Skill and ability
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can define and explain the differences between skill and ability.
Key learning points
- Skill refers to the learned ability to bring about predetermined results with maximum certainty.
- Ability refers to the inherited, stable traits that determine an individual's potential to learn or acquire skills.
- Unlike skills, abilities are not learned but can influence the ease and speed of skill acquisition.
Keywords
Ability - inherited, stable traits that determine an individual's potential to learn or acquire a skill
Skill - a learned action/behaviour
Predetermined - an outcome that is decided in advance or predictable
Innate - existing in a person from birth
Common misconception
Skill and ability are interchangeable.
They are not interchangeable. Skill is learnt and developed through practice, while ability is a natural and inherited trait often considered innate. An ability provides an opportunity or the potential to develop a skill.
Teacher tip
The main assessment point is being able to access the definitions. However, the short lesson provides ample opportunity to showcase well executed skills in a breadth of sports. This opens up access to the many skills they can use as examples for the forthcoming lessons on skill classification.
Equipment
Videos of skills in slow motion as well as real time to open up discussion on skill execution.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is defined as the ability to use two or more body parts together?
Q2.Match these movements to their definition.
dribbling around an opponent with a basketball
remaining upright with a dance motif
throwing a ball in dodgeball
Q3.Which of the following is a skill associated with badminton?
Q4.Which sport would we associate the skills of catch, rebound, interception and shooting?
Q5.Balance is defined as maintaining the centre of over a base of support.
Q6.Agility is the ability to move and change whilst keeping control of the body.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following terms are in the definition of ability?
Q2.Innate refers to a characteristic existing in a person from ...
Q3.Which of the following terms are in the definition of skill?
Q4.Match the sporting examples to an ability the skill could have developed from.
dribbling in and out of players in basketball
landing precisely when catching a netball with good footwork
a tennis serve
Q5.Skill is a action or behaviour.
Q6.Skill is an action with the intention to bring about results.
To help you plan your 11 physical education lesson on: Skill and ability, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 physical education lesson on: Skill and ability, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 physical education lessons from the Sport psychology: skill and ability unit, dive into the full secondary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.