Diploma Programme

Sports, exercise and health science guide

First examinations 2014
 Diploma Programme

Sports, exercise and health science guide

First examinations 2014
 Diploma Programme
Sports, exercise and health science guide

Published March 2012

Published on behalf of the International Baccalaureate Organization, a not-for-profit

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© International Baccalaureate Organization 2012

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 IB mission statement
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to
create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop
challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners
who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

IB learner profile
The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common
humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.

IB learners strive to be:

Inquirers They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry
and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this
love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

Knowledgeable They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so
doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and
balanced range of disciplines.

Thinkers They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and
approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more
than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively
and willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect
for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for
their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

Open-minded They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open
to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are
accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow
from the experience.

Caring They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others.
They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the
lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-takers They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and
have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave
and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to
achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

Reflective They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able
to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning
and personal development.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2007

Contents

Introduction1
Purpose of this document 1
The Diploma Programme 2
Nature of the subject 4
Aims7
Assessment objectives 8
Assessment objectives in practice 9

Syllabus10
Syllabus outline 10
Approaches to the teaching and learning of sports, exercise and health science 12
Syllabus content—Core 16
Syllabus content—Options 36

Assessment57
Assessment in the Diploma Programme 57
Assessment outline 59
External assessment 60
Internal assessment 61
Internal assessment criteria 67
The group 4 project 77

Appendices83
Glossary of command terms 83
Bibliography85

Sports, exercise and health science guide

Introduction

Purpose of this document

This publication is intended to guide the planning, teaching and assessment of the subject in schools.
Subject teachers are the primary audience, although it is expected that teachers will use the guide to inform
students and parents about the subject.

This guide can be found on the subject page of the online curriculum centre (OCC) at http://occ.ibo.org, a
password-protected IB website designed to support IB teachers. It can also be purchased from the IB store
at http://store.ibo.org.

Additional resources
Additional publications such as teacher support materials, subject reports, internal assessment guidance
and grade descriptors can also be found on the OCC. Specimen and past examination papers as well as
markschemes can be purchased from the IB store.

Teachers are encouraged to check the OCC for additional resources created or used by other teachers.
Teachers can provide details of useful resources, for example: websites, books, videos, journals or teaching
ideas.

Acknowledgment
The IB wishes to thank the educators and associated schools for generously contributing time and resources
to the production of this guide.

First examinations 2014

Sports, exercise and health science guide 1

Introduction

The Diploma Programme

The Diploma Programme is a rigorous pre-university course of study designed for students in the 16 to 19
age range. It is a broad-based two-year course that aims to encourage students to be knowledgeable and
inquiring, but also caring and compassionate. There is a strong emphasis on encouraging students to
develop intercultural understanding, open-mindedness, and the attitudes necessary for them to respect
and evaluate a range of points of view.

The Diploma Programme hexagon

The course is presented as six academic areas enclosing a central core (see figure 1). It encourages the
concurrent study of a broad range of academic areas. Students study: two modern languages (or a modern
language and a classical language); a humanities or social science subject; an experimental science;
mathematics; one of the creative arts. It is this comprehensive range of subjects that makes the Diploma
Programme a demanding course of study designed to prepare students effectively for university entrance.
In each of the academic areas students have flexibility in making their choices, which means they can
choose subjects that particularly interest them and that they may wish to study further at university.

Studies in language
and literature

Group 1
Language Individuals
acquisition and societies
Group 2 dge ext Group 3
wle e
no
L E A
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R
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I B N
of

ed

E
theory

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essay
TH

PR OFIL

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Experimental Group 4 ty, action, serv Group 5 Mathematics
sciences

Group 6

The arts

Figure 1
Diploma Programme model

2 Sports, exercise and health science guide

 The Diploma Programme

Choosing the right combination

Students are required to choose one subject from each of the six academic areas, although they can choose
a second subject from groups 1 to 5 instead of a group 6 subject. Normally, three subjects (and not more
than four) are taken at higher level (HL), and the others are taken at standard level (SL). The IB recommends
240 teaching hours for HL subjects and 150 hours for SL. Subjects at HL are studied in greater depth and
breadth than at SL.

At both levels, many skills are developed, especially those of critical thinking and analysis. At the end of
the course, students’ abilities are measured by means of external assessment. Many subjects contain some
element of coursework assessed by teachers. The courses are available for examinations in English, French
and Spanish, with the exception of groups 1 and 2 courses where examinations are in the language of study.

The core of the hexagon

All Diploma Programme students participate in the three course requirements that make up the core of
the hexagon. Reflection on all these activities is a principle that lies at the heart of the thinking behind the
Diploma Programme.

The theory of knowledge course encourages students to think about the nature of knowledge, to reflect
on the process of learning in all the subjects they study as part of their Diploma Programme course, and
to make connections across the academic areas. The extended essay, a substantial piece of writing of up to
4,000 words, enables students to investigate a topic of special interest that they have chosen themselves.
It also encourages them to develop the skills of independent research that will be expected at university.
Creativity, action, service involves students in experiential learning through a range of artistic, sporting,
physical and service activities.

The IB mission statement and the IB learner profile

The Diploma Programme aims to develop in students the knowledge, skills and attitudes they will need
to fulfill the aims of the IB, as expressed in the organization’s mission statement and the learner profile.
Teaching and learning in the Diploma Programme represent the reality in daily practice of the organization’s
educational philosophy.

Sports, exercise and health science guide 3

Introduction

Nature of the subject

The attainment of excellence in sport is the result of innate ability or skill and the dedicated pursuit of a
programme of physical and mental training accompanied by appropriate nutrition. Training programme
design should not be left to chance. Rather, it should be designed thoughtfully and analytically after careful
consideration of the physiological, biomechanical and psychological demands of the activity. This is the role of
the sport and exercise scientist who, regardless of the athletic event, should be equipped with the necessary
knowledge to be able to perform this task competently. Furthermore, in a world where many millions of
people are physically inactive and afflicted by chronic disease and ill health, the sport and exercise scientist
should be equally proficient when prescribing exercise for the promotion of health and well-being.

Scientific inquiry conducted over many decades, has accumulated a vast amount of information across a
range of sub-disciplines that contribute to our understanding of health and human performance in relation
to sport and exercise. The Diploma Programme course in sports, exercise and health science involves the
study of the science that underpins physical performance and provides the opportunity to apply these
principles.

The course incorporates the traditional disciplines of anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, psychology
and nutrition, which are studied in the context of sport, exercise and health. Students will cover a range of
core and option topics and carry out practical (experimental) investigations in both laboratory and field
settings. This will provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and understanding necessary to apply
scientific principles and critically analyse human performance. Where relevant, the course will address issues
of international dimension and ethics by considering sport, exercise and health relative to the individual and
in a global context.

The sports, exercise and health science course is offered at standard level only.

Group 4 subjects and the international dimension

Science itself is an international endeavour—the exchange of information and ideas across national
boundaries has been essential to the progress of science. This exchange is not a new phenomenon but it
has accelerated in recent times with the development of information and communication technologies.
Indeed, the idea that science is a Western invention is a myth—many of the foundations of modern-day
science were laid many centuries before by Arabic, Indian and Chinese civilizations, among others. Teachers
are encouraged to emphasize this contribution in their teaching of various topics, perhaps through the
use of time-line websites. The scientific method in its widest sense, with its emphasis on peer review,
open-mindedness and freedom of thought, transcends political, religious and national boundaries. Where
appropriate within certain topics, the syllabus details sections in the group 4 guides contain assessment
statements and teacher’s notes illustrating the international aspects of science (Int).

On an organizational level, many international bodies now exist to promote science. United Nations bodies
such as UNESCO, UNEP and WMO, where science plays a prominent part, are well known, but in addition
there are hundreds of international bodies representing every branch of science. The facilities for large-
scale experimental science in, for example, particle physics and the Human Genome Project, are expensive
and only joint ventures involving funding from many countries allow this to take place. The data from
such research is shared by scientists worldwide. Group 4 students are encouraged to access the extensive
websites of these international scientific organizations to enhance their appreciation of the international
dimension.

4 Sports, exercise and health science guide

 Nature of the subject

Increasingly, however, there is a recognition that many scientific problems, from climate change to AIDS, are
international in nature and this has led to a global approach to research in many areas. The reports of the
intergovernmental panel on climate change are a prime example of this. Some topics in the group 4 guides
are specifically written to bring out this global research.

On a practical level, the group 4 project (which all science students must undertake) mirrors the work of real
scientists by encouraging collaboration between schools across the regions.

The power of scientific knowledge to transform societies is unparalleled. It has the potential to produce
great universal benefits or to reinforce inequalities and cause harm to people and the environment. In line
with the IB mission statement, group 4 students need to be aware of the moral responsibility of scientists to
ensure that scientific knowledge and data are available to all countries on an equitable basis and that they
have the scientific capacity to use this for developing sustainable societies.

The sports, exercise and health science course in particular has strong international aspects such as
international sporting competitions and the international bodies set up to run and regulate them. The
Olympic movement itself is the prime example of this and has strong echoes in its principles with the IB
mission statement and learner profile.

Group 4 subjects and prior learning

Past experience shows that students will be able to study a group 4 science subject at SL successfully with
no background in, or previous knowledge of, science. Their approach to study, characterized by the specific
IB learner profile attributes—inquirers, thinkers and communicators—will be significant here.

Links to the Middle Years Programme

Students who have undertaken the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) sciences, technology and mathematics
courses will be well prepared for group 4 subjects. Group 4 subjects build on and apply the inquiring and
reflective approach to science learning, as well as analytical critical thinking and problem solving skills
developed during MYP science courses. The MYP science objectives and assessment criteria A–F are aligned
with the group 4 objectives and internal assessment criteria, and allow for a smooth transition from the
MYP to Diploma Programme. Scientific inquiry, central to teaching and learning of the MYP sciences is
evident in the internal assessment of group 4 courses. The “One world” objective in MYP sciences is further
developed in group 4 science with the increased emphasis on aim 8—that is, to “raise awareness of the
moral, ethical, social, economic and environmental implications of using science and technology”. There
are specific references to aim 8 implications in assessment statements and teacher’s notes in the syllabus
details sections in all group 4 guides. The “knowledge and understanding of science” objective in MYP
sciences is enhanced by the content of the group 4 courses. Objectives D, E and F in MYP sciences are further
developed in internal assessment of group 4 courses.

The Diploma Programme sports, exercise and health science course aims to build on the aims of the MYP
physical education to “encourage and enable students to appreciate and understand the value of physical
education” and “to develop an interest in the promotion of health and wellness”. The sport and health-related
fitness knowledge, as well as critical thinking and reflection skills acquired during the MYP physical education
curriculum is further developed in the Diploma Programme course. The “Use of knowledge” objective is
further developed in the Diploma Programme sports, exercise and health science course as students continue
to use physical education terminology, and gain increased understanding of concepts and principles.

Sports, exercise and health science guide 5

Nature of the subject

A science continuum document is available on the science subject home pages of the OCC. This extensive
publication focuses on teaching and learning science across the continuum of IB programmes. The contents
of the publication is a valuable resource to all teachers, curriculum developers and school leaders involved
in teaching and learning science throughout the school.

Group 4 subjects and theory of knowledge

In looking at the ways of knowing described in the Theory of knowledge guide (March 2006), scientists could
legitimately claim that science encompasses all these. Driven by emotion, using sense perception, enhanced
by technology and combined with reason, it communicates through language, principally the universal
language of mathematics.

There is no one scientific method, in the strict Popperian sense, of gaining knowledge, of finding
explanations for the behaviour of the natural world. Science works through a variety of approaches to
produce these explanations, but they all rely on data from observations and experiments and have a
common underpinning rigour, whether using inductive or deductive reasoning. The explanation may
be in the form of a theory, sometimes requiring a model that contains elements not directly observable.
Producing these theories often requires an imaginative, creative leap. Where such a predictive theoretical
model is not possible, the explanation may consist of identifying a correlation between a factor and an
outcome. This correlation may then give rise to a causal mechanism that can be experimentally tested,
leading to an improved explanation. All these explanations require an understanding of the limitations
of data, and the extent and limitations of our knowledge. Science requires freedom of thought and open-
mindedness, and an essential part of the process of science is the way the international scientific community
subjects the findings of scientists to intense critical scrutiny through the repetition of experiments and the
peer review of results in scientific journals and at conferences. The syllabus details sections in the group 4
guides give references in teacher’s notes to appropriate topics where these aspects of the scientific way of
knowing can be addressed.

The relationship between each subject and theory of knowledge is important and fundamental to the
Diploma Programme. Having followed a course of study in group 4, students should be able to reflect
critically on the various ways of knowing and methods used in experimental sciences. This encourages
students to become “inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people” (IB mission statement).

6 Sports, exercise and health science guide

Introduction

Aims

Through studying any of the group 4 subjects, students should become aware of how scientists work and
communicate with each other. While the “scientific method” may take on a wide variety of forms, it is the
emphasis on a practical approach through experimental work that distinguishes the group 4 subjects from
other disciplines and characterizes each of the subjects within group 4.

It is in this context that all the Diploma Programme experimental science courses should aim to:

1. provide opportunities for scientific study and creativity within a global context that will stimulate and
challenge students
2. provide a body of knowledge, methods and techniques that characterize science and technology
3. enable students to apply and use a body of knowledge, methods and techniques that characterize
science and technology
4. develop an ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesize scientific information
5. engender an awareness of the need for, and the value of, effective collaboration and communication
during scientific activities
6. develop experimental and investigative scientific skills
7. develop and apply the students’ information and communication technology skills in the study of
science
8. raise awareness of the moral, ethical, social, economic and environmental implications of using science
and technology
9. develop an appreciation of the possibilities and limitations associated with science and scientists
10. encourage an understanding of the relationships between scientific disciplines and the overarching
nature of the scientific method.

