AQA GCSE Physical Education Paper 2: Socio-cultural influences and wellbeing in physical activity and sport, June 2025: Question 10

2 marks · Easy difficulty · Short Answer

Explain one way technology helps a performer in a sporting activity of your choice.

Practise this question

Question

Question 10 asks: 'Explain one way technology helps a performer in a sporting activity of your choice.' worth 2 marks, followed by four blank answer lines.
Question text

10 Explain one way technology helps a performer in a sporting activity of your choice.

[2 marks]

Mark scheme

Show the mark scheme Mark scheme for Question 10 showing AO2 = 2 marks. Award one mark for identifying the technology or its direct use, and one mark for explaining the benefit to performance, with sporting examples such as footballers looking back at performances (1) to correct errors (1), cricketers reviewing decisions (1) to overturn incorrect calls (1), or wearing heart rate monitors (1) to monitor fitness levels (1).

10 Explain one way technology helps a performer in a sporting activity of your choice.

[2 marks]

Marks for this question: AO2 = 2

Award one mark for each of the following points up to a maximum of two marks.

• Footballers are able to look back at performances (1) and correct errors for future matches (1)

• Cricketers are able to review decisions (1) to check or overturn a decision that may have gone against

them (1)

• Athletes can access lighter spikes (1) that help them to run faster (1)

• Rugby players wear heart rate monitors / trackers (1) which allows coaches to monitor their fitness /

performance levels (1)

Accept any other suitable explanations.

Maximum 2 marks

How to answer it

Technology in Sport: Impact on Performers

WHAT THIS QUESTION TESTS

This question assesses your ability to apply knowledge (AO2) of how modern technology is used in physical activity and sport, specifically focusing on how it directly benefits the performer.

  • Named Sport Context: Identifying an appropriate sporting activity and the technology used within it.
  • Two-Step Explanation: Stating what the technology allows the performer to do (1 mark) and explaining the resulting sporting benefit or impact on performance (1 mark).
QUESTION 10 • 2 MARKS (AO2)

Explain one way technology helps a performer in a sporting activity of your choice.

Assessment Objective: AO2 (Application of knowledge and understanding to a practical context)

✅ Model Answers (Full 2 Marks)

Any one fully explained example scores both marks:

  • Video Analysis / Football:
    Footballers can use video playback to review previous performances [1 mark], allowing them to spot and correct tactical or technical errors before the next match [1 mark].
  • GPS & Heart Rate Monitors / Rugby:
    Rugby players wear GPS trackers or heart rate monitors during training [1 mark], which allows coaches to monitor work rate/fatigue levels and adjust workloads to prevent injury [1 mark].
  • Advanced Footwear / Athletics:
    Sprinters wear ultra-lightweight running spikes with carbon-fibre plates [1 mark], which maximise energy return and allow them to run faster times [1 mark].
  • Decision Review System (DRS) / Cricket:
    A batsman can request a review (using Hawk-Eye or UltraEdge) [1 mark] to overturn an incorrect umpire decision and stay in the game [1 mark].

💡 Key Knowledge

Technology helps performers in three main ways:

  • Performance Analysis: Slow-motion capture, biomechanical software, and video feedback to correct technique and scout opposition.
  • Health, Fitness & Recovery: GPS vests, heart rate monitors, sleep monitors, and compression boots to track strain and prevent overtraining.
  • Equipment & Facilities: Carbon-fibre bikes, hydrodynamic swimsuits, lightweight footwear, and composite tennis rackets that optimise physical output.
  • Fair Decisions: DRS, Hawk-Eye, and TMO enable athletes to challenge incorrect officiating decisions.

🧠 Exam Technique & Mark Breakdown

To secure both marks on an "Explain one way..." 2-mark question:

  • Follow the "What + So What" Rule:
    • Point 1: State the technology and what it does in your chosen sport.
    • Point 2: Use a connective like "which allows them to..." or "so that..." to explain the benefit to the performer.
  • Focus Strictly on the Performer: Do not write about how technology helps the referee (e.g., VAR making fewer mistakes) or the spectators (e.g., better camera angles) unless it links directly back to the athlete's benefit.
Mark Scheme Split:
• Identification of technology in context = 1 mark
• Direct benefit/impact on performance = 1 mark

❌ Common Errors to Avoid

  • Giving two separate technologies: The question asks for one way. Listing two different gadgets without explaining either will cap you at 1 mark.
  • Missing the sporting context: Writing generally (e.g. "it helps them see their mistakes") without naming or clearly framing a sporting activity will cost marks.
  • Halting halfway: Simply stating "Athletes wear GPS trackers" without stating how the data collected helps improve fitness or recovery.
  • Focusing on officials/spectators: Explaining that "goal-line technology lets the referee know if the ball crossed the line" does not explain a benefit to the performer.

Topics

3.2 Socio-cultural influences and wellbeing in physical activity and sport · 3.2.2 Socio-cultural influences

Question and mark scheme from the AQA GCSE Physical Education examination, Paper 2: Socio-cultural influences and wellbeing in physical activity and sport, June 2025. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.