Advanced Higher
Physical Education project
Instructions for candidates
In this project you will carry out research into a topic which impacts on
performance.
The Project component is worth 70 marks. This is 70% of the overall marks for
the Course assessment. The other component is a performance worth 30 marks.
The Course will be graded A–D.
This project gives you the opportunity to investigate a topic impacting on
performance. This may be an area of interest suggested by what you have
studied in class, but you are free to research any appropriate topic which
impacts on performance. With the approval of your assessor, you should
identify an appropriate topic for research before you begin the project.
The project report should be between 4,000 and 5,000 words in length. The
word count should be submitted with the project. Any work submitted that is in
excess of 10% over the upper word count limit will not be awarded any marks.
Your project should be completed in time to meet the submission date set by
SQA.
When deciding on the issue you will research in your project, you may wish to
consider the following questions:
 Does this issue allow you to apply knowledge of Physical Education at
Advanced Higher level?
 Would you be able to source enough appropriate information for research?
 Can all potential barriers be overcome eg health and safety issues,
permissions, logistics?
 Would you be able to complete it in the time available, and within the word
count?
If you answer ‘no’ to any of these questions, you should reconsider your project
idea.
You should agree the topic for research with your assessor before you begin the
project.
This may be a topic which impacts either on your own performance, or the
performance of another person, team or group.
The project assesses the following skills, knowledge and understanding:
 demonstrating independent research and investigation skills
 investigating how factor(s) impact on performance
 understanding and applying methods to develop performance
Advanced Higher Project: assessment task (Physical Education)
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 analysing and evaluating the process of performance development
Your assessor will let you know how the assessment will be carried out and any
required conditions for doing it.
The Project has four Stages:
Stage
Stage
Stage
Stage
1, titled ‘Project proposal’ will have 22 marks.
2, titled ‘Research’ will have 28 marks.
3, titled ‘Performance Development Plan’ will have 6 marks
4, titled ‘Evaluation’ will have 14 marks.
Stage 1 – Project proposal (22 marks)
Stage 1a) Investigation of performance (10 marks)
You should gather information in at least three different ways about the
performance, which is related to the identified topic. You should present
results which are relevant to the identified topic.
You should ensure that your results are as valid and reliable as possible. The
results of the investigations should provide you with information about the
performance that you can then analyse to help you to come to conclusions.
Stage 1b) Analysis of information (12 marks)
In your analysis, you should identify pieces of information from the results, and
explain the links between them, where these links are relevant to your topic.
These links may allow you to compare information from the results which shows
similarities and consistency, or information which shows contradictions and
inconsistency in the results. Your analysis should lead you to identify a focus for
your research into performance development.
Stage 2 – Research (28 marks)
Stage 2a) Literature review (13 marks)
You should conduct a broad literature review of the topic you have chosen to
research. Your sources of information could include books, journals periodicals
and websites.
You should make sure that the sources of the information are current, reliable
and relevant to the topic of study. Details of the sources of information should
be recorded as you refer to them. This research should give background
information by providing a range of views or opinions relevant to your research
topic.
You should provide the results of your review, which should be presented
clearly, appropriately referenced, and relevant to your research focus.
Stage 2b) Analysis of information from research (10 marks)
In your analysis, you should identify pieces of information from the results of
your literary review, and explain the links between them where these links are
relevant to your research focus. These links may show similarities and
Advanced Higher Project: assessment task (Physical Education)
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consistency, or contradictions and inconsistency in the results. Your analysis
should lead to identify targets for a Performance Development Plan.
Stage 2c) PDP targets (5 marks)
You should set and justify PDP target(s) to improve performance. The purpose
of the target(s) should be clear, and should focus on the results of the analysis
that you carried out in 2b).
You should justify the target(s). The justification should show a clear link to
the project topic and provide reasons which support your choice of each target.
Stage 3 – Performance Development Programme record (6 marks)
The PDP should be implemented at this point.
You should provide a record of the implementation of the PDP. This should
include relevant notes and comments and should include any amendments you
may have made to the plan.