Sports, exercise and health science guide 7

Introduction

Assessment objectives

The assessment objectives for all group 4 subjects reflect those parts of the aims that will be assessed.
Wherever appropriate, the assessment will draw upon environmental and technological contexts and
identify the social, moral and economic effects of science.

It is the intention of all the Diploma Programme experimental science courses that students achieve the
following objectives.

1. Demonstrate an understanding of:

a. scientific facts and concepts
b. scientific methods and techniques
c. scientific terminology
d. methods of presenting scientific information.
2. Apply and use:
a. scientific facts and concepts
b. scientific methods and techniques
c. scientific terminology to communicate effectively
d. appropriate methods to present scientific information.
3. Construct, analyse and evaluate:
a. hypotheses, research questions and predictions
b. scientific methods and techniques
c. scientific explanations.
4. Demonstrate the personal skills of cooperation, perseverance and responsibility appropriate for
effective scientific investigation and problem solving.
5. Demonstrate the manipulative skills necessary to carry out scientific investigations with precision and
safety.

8 Sports, exercise and health science guide

Introduction

Assessment objectives in practice

Component Overall Approximate Duration Format and syllabus coverage

weighting weighting of
(%) objectives (%)

1+2 3

Paper 1 20 20 0 45 minutes 30 multiple-choice questions on the

core syllabus

Paper 2 32 16 16 1 hour 15 Section A: one data-based question

minutes and several short-answer questions
on the core (all compulsory)
Section B: one extended-response
question on the core (from a choice
of three)

Paper 3 24 12 12 1 hour Several short-answer questions

(all compulsory) in each of the two
options studied

In addition to addressing objectives 1, 2 and 3, the internal assessment scheme addresses objective 4
(personal skills) using the personal skills criterion to assess the group 4 project, and objective 5 (manipulative
skills) using the manipulative skills criterion to assess practical work.

Classification of command terms

Key command terms are used in the syllabus content under the assessment statement column, as described
in the structure of the syllabus section, to indicate the depth of understanding that is required of students.
These are classified below according to the assessment objectives (AOs) of:

• AO1 Demonstrate an understanding

• AO2 Apply and use
• AO3 Construct, analyse and evaluate
There is a progression in demand from AO1–AO3. Students must also be familiar with the command terms
to understand the depth of treatment required in examination questions. A command term used in an
examination question will either be from the same classification as specified in the assessment statement
column or a less demanding command term. For example, if the command term in the assessment statement
is “outline”, and is classified as AO2, an examination question could contain the command term “outline”.
Alternatively, another command term such as “describe” that is also classified as AO2 could be used, or
one associated with AO1, such as “state”. The allocation of marks in examination questions also reflects this
classification of the assessment objectives.

Sports, exercise and health science guide 9

Syllabus

Syllabus outline

Syllabus component Teaching

hours

Core 80
There are six compulsory topics in the core.

Topic 1: Anatomy 7
1.1 The skeletal system 4
1.2 The muscular system 3

Topic 2: Exercise physiology 17

2.1 Structure and function of the ventilatory system 5
2.2 Structure and function of the cardiovascular system 12

Topic 3: Energy systems 13

3.1 Nutrition 4
3.2 Carbohydrate and fat metabolism 2
3.3 Nutrition and energy systems 7

Topic 4: Movement analysis 15

4.1 Neuromuscular function 4
4.2 Joint and movement type 3
4.3 Fundamentals of biomechanics 8

Topic 5: Skill in sport 15

5.1 The characteristic and classification of skill 4
5.2 Information processing 6
5.3 Principles of skill learning 5

Topic 6: Measurement and evaluation of human performance 13

6.1 Statistical analysis 2
6.2 Study design 4
6.3 Components of fitness 4
6.4 Principles of training programme design 3

10 Sports, exercise and health science guide

 Syllabus outline

Syllabus component Teaching

hours

Options 30
There are four options. Students are required to study any two options.

Option A: Optimizing physiological performance 15

A.1 Training 5
A.2 Environmental factors and physical performance 6
A.3 Non-nutritional ergogenic aids 4

Option B: Psychology of sport 15

B.1 Individual differences 5
B.2 Motivation 3
B.3 Mental preparation for sport 4
B.4 Psychological skills training 3

Option C: Physical activity and health 15

C.1 Hypokinetic disease 1.5
C.2 Cardiovascular disease 3
C.3 Physical activity and obesity 2
C.4 Physical activity and type 2 diabetes 2
C.5 Physical activity and bone health 2.5
C.6 Prescription of exercise for health 1.5
C.7 Exercise and psychological well-being 2.5

Option D: Nutrition for sport, exercise and health 15

D.1 Digestion and absorption 3
D.2 Water and electrolyte balance 4
D.3 Energy balance and body composition 2
D.4 Nutritional strategies 6

Internal assessment 40
Total teaching hours 150

It is essential that teachers are allowed the prescribed minimum number of teaching hours necessary to
meet the requirements of the sports, exercise and health science course. At SL the minimum prescribed
number of hours is 150 hours.

Sports, exercise and health science guide 11

Syllabus

Approaches to the teaching and learning of sports,

exercise and health science

Curriculum model
A common curriculum model applies to all the Diploma Programme group 4 subjects. (There are some
differences in this model for design technology and these arise from the design project, which is a unique
feature of this subject.) Students study a core syllabus, and this is supplemented by the study of options.

Students at SL are required to spend 40 hours on practical/investigative work. This includes 10 hours for the
group 4 project.

SL group 4 curriculum model

SL Total teaching hours 150

Theory 110

Core 80

Options 30

Practical work 40

Investigations 30

Group 4 project 10

Structure of the syllabus

Note: The order in which the syllabus content is presented is not intended to represent the order in
which it should be taught.

The format of the syllabus details section of the group 4 guides is the same for each subject. The structure
is as follows.

Topics or options
Topics are numbered and options are indicated by a letter (for example, “Topic 5: Skill in Sport”, or “Option D:
Nutrition for sport, exercise and health”).

12 Sports, exercise and health science guide

 Approaches to the teaching and learning of sports, exercise and health science

Sub-topics
Sub-topics are numbered and the estimated teaching time required to cover the material is indicated (for
example, “3.1 Nutrition (4 hours)”). These times are for guidance only and do not include time for practical/
investigative work.

Assessment statements (AS)

Assessment statements, which are numbered, are expressed in terms of the outcomes that are expected
of students at the end of the course (for example, “2.1.2 Outline the functions of the conducting airways”).
These are intended to prescribe to examiners what can be assessed by means of the written examinations.
Each one is classified as assessment objective 1, 2 or 3 according to the command terms used (see the
“Glossary of command terms” section). The assessment objective levels are relevant for the examinations
and for balance within the syllabus, while the command terms indicate the depth of treatment required
for a given assessment statement. It is important that students are made aware of the meanings of the
command terms because these will be used in examination questions. (When the command term “define”
is used, the word(s) or phrase to be defined is in italics. When the command term “distinguish” is used, the
terms or concepts to be distinguished are also in italics.)

Teacher’s notes
Teacher’s notes, which are included alongside some assessment statements, provide further guidance to
teachers.

They may also suggest ideas for the promotion of aim 7, aim 8, aim 9, TOK and the international dimension
(Int).

Sports, exercise and health science guide 13

Approaches to the teaching and learning of sports, exercise and health science

Further guidance
Use of information and communication technology
In accordance with aim 7, the use of information and communication technology (ICT) is strongly encouraged
throughout the course in both practical and theory work.

Practical work
An essential aspect of the course is hands‑on work in the laboratory and/or out in the field. The syllabus not
only directly requires the use of field techniques, but many components can only be covered effectively
through this approach. Practical work in this subject is an opportunity to gain and develop skills and
techniques beyond the requirements of the assessment model and should be fully integrated with the
teaching of the course.

Mathematical requirements
All Diploma Programme sports, exercise and health students should be able to:

• perform the basic arithmetic functions: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
• carry out simple calculations involving means, decimals, fractions, percentages, ratios, approximations,
reciprocals and scaling
• use standard notation (for example, 3.6 × 106)
• use direct and inverse proportion
• represent and interpret frequency data in the form of bar charts, column graphs and histograms, and
interpret pie charts
• determine the mode and median of a set of data
• plot and interpret graphs (with suitable scales and axes) involving two variables that show linear or
non-linear relationships
• plot and interpret scattergrams to identify a correlation between two variables, and appreciate that
the existence of a correlation does not establish a causal relationship
• make approximations of numerical expressions
• recognize and use the relationships between length, surface area and volume.

Teacher support materials

A variety of teacher support materials will accompany this guide. These materials will include guidance for
teachers on the introduction, planning and marking of the internal assessment, and specimen examination
papers and markschemes.

The online curriculum centre

All teachers of the sports, exercise and health science course are strongly encouraged to access the online
curriculum centre (OCC) at regular intervals. The OCC is a website on which all teachers can post inquiries,
present examples of good practice, ask for advice and access exemplar materials. The content of the sports,
exercise and health science forum on the OCC is provided by sports, exercise and health science teachers for
sports, exercise and health science teachers.

14 Sports, exercise and health science guide

 Approaches to the teaching and learning of sports, exercise and health science

The IB learner profile

The sports, exercise and health science syllabus is closely linked to the IB learner profile. By following the
syllabus, students will have addressed the attributes of the IB learner profile. For example, the requirements
of the internal assessment provide opportunities for students to develop every aspect of the profile. For
each attribute of the learner profile, a number of examples selected from the sports, exercise and health
science syllabus are given below.

Learner profile attribute Sports, exercise and health science syllabus

Inquirers Content: Core, options

Practical work and internal assessment

Knowledgeable Content: Int links

Practical work and internal assessment: Manipulative skills, group 4 project

Thinkers Content: TOK links

Practical work and internal assessment: Design, Conclusion and evaluation

Communicators Written material: Extended responses and investigations

Practical work and internal assessment: Data collection and processing,
group 4 project (evaluation stage)

Principled Content: Core, options (for example, Option A3, D4), Aim 8
Ethical behaviour/practice (Ethical practice poster, Animal experimentation
policy), consideration of ethical implications, authenticity

Open‑minded Content: Aim 8, Aim 9, Int, TOK links

Practical work and internal assessment: Design, Conclusion and evaluation,
group 4 project
Evaluate sources of scientific information in terms of reliability, bias,
relevance and accuracy

Caring Content: Aim 8

Practical work and internal assessment: Manipulative skills
Ethical behaviour/practice (Ethical practice poster, Animal experimentation
policy), consideration of ethical implications

Risk‑takers Practical work and internal assessment: Design, group 4 project

Balanced This course particularly encourages this attribute of the IB learner profile,
promoting the importance of intellectual and physical balance to achieve
personal well-being.
Content: Core, options
Practical work and internal assessment: Data collection and processing

Reflective Practical work and internal assessment: Conclusion and evaluation, group
4 project (evaluation stage, personal skills)

The practical work, ICT and the learner profile taken together form the basis for pedagogy recommended
for the course. Using technology for practical hands-on activities in the laboratory and the field is the
dominant delivery method and process for teaching and learning.

Sports, exercise and health science guide 15

Syllabus

Syllabus content—Core

Topic 1: Anatomy (7 hours)

1.1 The skeletal system
4 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

1.1.1 Distinguish anatomically 2 Axial skeleton: limit to the skull, ribs, sternum and
between the axial and vertebral column consisting of cervical–7 bones,
appendicular skeleton. thoracic–12 bones, lumbar–5 bones, sacral–5
bones (fused as 1) and coccyx–4 bones (fused as 1).
Appendicular skeleton: limit to the pectoral girdle
(scapulae and clavicles), humerus, radius, ulna,
carpals, metacarpals, phalanges, pelvic girdle
(ilium, ischium and pubis), femur, patella, tibia,
fibula, tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges.

1.1.2 Distinguish between the axial 2 Consider the anatomical functions attachment,
and appendicular skeleton in protection, movement and support.
terms of function.

1.1.3 State the four types of bone. 1 Limit to long, short, flat and irregular.

1.1.4 Draw and annotate the structure 1,2 Limit to epiphysis, spongy bone, articular cartilage,
of a long bone. diaphysis, compact bone, bone marrow, marrow
cavity, blood vessel and periosteum.

1.1.5 Apply anatomical terminology 2 Limit to inferior, superior, proximal, distal, medial,
to the location of bones. lateral, posterior and anterior. Limit to the bones
listed in the axial and appendicular skeleton (see
1.1.1). Assume anatomical position.

1.1.6 Outline the functions of 2 Limit to cartilage, ligament and tendon.

connective tissue.

1.1.7 Define the term joint. 1 A joint occurs where two or more bones articulate.

1.1.8 Distinguish between the different 2 Limit to fibrous, cartilaginous and synovial joints.
types of joint in relation to
movement permitted.

1.1.9 Outline the features of a 2 Limit to articular cartilage, synovial membrane,

synovial joint. synovial fluid, bursae, meniscus, ligaments and
articular capsule.

1.1.10 List the different types of 1 Consider hinge, ball and socket, condyloid, pivot,
synovial joints. gliding and saddle.

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1.2 The muscular system

3 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

1.2.1 Outline the general 2 Limit to contractility, extensibility, elasticity,

characteristics common to atrophy, hypertrophy, controlled by nerve stimuli
muscle tissue. and fed by capillaries.

1.2.2 Distinguish between the 2 Include smooth, cardiac and skeletal.

different types of muscle.

1.2.3 Annotate the structure of 2 Limit to epimysium, perimysium, endomysium,

skeletal muscle. muscle fibre, myofibril, sarcomere, actin and myosin.

