Performance Analysis and Coaching Science with Foundation Year
BSc (Hons)

The module will be taught through a series of lectures introducing the theoretical background to research. These will be supplemented by workshops in which students will begin to apply the concepts they have heard about, developing their own research understanding in a practical way. Indicative content will include consideration of independent and dependent variables, research questions, hypotheses, ethics, quantitative and qualitative data, handling and recording data and report writing.

The module will be taught through a series of lectures, tutorials, and workshop sessions. The module will cover three broad themes linked to individual awareness / personal development, digital literacy and study skills. Topics will be delivered by a range of academic and specialist support staff. Indicative content includes: learning styles, student wellbeing, employability, scientific writing, oral communication, teamwork, note-taking, exam preparedness, information location and retrieval and plagiarism and referencing.

This module focusses on both the ‘art’ and ‘science’ of sport and exercise to ensure a grounding knowledge for all. Students will learn of the different roles a sport and exercise professional may take on and the skills attributed to each in order to be successful.

This module focusses on the ‘art’ of sport and exercise to ensure a grounding knowledge for all. Students will learn of the different roles a sport and exercise professional may take on and the skills attributed to each in order to be successful.

The module will incorporate both theoretical and practical learning to enable students to apply their knowledge of the human body.

Student’s practical skill development will centre upon their ability to enhance performance through the application of skill acquisition principles. Students will be taught via a variety of lectures and seminars as well practical coaching sessions.

Students will learn how to collect and interpret data using a range of approaches including questionnaires, interviews and experimental methods. The emphasis on the module is to develop student’s confidence in engaging with academic literature including the associated terminology.

Personal Development Planning (PDP) will be embedded into the program with a series of “step-to-success” workshops which will support students in their professional development . Students will be required to engage with the PDP programme by collating hours in a Sport and Exercise based placement in addition to participation in associated activities in an area related to sport.

Most of the delivery will be based on seminar sessions wherein students will be given structured tasks which will be completed individually or in groups. Delivery and assessment will provide students with the opportunity to engage and explore their own area of interest with respect to the associated academic literature.

The module offers a range of sport and exercise psychology topics focusing on three main areas: 1) Individual participants in sport and exercise, 2) Strategies for performance enhancement, and 3) Groups, group processes, and intergroup relations. For each topic, theories and research evidence are applied to practical examples.

Particular emphasis will be given to developing a robust rationale for the research question proposed based on a review of existing literature. Furthermore, students will propose a research methodology based on the rationale developed. The overall focus of the module is on the process of “doing research”, and this will reflect in the delivery methods used. As such, students will be encouraged to explore the suitability different methodologies with respect to the research question asked. There will be the opportunity within sessions for students to attempt to critically review literature, and peer review research proposals. In addition to developing a research rationale and design for a proposed research project, students will undertake a range of in-class assessed qualitative and quantitative data analysis tasks using appropriate software, including descriptive and inferential statistics.

The Steps-to-Success programme will be implemented in this module, in conjunction with the employability and careers office. The focus will be placed on graduate schemes, teacher training, networking, job applications and masters programmes. Students will be required to engage with the Professional Development Planning (PDP) for Sport and Exercise programme by collating hours in a Sport and Exercise based placement in addition to participation in associated activities in an area related to sport.

Module learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

1. Develop a coherent research question based on a review of the associated academic literature
2. Provide a robust rationale for the research question proposed based on academic literature
3. Develop a suitable research methodology for the proposed research question
4. Analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative data gathered from a range of research methods used in sport and exercise
5. Demonstrate evidence of Professional Development through engagement with PDP and Sport and Exercise placement

Module content

The module will focus on the following topic areas:

• Research proposal writing
• Literature review
• Research question rational
• Research methodology (quantitative and qualitative)
• Reliability and validity
• Thematic analysis
• Descriptive statistics
• Inferential statistics
• Probability and significance
• Reporting/summarising data

The module will enable a student to develop a knowledge and understanding of the skills and techniques of sports coaching. It will involve both the theory of the coaching process and put this into practice by applying the skills.

The module in itself will not result in the award of a particular NGB qualification but will provide a good foundation of relevant coaching skills that are applicable to all NGB coaching awards. Students are encouraged to check the notice boards for the availability of courses in their chosen sport.

To enhance student understanding of the appropriate use of contemporary technologies in sports analysis the module will also focus on the use of field-based methods of time-motion analysis (TMA) and mobile applications.. The module will also examine measurement issues associated with these technologies and the applied nature of this module will provide an opportunity for students to enhance their practical skills.

It gives the opportunity to critically evaluate theories relating to perceptual processes and mechanisms underlying the control of human movement, drawing from research in cognitive psychology, motor control and learning and skill acquisition. The module ties together the processes involved in response programming, the ways in which these can be impacted by internal and external psychological factors, and the importance these processes have on the learner and learning environment; from tasks requiring the most basic of motor-unit recruitment, to highly complex skilled performance.

The module will support students in their understanding of the methods that are available to analyse sporting performance and their applications. It will also provide students with an opportunity to conduct and report investigations of their own sport and exercise related movements using biomechanical principles and methods. The module will prepare students for more advanced studies in the third year of their course.

This module will provide students with a technical understanding of speed and power development with particular attention to field based sports skills. It will provide students with a range of techniques that can be used with both individual and team athletes in order to develop speed, agility and efficiency. Where appropriate key nutritional strategies to support training methods will be introduced.

In addition to the practical aspects of the module, students will gain an understanding of programming for a range of athletes.

During this period of work experience, students can gain a deeper appreciation of the responsibilities arising from both corporate and individual responses to such issues, thus enabling them to relate to the wider world when exploring a personal direction for potential career development.

Students will critically evaluate the strengths and the weaknesses of each method using a problem-based approach and on the understanding that performance is based upon a set of functionally inter-linking variables. The module will also introduce key concepts such as bridge building, restructuring and integration, all of which are recognised by BASES as crucial to the understanding of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to applied sports science.

The module will provide students with a strong theoretical background in performance analysis and combines this with industry relevant experience. Students will explore a number of different software platforms and gain an understanding of which software packages are suitable for undertaking different types of analysis. Contemporary issues at the forefront of performance analysis will also be discussed and critically explored.

The investigation may adopt a variety of frameworks, typically dependent upon a combination of both the discipline and topic in question. The rationale being to avoid limiting the students to the traditional empirical research format; instead empowering them to select an investigatory design that is best suited to the conduct, completion and presentation of the study in focus e.g. an industry report or an individually focused / institutionally targeted case study etc. 

Irrespective of the study framework, all work requires students to apply critical scrutiny and analysis to a diversity of appropriate theories, concepts and procedures. Such work will inevitably relate to a field of study deemed appropriate by a specialist in the area. The module offers the opportunity to develop an in-depth critical understanding alongside the refinement of both their subject and research skills.

The module will then provide students with the necessary skills to analyse and interpret this data with respect to performance in real world biomechanical scenarios. In conjunction with the content delivery, the module will allow students the freedom to conduct a novel piece of independent research which will develop their ability to critically evaluate current biomechanical literature and present biomechanical research in a scientific manner.