"How feedback is given to athletes
influences both their immediate learning of a skill
and their ongoing development as an athlete."
FEEDBACK, SELF-EFFICACY,
AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOTOR SKILLS (Page 1)
By Monica A. Frank, Ph.D.
SELF-EFFICACY INFLUENCES MOTOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Although we may prefer to believe that learning a motor skill is purely learning a set of physical techniques,
we have to consider that most learning typically takes place in the context of an interpersonal relationship with
a teacher. The critical question is how does this interaction affect the development of motor skills? It appears
that the mediating factor between the presentation of the instructions by the teacher and the performance of the
skill by the student may be the cognitive process of self-efficacy (Escarti & Guzman, 1999).
Some may argue that
the development of effective skills may lead to the increased self-efficacy demonstrated by students of high
ability. Although this process occurs, it is not sufficient for explaining the role of developing
self-efficacy and its impact on learning motor skills.
To fully explain the role of self-efficacy, we must
evaluate the interpersonal context of how the teacher or coach provides feedback to the athlete, how that
feedback affects self-efficacy, and how self-efficacy enhances performance. Unfortunately, studies directly
examining this relationship are sparse, and therefore, the inferences need to be made based on research
examining the relation of the different components of the equation such as the feedback/self-efficacy
relationship and the self-efficacy/motor skills relationship.
PAGE 2
Copyright © 2002 by Monica A. Frank, Ph.D. and
www.excelatlife.com. Permission to reprint this
article is granted if it includes this entire copyright
and link.
Self-Efficacy Influences Motor
Skills Development--page 1
How Does Instructor Feedback
Affect Skill Development?--page 2
How Does the Type of Instructor
Feedback Affect Skill Development?--page 3
How Does Intrinsic Motivation
Develop?--page 4
How Should Feedback Be Provided
to Athletes?--page 5
Summary of Link Between
Feedback, Self-Efficacy, and Skill Development--page 6