1.2.4 Define the terms origin and 1 Origin: the attachment of a muscle tendon to a
insertion of muscles. stationary bone.
Insertion: the attachment of a muscle tendon to a
moveable bone.

1.2.5 Identify the location of skeletal 2 Include the muscles from:

muscles in various regions of the
• the anterior—deltoid, pectoralis, iliopsoas,
body.
sartorius, quadriceps femoris (rectus femoris,
vastus intermedialis, vastus medialis, vastus
lateralis), tibialis anterior, abdominus rectus,
external obliques and biceps brachii
• the posterior—trapezius, triceps brachii,
latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus,
hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus,
semimembranosus), gastrocnemius, soleus,
erector spinae

Topic 2: Exercise physiology (17 hours)

2.1 Structure and function of the ventilatory system
5 hours
Aim 7: There are numerous technologies used to facilitate direct measurement in respiratory research (for
example, spirometer, on-line gas analysis)

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

2.1.1 List the principal structures of 1 Nose, mouth, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi,
the ventilatory system. bronchioles, lungs and alveoli.
Cross reference to 1.2.2.

2.1.2 Outline the functions of the 2 Limit to low resistance pathway for air flow,
conducting airways. defence against chemicals and other harmful
substances that are inhaled, warming and
moistening the air.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

2.1.3 Define the terms pulmonary 1 Pulmonary ventilation: inflow and outflow of
ventilation, total lung capacity air between the atmosphere and the lungs (also
(TLC), vital capacity (VC), tidal called breathing).
volume (TV), expiratory reserve
Total lung capacity: volume of air in the lungs after
volume (ERV), inspiratory reserve
a maximum inhalation.
volume (IRV) and residual volume
(RV). Vital capacity: maximum volume of air that can be
exhaled after a maximum inhalation.
Tidal volume: volume of air breathed in and out in
any one breath.
Expiratory reserve volume: volume of air in excess
of tidal volume that can be exhaled forcibly.
Inspiratory reserve volume: additional inspired air
over and above tidal volume.
Residual volume: volume of air still contained in
the lungs after a maximal exhalation.

2.1.4 Explain the mechanics of 3 Include the actions of the diaphragm and the
ventilation in the human lungs. intercostal muscles, and the relationship between
volume and pressure. Students should be aware
that accessory muscles are also important during
strenuous exercise.

2.1.5 Describe nervous and chemical 2 Limit to ventilation increases as a direct result of
control of ventilation during increases in blood acidity levels (low pH) due to
exercise. increased carbon dioxide content of the blood
detected by the respiratory centre. This results in
an increase in the rate and depth of ventilation.
Neural control of ventilation includes lung
stretch receptors, muscle proprioreceptors and
chemoreceptors.
The role of H+ ions and reference to partial
pressure of oxygen are not required.

2.1.6 Outline the role of hemoglobin 2 Most (98.5%) of oxygen in the blood is transported
in oxygen transportation. by hemoglobin as oxyhemoglobin within red
blood cells.

2.1.7 Explain the process of gaseous 3

exchange at the alveoli.

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2.2 Structure and function of the cardiovascular system

12 hours
Aim 7: There are numerous technologies used to facilitate direct measurement in cardiovascular research,
for example, interfaced heart rate monitors, blood pressure monitors, ECG monitors.

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

2.2.1 State the composition of blood. 1 Blood is composed of cells (erythrocytes,

leucocytes and platelets) and plasma. Blood is also
the transport vehicle for electrolytes, proteins,
gases, nutrients, waste products and hormones.

2.2.2 Distinguish between the 2

functions of erythrocytes,
leucocytes and platelets.

2.2.3 Describe the anatomy of the 2 The names of the four chambers, four valves
heart with reference to the heart (bicuspid, tricuspid, aortic and pulmonary valve)
chambers, valves and major and the four major blood vessels (vena cava,
blood vessels. pulmonary vein, the aorta and pulmonary artery)
of the pulmonary and systemic circulation are
required. The heart has its own blood supply via
the coronary arteries, however the names of the
coronary arteries are not required.

2.2.4 Describe the intrinsic and 2 The heart has its own pacemaker, but heart
extrinsic regulation of heart rate rate is also influenced by the sympathetic and
and the sequence of excitation parasympathetic branches of the autonomic
of the heart muscle. nervous system and by adrenaline. (It should be
recognized that adrenaline has wider metabolic
actions, ie increasing glycogen and lipid
breakdown.) The electrical impulse is generated
at the sinoatrial node (SA node) and travels across
the atria to the atrioventricular node (AV node) to
the ventricles.

2.2.5 Outline the relationship 2

between the pulmonary and
systemic circulation.

2.2.6 Describe the relationship 2 Cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate.
between heart rate, cardiac Stroke volume expands and heart rate increases
output and stroke volume at during exercise.
rest and during exercise.

2.2.7 Analyse cardiac output, stroke 3 Limit to males, females, trained, untrained,
volume and heart rate data for young and old. Recall of quantitative data is not
different populations at rest and expected.
during exercise.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

2.2.8 Explain cardiovascular drift. 3 An increase of body temperature results in a

lower venous return to the heart, a small decrease
in blood volume from sweating. A reduction in
stroke volume causes the heart rate to increase to
maintain cardiac output.
Include reference to blood viscosity.

2.2.9 Define the terms systolic and 1 Systolic: the force exerted by blood on arterial
diastolic blood pressure. walls during ventricular contraction.
Diastolic: the force exerted by blood on arterial
walls during ventricular relaxation.

2.2.10 Analyse systolic and diastolic 3 Recall of quantitative data is not expected.
blood pressure data at rest and
during exercise.

2.2.11 Discuss how systolic and 3

diastolic blood pressure respond
to dynamic and static exercise.

2.2.12 Compare the distribution 3 Movement of blood in favour of muscles.

of blood at rest and the
redistribution of blood during
exercise.

2.2.13 Describe the cardiovascular 2 Limit to increased left ventricular volume resulting
adaptations resulting from in an increased stroke volume and a lower resting
endurance exercise training. and exercising heart rate. Consider also increased
capillarization and increased arterio-venous
oxygen difference.

2.2.14 Explain maximal oxygen 3 Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max)

consumption. represents the functional capacity of the oxygen
transport system and is sometimes referred to as
maximal aerobic power or aerobic capacity.

2.2.15 Discuss the variability of 3 Consider trained versus untrained, males versus
maximal oxygen consumption females, young versus old, athlete versus non-
in selected groups. athlete.

2.2.16 Discuss the variability of 3 Consider cycling versus running versus arm
maximal oxygen consumption ergometry.
with different modes of exercise.

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Topic 3: Energy systems (13 hours)

3.1 Nutrition
4 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

3.1.1 List the macronutrients and 1 Macro–lipid (fat), carbohydrate, water and protein.
micronutrients.
Micro–vitamins, minerals and fibre.

3.1.2 Outline the functions 2 Specific knowledge of individual vitamins and

of macronutrients and minerals is not required.
micronutrients.

3.1.3 State the chemical composition 1 C, H and O (1:2:1 ratio)

of a glucose molecule.

3.1.4 Identify a diagram representing 2

the basic structure of a glucose
molecule.

3.1.5 Explain how glucose 3 Condensation reaction—the linking of a

molecules can combine monosaccharide to another monosaccharide,
to form disaccharides and disaccharide or polysaccharide by the removal of a
polysaccharides. water molecule.

3.1.6 State the composition of a 1 Limit to glycerol and three fatty acids.
molecule of triacylglycerol.

3.1.7 Distinguish between saturated 2 Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds
and unsaturated fatty acids. between the individual carbon atoms of the fatty
acid chain. Saturated fats originate from animal
sources, for example meat, poultry, full-fat dairy
products and tropical oils, such as palm and
coconut oils. Unsaturated fatty acids contain one
or more double bonds between carbon atoms
within the fatty acid chain. Unsaturated fats
originate from plant-based foods for example
olive oil, olives, avocado, peanuts, cashew nuts,
canola oil and seeds, sunflower oil and rapeseed.

3.1.8 State the chemical composition 1 Limit to C, H, O and N.

of a protein molecule.

3.1.9 Distinguish between an essential 2 Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized by

and a non-essential amino acid. the human body and must be obtained from diet.
Non-essential amino acids can be synthesized by
the human body.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

3.1.10 Describe current 2 Consider recommendations for carbohydrates,

recommendations for a healthy proteins, lipids, fibre, water and salt for adults in
balanced diet. the general population. The relative contribution
of carbohydrate, protein and lipid (including
monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and
saturated) should be given.
Aim 9: Recommended intakes of nutrients
have been published in some countries. The
recommendations vary and this raises questions
about how the levels are decided.
Int/Aim 8: Students can be made aware of the
sociocultural influences of food selection and
preparation across populations, for example,
Mediterranean, Japanese, Western (USA, UK) and
Indian.
TOK: Justification of how a balanced diet is
defined.

3.1.11 State the approximate 1 Students should know that the energy content
energy content per 100 g of values per 100 g are: carbohydrate 1760 kJ, lipid
carbohydrate, lipid and protein. 4000 kJ and protein 1720 kJ.

3.1.12 Discuss how the recommended 3 Limit to the important difference in carbohydrate
energy distribution of the intake and how therefore this also affects fat and
dietary macronutrients differs protein intake. For example, carbohydrate intake
between endurance athletes is higher, protein and fats intake is slightly higher
and non-athletes. for a marathon runner than a non-athlete, and vice
versa.
Int: Variation between countries, for example, a
high-carbohydrate diet consumed by athletes in
some countries.
Aim 8: Some sports require smaller stature
therefore diet manipulation may occur prior to
competition.
Aim 9: Recommended intakes vary within
published literature.
TOK: Justification of how diet contributes to
performance.

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3.2 Carbohydrate and fat metabolism

2 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

3.2.1 Outline metabolism, anabolism, 2 Metabolism: All the biochemical reactions that
aerobic catabolism and occur within an organism, including anabolic and
anaerobic catabolism. catabolic reactions.
Anabolism: Energy requiring reactions whereby
small molecules are built up into larger ones.
Catabolism: Chemical reactions that break down
complex organic compounds into simpler ones,
with the net release of energy.

3.2.2 State what glycogen is and its 1

major storage sites.

3.2.3 State the major sites of 1 Adipose tissue and skeletal muscle.
triglyceride storage.

3.2.4 Explain the role of insulin in the 3

formation of glycogen and the
accumulation of body fat.

3.2.5 Outline glycogenolysis and 2

lipolysis.

3.2.6 Outline the functions of 2

glucagon and adrenaline during
fasting and exercise.

3.2.7 Explain the role of insulin and 3 Emphasize that both insulin and muscle
muscle contraction on glucose contraction stimulate glucose uptake from the
uptake during exercise. blood into skeletal muscle.

3.3 Nutrition and energy systems

7 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

3.3.1 Annotate a diagram of the 2 The diagram should show ribosomes, rough
ultrastructure of a generalized endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, Golgi
animal cell. apparatus, mitochondrion and nucleus.

3.3.2 Annotate a diagram of 2 Cristae, inner matrix and outer smooth membrane.
the ultrastructure of a
mitochondrion.

3.3.3 Define the term cell respiration. 1 Cell respiration is the controlled release of energy
in the form of ATP from organic compounds in
cells.

3.3.4 Explain how adenosine can gain 3

and lose a phosphate molecule.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

3.3.5 Explain the role of ATP in muscle 3 Limit to the breakdown of ATP to ADP releasing a
contraction. phosphate molecule, which provides energy for
muscle contraction.
Cross reference with 4.1.3.

3.3.6 Describe the re-synthesis of ATP 2 Creatine phosphate (a high energy molecule) is
by the ATP–CP system. broken down to provide a phosphate molecule
for the re-synthesis of ATP that has been utilized
during the initial stages of exercise.

3.3.7 Describe the production of ATP 2 Also known as anaerobic glycolysis—the

by the lactic acid system. breakdown of glucose to pyruvate without the use
of oxygen. Pyruvate is then converted into lactic
acid, which limits the amount of ATP produced (2
ATP molecules).

3.3.8 Explain the phenomena of 3 Oxygen debt is now known as excess post-
oxygen deficit and oxygen debt. exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).

3.3.9 Describe the production of ATP 2 Limit to: in the presence of oxygen pyruvate is
from glucose and fatty acids by processed by the Krebs cycle which liberates
the aerobic system. electrons that are passed through the electron
transport chain producing energy (ATP).
Fats are also broken down by beta oxidation that
liberates a greater number of electrons thus more
ATP. In the presence of oxygen and in extreme
cases protein is also utilized.

3.3.10 Discuss the characteristics of the 3 Limit to fuel sources, duration, intensity, amount
three energy systems and their of ATP production and by-products.
relative contributions during
exercise.

3.3.11 Evaluate the relative 3 Energy continuum. Different types of exercise

contributions of the three (endurance athlete, games player, sprinter) should
energy systems during different be considered.
types of exercise.

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Topic 4: Movement analysis (15 hours)

4.1 Neuromuscular function
4 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

4.1.1 Label a diagram of a motor unit. 1 Limit to dendrite, cell body, nucleus, axon, motor
end plate, synapse and muscle.

4.1.2 Explain the role of 3 Limit to acetylcholine and cholinesterase.

neurotransmitters in stimulating
skeletal muscle contraction.

4.1.3 Explain how skeletal muscle 3 Include the terms myofibril, myofilament,
contracts by the sliding filament sarcomere, actin and myosin, H zone, A band,
theory. Z line, tropomyosin, troponin, sarcoplasmic
reticulum, calcium ions and ATP.
Aim 7: Various online muscle contraction
simulations are available.

