how they improve performance.
Identify the health-related and skill-related components of fitness and select valid, reliable and specific tests to measure each.
Analyse the contribution of the ATP-PC, anaerobic glycolysis and aerobic energy systems to performance, and how they interplay across an activity.
Explain the causes of fatigue specific to each energy system and the recovery processes that restore the body, including the oxygen deficit and EPOC.
Apply the principles of fluid mechanics - drag, lift, the Magnus effect and buoyancy - to explain and improve movement through air and water.
Explain the information-processing model - input, decision-making, output and feedback - and the factors that influence reaction time and decision speed.
Explain the stages of learning, classifications of skills, and the role of practice and feedback in developing motor skills.
Explain the types of transfer of learning - positive, negative, zero, bilateral - and how practice can be designed to maximise positive transfer.
Focus Area 2: Through Movement
Explain the relationship between arousal, anxiety and performance using the inverted-U and related theories, and evaluate strategies for managing arousal.
Explain how groups form and develop, the factors that build cohesion, and the social processes that influence group performance.
Explain intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and apply the principles of effective goal setting to improve participation and performance.
Explain the role of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and fluids in fuelling performance and recovery, including pre-event, during-event and post-event strategies.
Explain periodisation - the division of training into macrocycles, mesocycles and microcycles - and apply it to plan training that peaks for competition.
Analyse how collaborative behaviours and tactical decision-making shape performance, and evaluate strategies that improve a group's effectiveness.
Apply the principles of training and select appropriate training methods to design a program that improves a targeted component of fitness.
Focus Area 3: About Movement
Identify and analyse the barriers and enablers to physical activity participation, and evaluate strategies that reduce barriers and strengthen enablers.
Analyse equity, inclusion and diversity in physical activity for under-represented groups, and evaluate strategies that make participation more inclusive.
Analyse how government policy, funding, schools and sporting institutions influence participation in physical activity, and evaluate their effectiveness.
Analyse how sociocultural factors such as gender, culture, socioeconomic status and the media influence participation in physical activity.
Analyse how technology influences performance, training, officiating and participation in physical activity, and evaluate its benefits and drawbacks.