Stage 4 – Post-PDP Analysis and Evaluation (14 marks)
You should use a range of methods to gather information to investigate postPDP performance. The information you gather should be reliable and relevant
to the PDP targets You may use the same or different methods to those used in
Section 1a. You should gather enough information to allow you to carry out
post-PDP analysis. There are no marks for gathering this information, but you
will need the data to use for your analysis.
Stage 4a) Analysis of post PDP data (6 marks)
In your analysis, you should identify pieces of information from your record of
implementating of the PDP and the results of your post-PDP data collection.
You should explain the links between them where these links are relevant to
your targets. These links may reveal similarities and consistency, or
contradictions and inconsistency in the results. Your analysis should lead you to
an evaluation of the Performance Development Plan.
Stage 4b) Evaluation of the PDP (4 marks)
You should evaluate success of the PDP in relation to the research focus and/or
the topic. The evaluation should be based on the analysis of the post-PDP data.
Stage 4c) Future development needs (4 marks)
You should identify future performance development needs. Each future
performance development need should be supported by your evaluation of the
PDP. You should not offer development needs which cannot be fully justified
from the results of your post-PDP evaluation.
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Carrying out the project
You should carry out the project independently, under the supervision of your
assessor. Your assessor could ask to see, or discuss, your work at any stage
during the project.
Anonymity, confidentiality and ethical guidelines
Where you undertake gathering of information which involves interviewing,
surveying individuals, or by gathering information about someone else’s
performance, either directly or indirectly, you must discuss the suitability of
this with your assessor before commencing the process. If your assessor agrees,
then appropriate permission from the relevant person(s) must be sought and
granted before commencing the research. You must take appropriate steps in
order to maintain the anonymity of the individual(s) throughout the task if they
are sharing sensitive personal information.
In instances where the job description/post of an interviewee is central to the
authenticity of the information to be gathered, permission to disclose this
information must be sought and granted before commencing the research.
Throughout the task, care should be taken to ensure that appropriate
safeguards and boundaries are established to ensure that privacy,
confidentiality and anonymity are maintained at all times, where appropriate.
You should follow relevant ethical guidelines from any appropriate regulatory
body, eg Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, when required.
Referencing information
The information you access for use in your project must be current and
creditable.
Any information you have gathered from sources such as publications including
professional journals and government reports, online sources, specialist
organisations, sector specialists, and different types of media, which you have
used in your project, must be recorded and referenced.
Downloading directly from the internet or copying directly from books
without acknowledgement is plagiarism. It is also plagiarism to present
others’ ideas as your own. The purpose of referencing is to:
 show clearly which ideas or words are not your own
 provide enough information for someone else to find the source of
those ideas or words
 present that information consistently.
You may use any system of referencing in your project provided it meets those
requirements. However, whatever system of referencing you use, the guidance
below may be helpful.
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Words and ideas that are not your own should have their source cited clearly
beside them in the text, with those sources listed alphabetically at the end of
your Project, as shown in the examples below.
For books
In the text: ‘if the skill is low in complexity and high in organisation,
practice of the whole skill is a better choice’ (Magill 2011)
In the list of references: Magill R.A et al, (2011), Motor Learning and
Control, ninth edition, McGraw-Hill, p411
For journals/periodicals
In the text: ‘Intermittent exercise allows a higher total volume of highintensity work’ (Volianitis 2000)
In the list of references: Volianitis S (2000), Peak Performance, number 131, p6
For websites
In the text: ‘Anaerobic endurance can be developed by using repetition
methods of high intensity work with limited recovery.’ (www.brianmac.co.uk)
In the list of references: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/enduranc.htm (accessed
22/11/14)
The date accessed and the full URL must be referenced: www.brianmac.co.uk
is not enough in the list of references because it does not lead to the cited
content.
Appendices
You may provide supplementary material at the end of your project in an
appendix. Material that complements the project by supporting its content
could include data from results of testing; questionnaires/surveys;
bibliography, including URLs; diagrams, illustrations or maps.
Only information that is referenced in the document should be included in the
appendix.
No marks will be awarded for any materials presented in the appendix.
The project report should be between 4,000 and 5,000 words in length. The
word count should be submitted with the project. Any work submitted that is in
excess of 10% over the upper word count limit will not be awarded any marks.
Your project should be completed in time to meet the submission date set by
SQA.
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