4.1.4 Explain how slow and fast twitch 3 Limit fibre types to slow twitch (type I) and fast
fibre types differ in structure twitch (type IIa and type IIb).
and function.
Type IIa and IIb are high in glycogen content
depending on training status.
Aim 8: Implications of invasive techniques for
taking samples, ie muscle biopsies.
Aim 9: Implications of drawing conclusions from
indirect measurements.

4.2 Joint and movement type

3 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

4.2.1 Outline the types of movement 2 Consider flexion, extension, abduction, adduction,
of synovial joints. pronation, supination, elevation, depression,
rotation, circumduction, dorsi flexion, plantar
flexion, eversion and inversion.

4.2.2 Outline the types of muscle 2 Consider isotonic, isometric, isokinetic, concentric
contraction. and eccentric.

4.2.3 Explain the concept of 3 Consider agonist and antagonist.

reciprocal inhibition.

4.2.4 Analyse movements in relation 3 For example, during the upward motion of a
to joint action and muscle bicep curl the joint action is flexion. The bicep
contraction. contracts concentrically while the tricep relaxes
eccentrically.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

4.2.5 Explain delayed onset muscle 3 DOMS results primarily from eccentric muscle
soreness (DOMS) in relation to action and is associated with structural muscle
eccentric and concentric muscle damage, inflammatory reactions in the muscle,
contractions. overstretching and overtraining.
DOMS is prevented/minimized by reducing the
eccentric component of muscle actions during
early training, starting training at a low intensity
and gradually increasing the intensity, and
warming up before exercise, cooling down after
exercise.

4.3 Fundamentals of biomechanics

8 hours
In this sub-topic, no calculations are required.

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

4.3.1 Define the terms force, 1 Encourage the use of vectors and scalars.
speed, velocity, displacement,
acceleration, momentum and
impulse.

4.3.2 Analyse velocity–time, distance– 3

time and force–time graphs of
sporting actions.

4.3.3 Define the term centre of mass. 1

4.3.4 Explain that a change in body 3 Consider one example of an activity where
position during sporting the centre of mass remains within the body
activities can change the throughout the movement and one activity where
position of the centre of mass. the centre of mass temporarily lies outside the
body. Students should understand the changes in
body position and centre of mass pathway.

4.3.5 Distinguish between first, second 2

and third class levers.

4.3.6 Label anatomical 1 Limit to the triceps–elbow joint, calf–ankle joint

representations of levers. and biceps–elbow joint. Students will be expected
to indicate effort, load, fulcrum and the muscles
and bones involved.

4.3.7 Define Newton’s three laws of 1

motion.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

4.3.8 Explain how Newton’s three 3 For example, consider how Newton’s second and
laws of motion apply to sporting third laws enable an athlete to accelerate out of
activities. starting blocks. Impulse momentum relationship.
The law of conservation of momentum should also
be considered.

4.3.9 State the relationship between 1

angular momentum, moment of
inertia and angular velocity.

4.3.10 Explain the concept of angular 3 Include consideration of moments of inertia, major
momentum in relation to axes of rotation and an appreciation of the law of
sporting activities. conservation of angular momentum.

4.3.11 Explain the factors that affect 1,3 Include speed of release, height of release and
projectile motion at take-off or angle of release.
release.

4.3.12 Outline the Bernoulli principle 2 The relationship between air flow velocity and
with respect to projectile air pressure is an inverse one, and is expressed in
motion in sporting activities. Bernoulli’s principle.
The pressure difference causes the spinning
golf ball to experience a force directed from the
region of high air pressure to the region of low air
pressure. A golf ball with backspin will experience
higher air pressure on the bottom of the ball and
lower air pressure on the top of the ball, causing
a lift force (from high air pressure to low air
pressure).
Consider how airflow affects the golf ball and
one other example. When an object is moving
through the air it is important to consider the
relative air flow on different sides of the object.
The airflow difference between opposite sides
(eg bottom and top of a spinning golf ball) of the
object moving through the air causes a pressure
difference between the two sides. The lift force is
perpendicular to the direction of the air flow.
Aim 7: Still photography and video can be used to
record and analyse movement.
A visit to a university may be possible to see the
use of high-speed photography, photoelectric
cells and motion analysis software.

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Topic 5: Skill in sport (15 hours)

5.1 The characteristics and classification of skill
4 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

5.1.1 Define the term skill. 1 Skill is the consistent production of goal-oriented
movements, which are learned and specific to the
task (McMorris 2004).

5.1.2 Describe the different types of 2 Limit to cognitive, perceptual, motor and
skill. perceptual motor skills.

5.1.3 Outline the different approaches 2 Limit to (i) gross–fine (ii) open–closed (iii)
to classifying motor skills. discrete–serial–continuous (iv) external–internal
paced skills (v) interaction continuum (individual–
coactive–interactive).

5.1.4. Compare skill profiles for 3 Using the continua in 5.1.3, compare contrasting
contrasting sports. sports.

5.1.5 Outline ability. 2 Ability refers to a general trait or capacity of the

individual that is related to the performance and
performance potential of a variety of skills or tasks.
TOK: Abilities have been thought of as stable traits
but a more modern perspective understands that
people have a genetic potential for each ability
and that their level of performance in a particular
ability can be influenced by a number of factors
such as life experience or coaching.
TOK: Current research considers that abilities will
change with time.

5.1.6 Distinguish between 2 Fleishman (1972) distinguishes between physical

Fleishman’s physical proficiency proficiency and perceptual motor ability. Recall of
abilities (physical factors) the individual abilities is not required.
and perceptual motor abilities
(psychomotor factors).

5.1.7 Define the term technique. 1 Technique in general terms is a “way of doing”.
In the performance of a specific sports skill it is
defined as the “way in which that sports skill is
performed”.

5.1.8 State the relationship between 1 Skill = ability + selection of an appropriate

ability, skill, and technique. technique.

5.1.9 Discuss the differences between 3 Limit to consistency, accuracy, control, learned,
a skilled and a novice performer. efficiency, goal-directed and fluency.

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5.2 Information processing

6 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

5.2.1 Describe a simple model of 2 Information processing is the system by which

information processing. we take information from our surrounding
environment, use it to make a decision and then
produce a response: input–decision-making–
output.
All the approaches are only models. Input and
output are assessable/observable, but the
decision-making process can only be speculation.

5.2.2 Describe Welford’s model of 2 Welford’s model (1968) includes: (i) sense organs
information processing. (ii) perception (iii) short-term memory (iv) long-
term memory (v) decision making (vi) effector
control (vii) feedback.

5.2.3 Outline the components 2 Consider exteroceptors, proprioceptors and

associated with sensory input. interoceptors.

5.2.4 Explain the signal-detection 3 Often referred to as the detection–comparison–

process. recognition process (DCR).
Limit to background noise, intensity of the
stimulus, efficiency of the sense organs, early
signal detection and improving signal detection.

5.2.5 Distinguish between the 2 Limit to capacity, duration and retrieval.

characteristics of short-term
sensory store, short-term memory
and long-term memory.

5.2.6 Discuss the relationship 3 Selective attention (SA) operates in the short-
between selective attention and term sensory store (STSS). Only the relevant
memory. information is passed to the short-term memory
(STM) where it is held for several seconds. SA
ensures that information overload does not occur
and prevents confusion as the brain would not
be able to cope with streams of information. A
filtering mechanism operates, which separates the
relevant information from the irrelevant (noise)
information so that athletes concentrate on one
cue or stimulus (for example, the ball, position
of player in a game of tennis) to the exclusion of
others. SA is very important when accuracy or fast
responses are required and can be improved by
learning through past experience and interaction
with long-term memory.

5.2.7 Compare different methods of 3 Limit to rehearsal, coding, brevity, clarity,

memory improvement. chunking, organization, association and practice.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

5.2.8 Define the term response time. 1 Response time = reaction time + movement time.
Aim 7: Use of online methods of measuring
response time.

5.2.9 Outline factors that determine 2 Response time is an ability, having individual and
response time. group variance (for example, gender and age).
Reaction time includes stimulus transmission,
detection, recognition, decision to respond, nerve
transmission time and initiation of action.
Include consideration of Hick’s Law.

5.2.10 Evaluate the concept of the 3 Include the single channel mechanism and how
psychological refractory period PRP helps to explain deception in sport.
(PRP).

5.2.11 Describe a motor programme. 2 Defined as a set of movements stored as a whole

in the memory regardless of whether feedback is
used in their execution.
Limit to: (i) a whole plan (executive programme/
motor programme) and subroutines (ii)
coordination of subroutines (iii) relegating
executive programmes to subroutines.

5.2.12 Compare motor programmes 3 Include Adams’ concepts of memory trace and
from both open and closed loop perceptual trace.
perspectives.

5.2.13 Outline the role of feedback in 2 Limit to: (i) intrinsic, extrinsic (ii) knowledge of
information processing models. results, knowledge of performance (iii) positive,
negative (iv) concurrent, terminal.

5.2.14 Outline the role of feedback 2 Limit to reinforcement of learning, motivation,

with the learning process. adaptation of performance and punishment.

5.3 Principles of skill learning

5 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

5.3.1 Distinguish between learning 2 Learning is a relatively permanent change in

and performance. performance brought about by experience, excluding
changes due to maturation and degeneration.
Performance is a temporary occurrence,
fluctuating over time.
A change in performance over time is often used
to infer learning.

5.3.2 Describe the phases (stages) of 2 Cognitive/verbal (early phase), associative/motor

learning. (intermediate phase), and autonomous (final phase).

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

5.3.3 Outline the different types of 2 Limit to: (i) positive acceleration (ii) negative
learning curves. acceleration (iii) linear (iv) plateau.

5.3.4 Discuss factors that contribute 3 Limit to physical maturation, physical fitness,
to the different rates of learning. individual differences of coaches, age, difficulty of
task, teaching environment and motivation.

5.3.5 Define the concept of transfer. 1

5.3.6 Outline the types of transfer. 2 Limit to positive and negative, as they apply to:
• skill to skill
• practice to performance
• abilities to skills
• bilateral
• stage to stage
• principles to skills.
Refer to an example in each case.

5.3.7 Outline the different types of 2 Limit to distributed, massed, fixed (drill), variable
practice. and mental.

5.3.8 Explain the different types of 3 Limit to whole, whole–part–whole, progressive

presentation. part, part. Refer to an example in each case.

5.3.9 Outline the spectrum of 2 Limit to command, reciprocal and problem

teaching styles. solving.

Topic 6: Measurement and evaluation of human

performance (13 hours)
6.1 Statistical analysis
2 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

6.1.1 Outline that error bars are a 2 Only standard deviation needs to be considered.
graphical representation of the
variability of data.

6.1.2 Calculate the mean and 2 Students should specify the sample standard
standard deviation of a set of deviation, not the population standard deviation.
values.
Students will not be expected to know the
formulas for calculating these statistics. They will
be expected to use the statistics function of a
graphic display or scientific calculator.
Aim 7: Students could also be taught how to
calculate standard deviation using a spreadsheet
computer program.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

6.1.3 State that the statistic standard 1 For normally distributed data, about 68% of all
deviation is used to summarize values lie within ±1 standard deviation of the
the spread of values around the mean. This rises to about 95% for ±2 standard
mean, and that within a normal deviations.
distribution approximately
68% and 95% of the values
fall within plus or minus one
or two standard deviations
respectively.

6.1.4 Explain how the standard 3 A small standard deviation indicates that the
deviation is useful for data is clustered closely around the mean value.
comparing the means and the Conversely, a large standard deviation indicates a
spread of data between two or wider spread around the mean.
more samples.

6.1.5 Outline the meaning of 2 Coefficient of variation is the ratio of the standard
coefficient of variation. deviation to the mean expressed as a percentage.

6.1.6 Deduce the significance of the 3 For the t-test to be applied, ideally the data should
difference between two sets of have a normal distribution and a sample size of at
data using calculated values for least 10. The t-test can be used to compare two
t and the appropriate tables. sets of data and measure the amount of overlap.
Students will not be expected to calculate values
of t. Only two-tailed, paired and unpaired t-tests
are expected.
Aim 7: While students are not expected to
calculate a value for the t-test, students could
be shown how to calculate such values using
a spreadsheet program or the graphic display
calculator.
TOK: The scientific community defines an
objective standard by which claims about data can
be made.

6.1.7 Explain that the existence of a 3 Aim 7: While calculations of such values are not
correlation does not establish expected, students who want to use r and r2
that there is a causal relationship values in their practical work could be shown how
between two variables. to determine such values using a spreadsheet
program.

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6.2 Study design

4 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

6.2.1 Outline the importance of 2

specificity, accuracy, reliability
and validity with regard to
fitness testing.

6.2.2 Discuss the importance of study 3 This should include a demonstration of causality
design in the context of the in experimental results by the inclusion of control
sport and exercise sciences. groups, randomization, placebos, blinding and
double-blinding, statistical analysis.

6.2.3 Outline the importance of the 2

Physical Activity Readiness
Questionnaire (PAR-Q).

6.2.4 Evaluate field, laboratory, sub- 3

maximal and maximal tests of
human performance.

6.3 Components of fitness

4 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

6.3.1 Distinguish between the 2 Health-related fitness includes body composition,

concepts of health-related fitness cardio-respiratory fitness (aerobic capacity),
and performance-related (skill- flexibility, muscular endurance, strength.
related) fitness.
Performance-related (skill-related) fitness includes
agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction
time and speed.
Some components of performance-related fitness
(agility, balance, coordination) could become
health-related for certain groups such as the
elderly and those suffering from hypokinetic
diseases.

6.3.2 Outline the major components 2

of fitness identified in 6.3.1.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

6.3.3 Outline and evaluate a variety of 2,3 Consider validity, reliability and limitations of the
fitness tests. following tests:
• Aerobic capacity—multistage fitness test/
bleep test (Leger Test), Cooper’s 12 Minute
Run, Harvard Step Test
• Flexibility—sit and reach
• Muscle endurance—maximum sit-ups,
maximum push-ups, flexed arm hang
• Agility—Illinois Agility Test
• Strength—hand grip dynamometer
• Speed—40 metre sprint
• Body composition—body mass index,
anthropometry and underwater weighing
• Balance—stork stand
• Coordination—hand ball toss
• Reaction time—drop test, computer
simulation
• Power—vertical jump, standing broad jump
Aim 9: Issues of using direct and indirect
measures of fitness, and the extrapolation of
data and generalizations across populations
could be considered. Cultural variations in the
establishment of standardized norms may also be
explored.
Aim 7: Opportunity to use computer simulation/
modelling and databases.

6.4 Principles of training programme design

3 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

6.4.1 Describe the essential 2 This should include warm-up and stretching
elements of a general training activities, endurance training, cool down and
programme. stretching activities, flexibility training, resistance
training and the incorporation of recreational
activities and sports into the schedule.
TOK: Recent research questions the effectiveness
of static stretching as a necessary component
of the warm-up. The difficulty of conducting
controlled trials without a placebo effect could be
discussed. The willingness of athletes to believe
what they are told, without questioning the
advice, could also be considered.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

6.4.2 Discuss the key principles of 3 Limit to progression, overload (frequency,

training programme design. intensity and duration), specificity, reversibility,
variety and periodization.

6.4.3 Outline ways in which exercise 2 Limit to:

intensity can be monitored.
• use of heart rate based upon its relationship
with oxygen uptake, ie target heart rate
that coincides with a given percentage of
maximal oxygen uptake
• the Karvonen method
• the training heart rate range/zone
• ratings of perceived exertion (Borg/OMNI/
CERT scale ).

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Syllabus

Syllabus content—Options

Option A: Optimizing physiological performance

(15 hours)
A.1 Training
5 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

A.1.1 Distinguish between training, 2 Training is performing exercise in an organized

overtraining and overreaching. manner on a regular basis with a specific goal in
mind (cross reference with 6.2).
Overtraining is when an athlete attempts to do
more training than he or she is able to physically
and/or mentally tolerate. Overtraining results
in a number of symptoms that are highly
individualized.
Overreaching is transient over-training.

A.1.2 Describe various methods of 2 Limit to:

training.
• flexibility training
• strength and resistance training
• circuit training
• interval training
• plyometrics
• continuous training
• fartlek training/speed play
• cross-training.

A.1.3 Discuss possible indicators of 3 Limit to changes to resting heart rate, chronic
overtraining. muscle soreness, reduced immune function
and frequent upper-respiratory tract infections
(coughs and colds), sleep disturbance, fatigue,
decreased appetite, sudden and unexplained
decrease in performance.

A.1.4 Discuss how periodization 3 Periodization—transition (post-season),

should be organized to optimize preparation (pre-season), competition. Knowledge
performance and avoid of macrocycle, mesocycle and microcycle is
overtraining and injury. required.

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A.2 Environmental factors and physical performance

6 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

A.2.1 Explain the relationship 3 Include consideration of the meaning of efficiency

between cellular metabolism with regard to energy liberation, ATP re-synthesis
and the production of heat in and heat production.
the human body.

A.2.2 State the normal physiological 1

range for core body
temperature.

A.2.3 Outline how the body 2 Include the principles of conduction, convection,
thermoregulates in hot and cold radiation and evaporation.
environments.
Int: The ability of people who habitually live in
very cold/hot climates to tolerate these harsh
conditions compared with people who live in
temperate climates could be considered.

A.2.4 Discuss the significance of 3

humidity and wind in relation to
body heat loss.

A.2.5 Describe the formation of sweat 2 Consideration of the role of the sympathetic
and the sweat response. nervous system and the hypothalamus is not
required.

A.2.6 Discuss the physiological 3 Limit this to cardiovascular response (cross

responses that occur during reference with 2.2.8), energy metabolism* and
prolonged exercise in the heat. sweating.
* The reduced muscle blood flow in high
temperatures results in increased glycogen
breakdown in the muscle and higher levels of
muscle and blood lactate in comparison to the
same exercise performed in a cooler environment.

A.2.7 Discuss the health risks 3 Heat-related disorders include heat cramps, heat
associated with exercising in the exhaustion and heat stroke.
heat.
Because of their relatively large body surface area
and immature sweat response, infants, children
and young adolescents are more susceptible to
complications associated with exercise performed
in the heat and the cold.

A.2.8 Outline what steps should 2

be taken to prevent and to
subsequently treat heat-related
disorders.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

A.2.9 Describe how an athlete should 2 Performing training sessions in similar

acclimatize to heat stress. environmental conditions (heat and humidity)
for 5 to 10 days results in almost total heat
acclimatization. Initially, the intensity of training
should be reduced to avoid heat-related problems
in these conditions.
National representative teams/sportspeople
choosing to acclimatize to the conditions of a host
country during a major international sporting
competition could be considered.
Aim 8: The cost associated with the acclimatization
of athletes using environmental chambers and/or
expensive overseas training facilities (science and
technology drives demand) could be explored.
This also raises an ethical implication that poorer
nations will be unable to afford such support
mechanisms and so their athletes are disadvantaged
in comparison to athletes from wealthier nations.

A.2.10 Discuss the physiological and 3 Include increased plasma volume, increased sweat
metabolic adaptations that response and reduced rate of muscle glycogen
occur with heat acclimatization. utilization.

A.2.11 Outline the principal means 2 Consider shivering, non-shivering thermogenesis

by which the body maintains and peripheral vasoconstriction.
core temperature in cold
environments.

A.2.12 Explain why the body surface 3 For example, tall, heavy individuals have a small
area-to-body mass ratio is body surface area-to-body mass ratio which
important for heat preservation. makes them less susceptible to hypothermia.
Small children tend to have a large body surface
area-to-body mass ratio compared to adults.
This makes it more difficult for them to maintain
normal body temperature in the cold.

A.2.13 Outline the importance of wind- 2 A chill factor created by the increase in the rate of
chill in relation to body heat heat loss via convection and conduction caused
loss. by wind.

A.2.14 Explain why swimming in cold 3 Consider the thermal conductivity of water and air.
water represents a particular
During cold-water immersion, humans generally
challenge to the body’s ability
lose body heat and become hypothermic at a
to thermoregulate.
rate proportional to the thermal gradient and
the duration of exposure. During swimming, the
effect of cold water on body heat loss is increased
because of greater convective heat loss. However,
at high swimming speeds, the metabolic rate of
the swimmer may compensate for the increased
heat loss.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

A.2.15 Discuss the physiological 3 Limit this to muscle function and metabolic
responses to exercise in the responses.
cold.

A.2.16 Describe the health risks of 2 Limit to frostbite and hypothermia.

exercising in the cold, including
cold water.

A.2.17 Discuss the precautions 3 The principal barrier is clothing, the amount of
that should be taken when insulation offered by which is measured in a unit
exercising in the cold. called a clo (1 clo = 0.155 m2 K W-1).
Consider the insulating effect of clothing.
Consideration of exercising in water is not
required.

A.3 Non-nutritional ergogenic aids

4 hours
Aim 8: There are clear ethical issues in the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

A.3.1 Define the term ergogenic aid. 1 An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon
that improves an athlete’s performance.

A.3.2 Describe, with reference to 2

an appropriate example, the
placebo effect.

A.3.3 List five classes of non- 1 Specific names of banned substances need not be
nutritional ergogenic aids given. Limit to:
that are currently banned by
• anabolic steroids
the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) and World • hormones and related substances
Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). • diuretics and masking agents
• beta blockers
• stimulants.

A.3.4 Discuss why pharmacological 3 The discussion should focus on the moral
substances appear on the list of obligation of athletes to compete fairly and on the
banned substances. safety issue around the use of these substances.

A.3.5 Discuss the proposed and actual 3 The combined effects of taking two or more of the
benefits that some athletes above need not be considered.
would hope to gain by using
TOK: Decisions about what constitutes an
anabolic steroids, erythropoietin
acceptable level of risk could be discussed,
(EPO), beta blockers, caffeine
together with differences between different
and diuretics.
groups and their views—scientists, sportsmen,
doctors and spectators.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

A.3.6 Outline the possible harmful 2 Aim 8: Our understanding of the effects,
effects of long-term use of both ergogenic and harmful, of many banned
anabolic steroids, EPO, beta substances, for example, anabolic steroids, has
blockers, caffeine and diuretics. been hindered by the ethical concerns/problems
about studying these agents in otherwise healthy
individuals in randomized controlled trials.

Option B: Psychology of sport (15 hours)

B.1 Individual differences
5 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

B.1.1 Define the term personality. 1 There are many definitions of personality; for the
purpose of this course the following definition will
be used.
“Those relatively stable and enduring aspects of
individuals which distinguish them from other
people, making them unique but at the same time
permit a comparison between individuals”. (Gross,
1992)
TOK: There is significant disagreement in
personality research regarding issues of validity,
reliability and sophistication of theoretical models.

B.1.2 Discuss social learning theory 3 Limit to Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory.
and personality.

B.1.3 Discuss the interactionist 3

approach to personality.

B.1.4 Outline issues associated with 2 Limit to:

the measurement of personality.
• data collection (interviews, questionnaires,
observing behaviour)
• validity and reliability issues
• ethical issues: confidentiality, use of results,
predicting performance.
TOK: Issues relating to measurement.

B.1.5 Evaluate the issues in 3 Consider athletes versus non-athletes, personality

personality research and sports and sport type, predicting performance. Refer
performance. to the positions adopted by the sceptical and
credulous groups of psychologists.

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B.2 Motivation
3 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

B.2.1 Define the term motivation. 1 Motivation is “the internal mechanisms and
external stimuli which arouse and direct our
behaviour” (Sage, 1974).

B.2.2 Outline the types of motivation. 2 Limit to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation theory.

B.2.3 Discuss the issues associated 3 Limit to how extrinsic rewards influence intrinsic
with the use of intrinsic and motivation.
extrinsic motivators in sports
Extrinsic rewards seen as controlling of behaviour.
and exercise.
Extrinsic rewards providing information about
their level of performance.
Extrinsic rewards will enhance intrinsic motivation
when the reward provides positive information with
regard to the performer’s level of competence.

B.2.4 Describe Atkinson’s model of 2

Achievement Motivation.

B.2.5 Outline Goal Orientation theory. 2 Limit to:

• reasons for participation (achievement goals)
• differing meanings that success or failure
has for the performer (task versus outcome
orientation).

B.2.6 Describe Attribution Theory 2 Limit to Weiner’s classification for causal attributions.
and its application to sport and
• Locus of stability
exercise.
• Locus of causality
• Locus of control
• Self-serving bias
• Learned helplessness

B.3 Mental preparation for sport

4 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

B.3.1 Define the term arousal. 1

B.3.2 Describe the theoretical 2 Limit to:

approaches to arousal.
• drive reduction theory
• inverted-U hypothesis
• catastrophe theory.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

B.3.3 Draw and label a graphical 1 Refer to the theories of arousal in B.3.2.
representation of the arousal
performance relationship.

B.3.4 Discuss the emotions that 3 Participation in sport and exercise influences a
may influence an athlete’s range of participant emotions such as depression,
performance or experience in a anxiety, and pleasure. Limit to a discussion of
physical activity. the emotions that may be prevalent in physical
activity. This may include:
• positive emotions such as excitement, relief,
pride
• negative emotions such as anger, guilt,
shame, anxiety, boredom
• specific emotions that have a discrete
effect on performance (eg a negative mood
is more likely to prime us to remember
negative memories of past failures, and
thus reduce our feelings of confidence to
perform; eg a positive mood is more likely
to prime us to remember positive previous
outcomes, and increase our confidence to
perform).

B.3.5 Define the term anxiety. 1

B.3.6 Distinguish between cognitive 2

and somatic anxiety.

B.3.7 Distinguish between trait and 2

state anxiety.

B.3.8 Evaluate how anxiety is 3 Limit to:

measured.
• trait anxiety: Sport Competition Anxiety Test
(SCAT)
• state anxiety: Competitive State Anxiety
Inventory-2 (CSAI-2R).
TOK: Issues relating to measurement.

B.3.9 Describe the stress process in 2 Defined as a substantial imbalance between the
sport. demand (physical and/or psychological) and
response capability, under conditions where
failure to meet that demand has important
consequences.
Include: (i) causes of stress (environmental
demand), (ii) stress response (person’s
reactions), (iii) stress experience (psychological
interpretation), (iv) actual behaviour (outcome).

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B.4 Psychological skills training

3 hours
The competitive process is complex and multifaceted. A performer is affected by a range of factors
(personality, motivation, arousal, emotional effect). One aim of a sports psychologist is to manipulate these
factors to enhance optimal performance. This section examines several fundamental interventions and
evaluates their benefits and limitations.

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

B.4.1 Discuss psychological skills 3 Refers to the systematic and consistent practice of
training (PST). mental or psychological skills.
Include the following issues. PST: (i) is not just for
elite athletes (ii) is not just for problem athletes (iii)
does not provide quick fix solutions.
Consider the three phases of a PST programme: (i)
education (ii) acquisition (iii) practice.

B.4.2 Outline goal setting. 2 Include:

• associated with enhancing self-confidence
and motivation
• SMARTER (specific, measurable, achievable,
realistic, time, evaluate, review) goals
• types of goals (outcome, performance,
process).

B.4.3 Evaluate mental imagery. 3 Associated with concentration enhancement, self-

confidence, skill acquisition, emotional control,
practice strategy and coping with pain and injury.
Include:
• external and internal imagery
• protocol for imagery interventions.

B.4.4 Outline relaxation techniques. 2 Associated with arousal regulation, reducing

somatic and cognitive anxiety.
Include: (i) progressive muscular relaxation (PMR)
(ii) breathing techniques (iii) biofeedback.

B.4.5 Outline self-talk techniques. 2 Associated with concentration, attention,

cognitive regulation and motivation
enhancement.
Include:
• positive and negative self-talk
• thought stopping.

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Option C: Physical activity and health (15 hours)

C.1 Hypokinetic disease
1.5 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.1.1 Distinguish between the terms 2

habitual physical activity, exercise,
sport and physical fitness.

C.1.2 Define the term hypokinetic 1 Hypokinetic disease: disease associated with
disease. physical inactivity.

C.1.3 Outline the following 2

hypokinetic diseases:
coronary heart disease, stroke,
hypertension, obesity, type 2
diabetes and osteoporosis.

C.1.4 Discuss how studies of different 3 Int: Consider how various populations have
populations provide evidence changed their lifestyles from one of high physical
of the link between physical activity (traditional, agricultural-based living) to
activity and hypokinetic disease. one of low physical activity (“westernized” living).

C.1.5 Discuss the relationship 3 Examples of changes include the proliferation of

between major societal changes the motor vehicle, changes in employment and
and hypokinetic disease. working patterns, and changes in diet such as the
rise of fast food.

C.2 Cardiovascular disease

3 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.2.1 Outline the coronary circulation. 2 Left and right coronary arteries, circumflex artery
and left anterior descending artery should be
identified.

C.2.2 Outline what is meant by the 2 A detailed explanation of the processes leading to
term atherosclerosis. atherosclerosis is not required. The general idea
that an artery becomes damaged and blocked
with cholesterol and other material (the formation
of atherosclerotic plaque) is sufficient.

C.2.3 List the major risk factors for 1 Limit to cigarette smoking, high blood pressure
cardiovascular disease. (hypertension), high cholesterol and LDL-
cholesterol, low HDL-cholesterol, diabetes,
obesity, physical inactivity, age, gender, ethnicity
and family history.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.2.4 Explain the concept of risk 3 Consider the individual and accumulative effects
factors in cardiovascular disease. (ie the effects of having one risk factor versus a
cluster) of the major risk factors for cardiovascular
disease.
TOK: The distinction between correlation and
cause could be made here and the need for
carefully controlled experiments to test whether
a correlation is due to a causal link. An interesting
discussion is whether physical inactivity is causal
or correlative.
Aim 8: An interesting topic for consideration
is the validity of animal experimentation as a
part of the process of uncovering the causes of
disease in humans and in the development of new
pharmacological treatments.
Int: This is clearly a good place to consider
differences in cardiovascular disease risk in
different populations. There are many examples
of where different ethnic groups appear to vary in
their susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and
this could be considered from the perspective of
genes (nature) versus lifestyle (nurture).
Aim 7: Use of sophisticated imaging techniques
and technologies could be mentioned here. For
example, use of magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) and gamma cameras for capturing
information about the extent and anatomical
positioning of atherosclerotic plaque.

C.2.5 Discuss how a lifestyle of 3 Discussion of the physiological mechanisms is

physical inactivity increases the not required (for example, why inactivity “causes”
risk of cardiovascular disease. high blood pressure). Emphasis should be on
the concept that people who are physically
inactive are more likely to have risk factors for
cardiovascular disease. High blood pressure,
obesity, type 2 diabetes and low HDL-cholesterol
should be considered.

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C.3 Physical activity and obesity

2 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.3.1 Describe how obesity is 2 Obesity is by definition an excess of body fat, but
determined. in reality obesity is determined using indirect
measurements of body fat, for example, body
mass index (BMI) and waist girth. The description
should be restricted to these two techniques. The
BMI values that define normal weight, overweight
and obesity are widely accepted. Waist girth
values that define abdominal obesity are gender
and ethnicity specific and reflect different levels of
disease risk in obesity.
Int: BMI is the most widely used method of
measuring obesity, yet its limitations as a measure
of “fatness” are well known.
The World Health Organization cut-off points
for underweight, overweight, obesity and fat
distribution may need revision because the
relationship between body mass index and
body composition, and between indices of fat
distribution and the actual amount of visceral fat,
differ across ethnic groups.
Aim 8: Obesity, particularly childhood obesity, is
associated with social stigmatization and bullying.
This raises an ethical issue around the routine,
large-scale screening for obesity.
Aim 7/Aim 8: Sophisticated imaging techniques
such as computed tomography (CT), MRI, and
dual energy x-ray (DXA) provide state-of-the-art
methods for measuring body fat. However, they
are costly, not widely available, and, in the case of
CT and DXA, expose the individual to radiation.

C.3.2 Outline the major health 2 Limit to: cardiovascular disease and hypertension,
consequences of obesity. type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, respiratory
problems, some cancers such as bowel cancer.
Consideration of the effects of age, gender and
ethnicity is not required.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.3.3 Discuss the concept of energy 3 Energy balance is affected mainly by food intake,
balance. resting metabolic rate and physical activity.
Consider the effects of positive and negative
energy balance on body weight and composition.

C.3.4 Outline how chemical signals 2 Only a simple account is expected.

arising from the gut and from
Hormones are produced by the stomach and
the adipose tissue affect
small intestine after eating and by adipose tissue
appetite regulation.
(leptin). These pass to an appetite control centre
in the brain that regulates feelings of hunger and
satiety.
TOK: Leptin was first discovered in mice and led
to the expectation that obesity could be “cured”.
Later discoveries in humans have shown that
this initial expectation was misplaced. This is a
good example of where scientific discoveries can
sometimes be taken out of context by the media
and lead to false hope by individuals affected by
certain conditions.

C.4 Physical activity and type 2 diabetes

2 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.4.1 Compare type 1 and type 2 3 Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder

diabetes. resulting in the destruction of the insulin-
producing cells of the pancreas. It usually
manifests in young people. Type 2 diabetes is a
disease of insulin resistance, particularly in skeletal
muscle and is highly related to obesity and older
age. Past terms for these disorders include insulin-
dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes
(IDDM and NIDDM), which are no longer used.
Consider also the way in which diabetes is treated:
type 1 with insulin; type 2 with diet and exercise,
oral medication and/or insulin. Other less common
forms of diabetes do not need to be discussed.
Cross reference 3.2.4.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.4.2 Discuss the major risk factors for 3 Limit to obesity, physical inactivity, a diet high in
type 2 diabetes. saturated fat and family history.
TOK: The nature of risk factors and the difficulties
of making decisions about the relative influence of
nature and nurture could be discussed.
Int: There are clear differences in susceptibility
to type 2 diabetes, with some populations
having higher rates of incidence. For example,
the experience of the Pima Indians is well-
documented. This could lead to a wider
consideration of the diversity in human societies
combined with the need for parity of esteem.
Aim 8: Ethical and economic decisions as to who
should be treated, ie the blood glucose level at
which diabetes is diagnosed could be considered.

C.4.3 Outline the health risks of 2 Limit to blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage
diabetes. and cardiovascular disease.

C.5 Physical activity and bone health

2.5 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.5.1 Outline how bone density 2 Bone density increases from birth through to
changes from birth to old age. around 35–45 years of age. Typically females
achieve a lower peak bone density than males.
From this age onwards bone density decreases.

C.5.2 Describe the risk of osteoporosis 2

in males and females.

C.5.3 Outline the longer-term 2 Limit to loss of independence, development of

consequences of osteoporotic secondary complications as a result of long-term
fractures. hospitalization and pneumonia.

C.5.4 Discuss the major risk factors for 3 Limit to lack of dietary calcium, cigarette smoking,
osteoporosis. slim build (ectomorphy), lack of estrogen
associated with early menopause and female triad
(athletic amenorrhea) and physical inactivity.

C.5.5 Discuss the relationship 3 Weight-bearing physical activity is essential for

between physical activity and bone health, but in some cases, intense training in
bone health. weight-conscious athletes gives rise to low body
weight/body fat and eating disorders, leading to
menstrual dysfunction and bone demineralization
(osteoporosis). Changes in bone density are site-
specific and resistance training results in greater
changes than endurance training. Consideration
of the importance of weight-bearing exercise in
children should be given.

48 Sports, exercise and health science guide

 Syllabus content—Options

C.6 Prescription of exercise for health

1.5 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.6.1 Outline physical activity 2 Int: Consider current World Health Organization
guidelines for the promotion of (WHO) recommendations for minimal levels of
good health physical activity in the promotion of good health.

C.6.2 Describe the aims of exercise in 2 Limit to:

individuals with a hypokinetic
• to make the most of limited functional
disease.
capacities
• to alleviate or provide relief from symptoms
• to reduce the need for medication
• to reduce the risk of disease reoccurrence
(secondary prevention)
• to help overcome social problems and
psychological distress.

C.6.3 Discuss the potential barriers to 3 Limit to:

physical activity.
• uncontrolled disease state (unstable angina,
poorly controlled diabetes, uncontrolled
hypertension)
• hazards of exercise (for example, cycle and
swimming accidents)
• musculoskeletal injuries
• triggering of other health issues (for
example, heart attack, respiratory tract
infections).

C.7 Exercise and psychological well-being

2.5 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.7.1 Define the term mood. 1 A state of emotional or affective arousal of

varying, and not permanent, duration. Feelings of
elation or happiness lasting several hours or even
a few days are examples of mood.

C.7.2 Outline the effects of exercise 2 Aim 8: Limit to:

on changing mood states.
• research suggests exercise is one of the most
effective methods of alleviating a bad mood
• research supports the use of exercise
in modifying fatigue, anger, anxiety,
depression, and enhancing the positive
moods of vigour, clear thinking, energy,
alertness, increased sense of well-being.

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Syllabus content—Options

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.7.3 Outline how exercise enhances 2 No single theory explains the process fully.
psychological well-being. It is likely that an interaction between both
physiological and psychological factors underpin
the process.
Limit to:
• physiological—increases in cerebral blood
flow, changes in brain neurotransmitters
(norepinephrine, endorphins, serotonin),
increase in maximal oxygen consumption
and delivery of oxygen to cerebral tissues,
reductions in muscular tension, structural
changes in the brain
• psychological—distraction from daily
hassles and routine, enhanced feeling of
control, feeling of competency, positive
social interactions, improved self-concept
and self-esteem.

C.7.4 Explain the role of exercise in 3 Limit to:

reducing the effects of anxiety
• anxiety reduction—acute effects of exercise
and depression.
on state anxiety, compounding effect of
intensity and duration of exercise, chronic
effects of exercise on trait anxiety
• depression reduction—note this is a clinical
condition treated by medication. Exercise
has been seen to play a significant role
in alleviating depression although it is a
correlational relationship; no causal link has
been established. Include the nature of the
exercise programme (enjoyable, aerobic
or rhythmic, absence of interpersonal
competition, closed and predictable
environment, moderate intensity, 20–30
minutes, several times a week).

C.7.5 Discuss potential personal 3 Discussion should be based on exercise

and environmental barriers to adherence, limited to:
physical activity.
• personal factors—(i) demographic variables
(ii) cognitive variables (iii) past behaviours
• environmental factors—(i) social
environment (ii) physical environment (iii)
time (iv) characteristics of physical activity
offered (v) leader qualities (vi) social and
cultural norms within various ethnic groups.

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 Syllabus content—Options

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

C.7.6 Describe strategies for 2 Aim 8: Limit to:

enhancing adherence to
• environmental approaches—prompts,
exercise.
contracting, perceived choice
• reinforcement approaches—rewards for
attendance and participation, external
feedback, self-monitoring
• goal setting and cognitive approaches—
associative versus dissociative focus during
exercise
• social support approaches—role of significant
others (spouse, family members, friends).
Include joining in, adjusting routines,
transportation, providing equipment.

C.7.7 Outline the possible negative 2 Aim 8: Limit to:

aspects of exercise adherence.
• negative addiction to exercise—life choices
and relationship issues
• symptoms of negative exercise—stereotyped
pattern with a regular schedule of once or
more daily, increased priority of exercise,
negative mood affect with withdrawal,
increased tolerance to exercise, subjective
awareness of compulsion to exercise.

Option D: Nutrition for sport, exercise and health

(15 hours)
D.1 Digestion and absorption
3 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

D.1.1 Outline the features of the 2 Limit to:

principal components of the
• mouth—mechanical digestion and chemical
digestive system.
digestion
• esophagus—peristalsis action
• stomach—rugae, lumen, mucous coating
• small intestine—villi and microvilli increase
area for absorption
• large intestine—water balance, vitamin
absorption
• pancreas—production of enzymes
• liver—production of bile
• gall bladder—storage of bile.

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Syllabus content—Options

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

D.1.2 State the typical pH values 1 Mouth: 5.5 to 7.5

found throughout the digestive
Stomach: 1.0 to less than 4.0
system.
Small intestine: 6.0 to 8.0

D.1.3 Describe the function of 2 Limit to their role as a catalyst, that they are
enzymes in the context of proteins themselves (thus activity is highest under
macronutrient digestion. optimum conditions of temperature and pH), and
that each reaction requires a specific enzyme.

D.1.4 Explain the need for enzymes in 3 Refer to the need for increasing the rate of
digestion. digestion at body temperature.

D.1.5 List the enzymes that are 2 Carbohydrates: salivary amylase, pancreatic
responsible for the digestion of amylase
carbohydrates, fats and proteins
Fats: pancreatic lipase,
from the mouth to the small
intestine. Bile is produced by the liver and is involved in the
digestion of fats.
Proteins: pepsin, trypsin

D.1.6 Describe the absorption of 2 Glucose, fatty acids and amino acids cross the
glucose, amino acids and fatty brush-border membrane, pass through the cytosol
acids from the intestinal lumen of the absorptive cell and cross the basolateral
to the capillary network. membrane before entering the capillary network
(glucose and amino acids) or the lymphatic system
(fats).
Consideration of more complex processes such as
the re-esterification of fatty acids, consideration
of fatty acid binding proteins, apolipoproteins
and chylomicrons is not required. Consideration
of specific amino acid transporters, glucose
transporters and the sodium–glucose co-
transporter are also not required at this level.

D.2 Water and electrolyte balance

4 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

D.2.1 State the reasons why humans 1 Water:

cannot live without water for a
• is the basic substance for all metabolic
prolonged period of time.
processes in the body
• regulates body temperature
• enables transport of substances essential for
growth
• allows for the exchange of nutrients and
metabolic end products.

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Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

D.2.2 State where extracellular fluid 1 Extracellular fluid includes the blood plasma and
can be located throughout the lymph, saliva, fluid in the eyes, fluid secreted by
body. glands and the digestive tract, fluid surrounding
the nerves and spinal cord and fluid secreted from
the skin and kidneys.

D.2.3 Compare water distribution 3

in trained and untrained
individuals.

D.2.4 Explain that homeostasis 3

involves monitoring levels
of variables and correcting
changes in levels by negative
feedback mechanisms.

D.2.5 Explain the roles of the loop of 3 When body fluid levels are low receptors in the
Henlé, medulla, collecting duct hypothalamus are stimulated. The hypothalamus
and ADH in maintaining the stimulates the pituitary gland to release ADH. ADH
water balance of the blood. acts on kidneys, increasing water permeability of
the renal tubules and collecting ducts, leading to
increased re-absorption of water.

D.2.6 Describe how the hydration 2 Consider how athletes monitor urine colour, urine
status of athletes can be osmolarity and variation in body mass loss.
monitored.

D.2.7 Explain why endurance athletes 3 Aim 8/TOK: While increased water intake is a
require a greater water intake. widely recognized and accepted method of
minimizing dehydration during endurance events,
recent reports in the literature of hyponatremia
have alerted people to the harmful, life-
threatening consequences of consuming too
much low osmolality fluid. Some scientists have
questioned the scientific process behind current
recommendations for fluid replacement, by
suggesting that much of the research has been
funded by the sports drink industry, which has a
vested interest.

D.2.8 Discuss the regulation of 3

electrolyte balance during acute
and chronic exercise.

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Syllabus content—Options

D.3 Energy balance and body composition

2 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

D.3.1 Define the term basal metabolic 1

rate (BMR).

D.3.2 State the components of daily 1 Limit to:

energy expenditure.
• basal metabolic rate
• thermic effect of physical activity
• thermic effect of feeding.

D.3.3 Explain the relationship 3

between energy expenditure
and intake.

D.3.4 Discuss the association between 3 Consider body composition from two
body composition and athletic components, fat and fat-free mass. A distinction
performance. between fat-free mass and lean body mass should
be made. The discussion should include reference
to typical levels of body fat and consider the
accuracy of body fat measurements (see 6.1.7).

D.3.5 Discuss dietary practices 3 Aim 8: Include dietary practices used to decrease
employed by athletes to body fat, for example, a recommended dietary
manipulate body composition. approach and more controversial methods such
as diet pills, fad diets and crash diets. Also include
the significance of a high-protein diet for athletes
aiming to increase muscle mass.

D.4 Nutritional strategies

6 hours

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

D.4.1 State the approximate glycogen 2 Limit fibre types to:

content of specific skeletal
• slow twitch (type I)—low-glycogen content
muscle fibre types.
• fast twitch (type IIa)—medium-glycogen
content
• fast twitch (type IIb)—high-glycogen
content.
Note: type IIa and type IIb are high in glycogen
content depending on training status.

D.4.2 Describe, with reference to 2 Cross reference 3.3.11.

exercise intensity, typical
athletic activities requiring
high rates of muscle glycogen
utilization.

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 Syllabus content—Options

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

D.4.3 Discuss the pattern of muscle 3 Cross reference 4.1.4.

glycogen use in skeletal muscle
fibre types during exercise of
various intensities.

D.4.4 Define the term glycemic index 1 Glycemic index is the ranking system for
(GI). carbohydrates based on the immediate effect of
the food on blood glucose concentrations, when
compared with a reference food such as pure
glucose.

D.4.5 List food with low and high 1 High eg glucose =100.
glycemic indexes.
Medium eg brown rice = 50.
Low eg green vegetables less than 15.

D.4.6 Explain the relevance of GI 3 The use of high GI foods post-exercise may assist
with regard to carbohydrate the body in restoring its glycogen stores more
consumption by athletes pre- rapidly, aiding re-fuelling prior to future training/
and post-competition. competition bouts. There is some evidence that
lower GI foods may be beneficial prior to exercise
and that our general diet, in terms of good health,
should be based on carbohydrate foods with a low
to medium GI.

D.4.7 Discuss the interaction of 3 Include nutritional strategies as well as training

carbohydrate loading and strategies, such as tapering prior to an event.
training programme modification
prior to competition.

D.4.8 State the reasons for adding 1

sodium and carbohydrate to
water for the endurance athlete.

D.4.9 Discuss the use of nutritional 3 Limit to:

ergogenic aids in sport.
• sports drinks, bars and gels
• caffeine
• creatine
• bicarbonate.
Aim 8: Include ethical, health and performance
enhancement considerations.

D.4.10 State the daily recommended 1 Int: The WHO recommends a minimum of 0.8 g
intake of protein for adult male kg-1 body weight.
and female non-athletes.

D.4.11 List sources of protein for 1

vegetarian and non-vegetarian
athletes.

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Syllabus content—Options

Assessment statement Obj Teacher’s notes

D.4.12 Discuss the significance of 3

strength and endurance training
on the recommended protein
intake for male and female
athletes.

D.4.13 Outline the possible harmful 2

effects of excessive protein
intake.

56 Sports, exercise and health science guide

Assessment

Assessment in the Diploma Programme

General
Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. The most important aims of assessment in the
Diploma Programme are that it should support curricular goals and encourage appropriate student
learning. Both external and internal assessment are used in the Diploma Programme. IB examiners mark
work produced for external assessment, while work produced for internal assessment is marked by teachers
and externally moderated by the IB.

There are two types of assessment identified by the IB.

• Formative assessment informs both teaching and learning. It is concerned with providing accurate
and helpful feedback to students and teachers on the kind of learning taking place and the nature of
students’ strengths and weaknesses in order to help develop students’ understanding and capabilities.
Formative assessment can also help to improve teaching quality, as it can provide information to
monitor progress towards meeting the course aims and objectives.
• Summative assessment gives an overview of previous learning and is concerned with measuring
student achievement.
The Diploma Programme primarily focuses on summative assessment designed to record student
achievement at, or towards the end of, the course of study. However, many of the assessment instruments
can also be used formatively during the course of teaching and learning, and teachers are encouraged to
do this. A comprehensive assessment plan is viewed as being integral with teaching, learning and course
organization. For further information, see the IB Programme standards and practices document.

The approach to assessment used by the IB is criterion-related, not norm-referenced. This approach to
assessment judges students’ work by their performance in relation to identified levels of attainment, and
not in relation to the work of other students. For further information on assessment within the Diploma
Programme please refer to the publication Diploma Programme assessment: Principles and practice.

To support teachers in the planning, delivery and assessment of the Diploma Programme courses, a variety
of resources can be found on the OCC or purchased from the IB store (http://store.ibo.org). Teacher support
materials, subject reports, internal assessment guidance, grade descriptors, as well as resources from other
teachers, can be found on the OCC. Specimen and past examination papers, as well as markschemes, can be
purchased from the IB store.

Methods of assessment
The IB uses several methods to assess work produced by students.

Assessment criteria
Assessment criteria are used when the assessment task is open-ended. Each criterion concentrates on
a particular skill that students are expected to demonstrate. An assessment objective describes what
students should be able to do, and assessment criteria describe how well they should be able to do it. Using
assessment criteria allows discrimination between different answers and encourages a variety of responses.

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Assessment in the Diploma Programme

Each criterion comprises a set of hierarchically ordered level descriptors. Each level descriptor is worth one
or more marks. Each criterion is applied independently using a best-fit model. The maximum marks for each
criterion may differ according to the criterion’s importance. The marks awarded for each criterion are added
together to give the total mark for the piece of work.

Markbands
Markbands are a comprehensive statement of expected performance against which responses are judged.
They represent a single holistic criterion divided into level descriptors. Each level descriptor corresponds
to a range of marks to differentiate student performance. A best-fit approach is used to ascertain which
particular mark to use from the possible range for each level descriptor.

Markschemes
This generic term is used to describe analytic markschemes that are prepared for specific examination
papers. Analytic markschemes are prepared for those examination questions that expect a particular kind
of response and/or a given final answer from the students. They give detailed instructions to examiners
on how to break down the total mark for each question for different parts of the response. A markscheme
may include the content expected in the responses to questions or may be a series of marking notes giving
guidance on how to apply criteria.

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Assessment

Assessment outline

First examinations 2014

Assessment component Weighting

External assessment (3 hours) 76%

Paper 1 (45 minutes) 20%
Syllabus content: Core
Assessment objectives 1 and 2
30 multiple-choice questions on the core syllabus.
(30 marks)

Paper 2 (1 hour 15 minutes) 32%

Syllabus content: Core
Assessment objectives 1–3
Section A: Students answer one data-based question and several short-answer questions
on the core (all compulsory). (30 marks)
Section B: Students answer one extended-response question on the core (from a choice
of three). (20 marks)
(50 marks)

Paper 3 (1 hour) 24%

Syllabus content: Options
Assessment objectives 1–3
Several short-answer questions (all compulsory) in each of the two options studied.
(40 marks)

Internal assessment/Practical work (40 hours) 24%

(48 marks)
This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB
at the end of the course.
Investigations (30 hours)
A mixture of short- and long-term investigations
(42 marks)
Group 4 project (10 hours)
Interdisciplinary project. Assessed for personal skills (PS) only.
(6 marks)

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Assessment

External assessment

For papers 1, 2 and 3 there are markschemes. The markschemes are specific to each examination.

External assessment details

The external assessment consists of three written papers and is worth 76% of the final assessment.

Paper 1
Duration: 45 minutes
Weighting: 20%
Paper 1 is made up of multiple-choice questions that test knowledge of the core only. The questions are
designed to be short, one- or two-stage problems that address objectives 1 and 2 (see the “Assessment
objectives in practice” section). No marks are deducted for incorrect responses. Calculators are not
permitted, but students are expected to carry out simple calculations.

Paper 2
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Weighting: 32%
Paper 2 tests knowledge of the core only. The questions address objectives 1, 2 and 3 and the paper is
divided into two sections.

In section A, there is a data-based question that requires students to analyse a given set of data. The
remainder of section A is made up of short-answer questions.

In section B, students are required to answer one question from a choice of three. These extended-response
questions may involve writing a number of paragraphs, solving a substantial problem, or carrying out a
substantial piece of analysis or evaluation.

A calculator is required for this paper. Further information on recommended, approved and prohibited
calculators may be found in the Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme, and the calculator
forum and the sports, exercise and health science home page of the OCC.

Paper 3
Duration: 1 hour
Weighting: 24%
Paper 3 tests knowledge of the options and addresses objectives 1, 2 and 3. Students are required to answer
several short-answer questions in each of the two options studied.

A calculator is required for this paper. Further information on recommended, approved and prohibited
calculators may be found in the Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme, the calculator forum
and the sports, exercise and health science home page of the OCC.

Note: Wherever possible, teachers should use, and encourage students to use, the Système
International d’Unités (International System of Units—SI units).

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Assessment

Internal assessment

Purpose of internal assessment

Internal assessment is an integral part of the course and is compulsory. It enables students to demonstrate
the application of their skills and knowledge, and to pursue their personal interests, without the time
limitations and other constraints that are associated with written examinations. The internal assessment
should, as far as possible, be woven into normal classroom teaching and not be a separate activity conducted
after a course has been taught.

Guidance and authenticity

The practical work submitted for internal assessment must be the student’s own work. However, it is not the
intention that students should decide upon a title or topic and be left to work on the internal assessment
component without any further support from the teacher. The teacher should play an important role during
both the planning stage and the period when the student is working on the internally assessed work. It is
the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that students are familiar with:

• the requirements of the type of work to be internally assessed

• the ethical practice poster and animal experimentation policy
• the assessment criteria; students must understand that the work submitted for assessment must
address these criteria effectively.
Teachers and students must discuss the internally assessed work. Students should be encouraged to initiate
discussions with the teacher to obtain advice and information, and students must not be penalized for
seeking guidance. However, if a student could not have completed the work without substantial support
from the teacher, this should be recorded on the appropriate form from the Handbook of procedures for the
Diploma Programme.

It is the responsibility of teachers to ensure that all students understand the basic meaning and significance
of concepts that relate to academic honesty, especially authenticity and intellectual property. Teachers
must ensure that all student work for assessment is prepared according to the requirements and must
explain clearly to students that the internally assessed work must be entirely their own.

As part of the learning process, teachers can give advice to students on a first draft of the internally assessed
work. This advice should be in terms of the way the work could be improved, but this first draft must not
be heavily annotated or edited by the teacher. The next version handed to the teacher after the first draft
must be the final one. This is marked by the teacher using the IA criteria. It is useful to annotate this work
with the levels awarded for each aspect—“c” for complete, “p” for partial and “n” for not at all—to assist the
moderator should the work be selected as part of the sample.

All work submitted to the IB for moderation or assessment must be authenticated by a teacher, and must
not include any known instances of suspected or confirmed malpractice. Each student must sign the
coversheet for internal assessment to confirm that the work is his or her authentic work and constitutes the
final version of that work. Once a student has officially submitted the final version of the work to a teacher
(or the coordinator) for internal assessment, together with the signed coversheet, it cannot be retracted.

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Internal assessment

Authenticity may be checked by discussion with the student on the content of the work, and scrutiny of one
or more of the following:

• the student’s initial proposal

• the first draft of the written work
• the references cited
• the style of writing compared with work known to be that of the student.
When completing an investigation outside the classroom, students should work independently. Teachers
are required to ensure that work submitted is the student’s own. If any doubt exists, authenticity may be
checked by one or more of the following methods.

• discussing the investigation with the student

• asking the student to explain the methods used and to summarize the results
• asking the student to repeat the investigation.
The requirement for teachers and students to sign the coversheet for internal assessment applies to the
work of all students, not just the sample work that will be submitted to an examiner for the purpose of
moderation. If the teacher and student sign a coversheet, but there is a comment to the effect that the
work may not be authentic, the student will not be eligible for a mark in that component and no grade will
be awarded. For further details refer to the IB publication Academic honesty and the relevant articles in the
General regulations: Diploma Programme.

The same piece of work cannot be submitted to meet the requirements of both the internal assessment and
the extended essay.

Safety
While teachers are responsible for following national or local guidelines, which may differ from country
to country, attention should be given to the mission statement below, which was developed by the
International Council of Associations for Science Education (ICASE) Safety Committee.

ICASE Safety Committee

Mission statement
The mission of the ICASE Safety Committee is to promote good quality,
exciting practical science, which will stimulate students and motivate their
teachers, in a safe and healthy learning environment. In this way, all individuals
(teachers, students, laboratory assistants, supervisors, visitors) involved in
science education are entitled to work under the safest possible practicable
conditions in science classrooms and laboratories. Every reasonable effort
needs to be made by administrators to provide and maintain a safe and healthy
learning environment and to establish and require safe methods and practices
at all times. Safety rules and regulations need to be developed and enforced
for the protection of those individuals carrying out their activities in science
classrooms and laboratories, and experiences in the field. Alternative science
activities are encouraged in the absence of sufficiently safe conditions.

It is a basic responsibility of everyone involved to make safety and health an

ongoing commitment. Any advice given will acknowledge the need to respect
the local context, the varying educational and cultural traditions, the financial
constraints and the legal systems of differing countries.

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 Internal assessment

Group work
Group work is an essential element of practical work and is required in order to develop and assess the
personal skills criterion. However, work used for the assessment of the other criteria must be the work of
the individual. This may raise logistical problems for teachers. Please see the “Group 4 project” section for
further advice on the assessment of work carried out in groups.

Time allocation
The recommended teaching times for all Diploma Programme courses is 150 hours at SL. Students at SL are
required to spend 40 hours on practical activities (excluding time spent writing up work). This time includes
10 hours for the group 4 project. Only 2–3 hours of investigative work can be carried out after the deadline
for submitting work to the moderator and still be counted in the total number of hours for the practical
scheme of work.

It is recommended that a total of approximately 40 hours should be allocated to the work. This should
include:

• time for the teacher to explain to students the requirements of the internal assessment
• time to review the ethical practice poster and animal experimentation guidelines
• class time for students to work on the internal assessment component
• time for consultation between the teacher and each student
• time to review and monitor progress, and to check authenticity.
Only some of the 40 hours of practical work need be allocated to the practical work that is assessed using
the IA criteria. This will normally be done during the latter part of the course when students have become
more familiar with the criteria and can be assessed in complex practical work.

Using assessment criteria for internal assessment

For internal assessment, a number of assessment criteria have been identified. The internal assessment
component in all group 4 courses is assessed according to sets of assessment criteria and achievement level
descriptors. Each assessment criterion has level descriptors describing specific achievement levels, together
with an appropriate range of marks. The level descriptors concentrate on positive achievement, although
for the lower levels failure to achieve may be included in the description.

Teachers must judge the internally assessed work against the criteria using the level descriptors.

• The aim is to find, for each criterion, the descriptor that conveys most accurately the level attained
by the student, using the best-fit model. A best-fit approach means that compensation should be
made when a piece of work matches different aspects of a criterion at different levels. The mark
awarded should be one that most fairly reflects the balance of achievement against the criterion. It is
not necessary for every single aspect of a level descriptor to be met for that mark to be awarded.
• When assessing a student’s work, teachers should read the level descriptors for each criterion until
they reach a descriptor that most appropriately describes the level of the work being assessed. If a
piece of work seems to fall between two descriptors, both descriptors should be read again and the
one that more appropriately describes the student’s work should be chosen.

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Internal assessment

• Where there are two or more marks available within a level, teachers should award the upper marks if
the student’s work demonstrates the qualities described to a great extent. Teachers should award the
lower marks if the student’s work demonstrates the qualities described to a lesser extent.
• Only whole numbers should be recorded; partial marks, (fractions and decimals) are not acceptable.
• Teachers should not think in terms of a pass or fail boundary, but should concentrate on identifying
the appropriate descriptor for each assessment criterion.
• The highest level descriptors do not imply faultless performance but should be achievable by a
student. Teachers should not hesitate to use the extremes if they are appropriate descriptions of the
work being assessed.
• A student who attains a high achievement level in relation to one criterion will not necessarily
attain high achievement levels in relation to the other criteria. Similarly, a student who attains a low
achievement level for one criterion will not necessarily attain low achievement levels for the other
criteria. Teachers should not assume that the overall assessment of the students will produce any
particular distribution of marks.
• It is recommended that the assessment criteria be made available to students.

Internal assessment details

The internal assessment requirements are the same for all group 4 subjects, with the exception of design
technology, which has an additional element. The IA, worth 24% of the final assessment (or 36% for design
technology) consists of an interdisciplinary project, a mixture of short- and long-term investigations (such as
practicals and subject-specific projects) and, for design technology only, the design project.

Student work is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB. The performance in
IA is marked against assessment criteria, with each criterion having a maximum mark of 6.

Investigations
Duration: 30 hours
Students are required to conduct a mixture of short-term and/or long-term investigations such as practical
and subject-specific projects.

Group 4 project
Duration: 10 hours
The group 4 project is an interdisciplinary activity in which all Diploma Programme science students must
participate. The intention is that students from the different group 4 subjects analyse a common topic
or problem. The exercise should be a collaborative experience where the emphasis is on the processes
involved in scientific investigation rather than the products of such investigation.

In most cases all students in a school would be involved in the investigation of the same topic. Where
there are large numbers of students, it is possible to divide them into several smaller groups containing
representatives from each of the science subjects. Each group may investigate the same topic or different
topics—that is, there may be several group 4 projects in the same school.

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 Internal assessment

Rationale for practical work

Although the requirements for internal assessment are mainly centred on the assessment of practical skills,
the different types of experimental work that a student may engage in serve other purposes, including:

• illustrating, teaching and reinforcing theoretical concepts

• developing an appreciation of the essential hands-on nature of scientific work
• developing an appreciation of the benefits and limitations of scientific methodology.
Therefore, there may be good justification for teachers to conduct further experimental work beyond that
required for the IA scheme.

Practical scheme of work

The practical scheme of work (PSOW) is the practical course planned by the teacher and acts as a summary
of all the investigative activities carried out by a student.

Syllabus coverage
The range of investigations carried out should reflect the breadth and depth of the subject syllabus, but it is
not necessary to carry out an investigation for every syllabus topic. However, all students must participate
in the group 4 project and the internal assessment activities should ideally include a spread of content
material from the core and options. A minimum number of investigations to be carried out is not specified.

Choosing investigations
Teachers are free to formulate their own practical schemes of work by choosing investigations according to
the requirements outlined. Their choices should be based on:

• subjects and options taught

• the needs of their students
• available resources
• teaching styles.
Each scheme must include some complex investigations that make greater conceptual demands on
students. A scheme made up entirely of simple experiments, such as ticking boxes or exercises involving
filling in tables, will not provide an adequate range of experience for students.

Teachers are encouraged to use the online curriculum centre (OCC) to share ideas about possible
investigations by joining in the discussion forums and adding resources in the subject home pages.

Note: Any investigation or part investigation that is to be used to assess students should be
specifically designed to match the relevant assessment criteria.

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Flexibility
The internal assessment model is flexible enough to allow a wide variety of investigations to be carried out.
These could include:

• short laboratory practicals over one or two lessons and long-term practicals or projects extending
over several weeks
• computer simulations
• data-gathering exercises such as questionnaires, user trials and surveys
• data-analysis exercises
• general laboratory work and fieldwork.

Practical work documentation

Details of an individual student’s practical scheme of work are recorded on Form 4/PSOW provided in
the Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme for the year in which the internal assessment is
being submitted. The write-ups corresponding to the best two marks achieved by each student when
assessed using the internal assessment criteria (design, data collection and processing, and conclusion and
evaluation) and the instructions given by the teacher must be retained for inclusion in the sample work sent
to an internal assessment moderator.

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Internal assessment criteria

Criteria and aspects

There are five assessment criteria that are used to assess the work of students.

• Design—D
• Data collection and processing—DCP
• Conclusion and evaluation—CE
• Manipulative skills—MS
• Personal skills—PS
The first three criteria—design (D), data collection and processing (DCP) and conclusion and evaluation
(CE)—are each assessed twice.

Manipulative skills (MS) is assessed summatively over the whole course and the assessment should be based
on a wide range of manipulative skills.

Personal skills (PS) is assessed once only and this will be during the group 4 project.

Each of the assessment criteria can be separated into three aspects as shown in the following sections.
Descriptions are provided to indicate what is expected in order to meet the requirements of a given aspect
completely (c) and partially (p). A description is also given for circumstances in which the requirements are
not satisfied, not at all (n).

A “complete” is awarded 2 marks, a “partial” 1 mark and a “not at all” 0 marks.

The maximum mark for each criterion is 6 (representing three “completes”).

D × 2 = 12

DCP × 2 = 12

CE × 2 = 12

MS ×1=6

PS ×1=6

This makes a total mark out of 48.

The marks for each of the criteria are added together to determine the final mark out of 48 for the internal
assessment component. This is then scaled by the IB to give a total out of 24%.

General regulations and procedures relating to internal assessment can be found in the Handbook of
procedures for the Diploma Programme for the year in which the internal assessment is being submitted.

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Design
Aspect 1 Aspect 2 Aspect 3

Levels/marks Defining the problem and Controlling variables Developing a method

selecting variables for collection of data

Complete/2 Formulates a focused Designs a method for Develops a method

problem/research question the effective control of that allows for the
and identifies the relevant the variables. collection of sufficient
variables. relevant data.

Partial/1 Formulates a problem/ Designs a method that Develops a method

research question that is makes some attempt to that allows for
incomplete or identifies only control the variables. the collection of
some relevant variables. insufficient relevant
data.

Not at all/0 Does not identify a problem/ Designs a method that Develops a method
research question and does does not control the that does not allow for
not identify any relevant variables. any relevant data to be
variables. collected.

Data collection and processing

Aspect 1 Aspect 2 Aspect 3

Levels/marks Recording raw data Processing raw data Presenting processed

data

Complete/2 Records appropriate Processes the Presents processed

quantitative and associated quantitative raw data data appropriately
qualitative raw data, correctly. and, where relevant,
including units and includes errors and
uncertainties where relevant. uncertainties.

Partial/1 Records appropriate Processes quantitative Presents processed

quantitative and associated raw data, but with data appropriately, but
qualitative raw data, but with some mistakes and/or with some mistakes
some mistakes or omissions. omissions. and/or omissions.

Not at all/0 Does not record any No processing of Presents processed

appropriate quantitative quantitative raw data data inappropriately or
raw data or raw data is is carried out or major incomprehensibly.
incomprehensible. mistakes are made in
processing.

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Conclusion and evaluation

Aspect 1 Aspect 2 Aspect 3

Levels/marks Concluding Evaluating Improving the

procedure(s) investigation

Complete/2 States a conclusion, with Evaluates weaknesses Suggests realistic

justification, based on a and limitations. improvements in
reasonable interpretation of respect of identified
the data. weaknesses and
limitations.

Partial/1 States a conclusion based on Identifies some Suggests only

a reasonable interpretation of weaknesses and superficial
the data. limitations, but the improvements.
evaluation is weak or
missing.

Not at all/0 States no conclusion or the Identifies irrelevant Suggests unrealistic

conclusion is based on an weaknesses and improvements.
unreasonable interpretation limitations.
of the data.

Manipulative skills (assessed summatively)

This criterion addresses objective 5.

Aspect 1 Aspect 2 Aspect 3

Levels/marks Following instructions* Carrying out Working safely

techniques

Complete/2 Follows instructions Competent and Pays attention to

accurately, adapting to new methodical in the use of safety issues.
circumstances (seeking a range of techniques
assistance when required). and equipment.

Partial/1 Follows instructions but Usually competent and Usually pays attention
requires assistance. methodical in the use of to safety issues.
a range of techniques
and equipment.

Not at all/0 Rarely follows instructions or Rarely competent and Rarely pays attention
requires constant supervision. methodical in the use of to safety issues.
a range of techniques
and equipment.

*Instructions may be in a variety of forms: oral, written worksheets, diagrams, photographs, videos, flow
charts, audio tapes, models, computer programs, and so on, and need not originate from the teacher.

See “The group 4 project” section for the personal skills criterion.

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Clarifications of the internal assessment criteria

Design
Aspect 1: defining the problem and selecting variables
It is essential that teachers give an open-ended problem to investigate, where there are several independent
variables, from which a student could choose one that provides a suitable basis for the investigation. This
should ensure that a range of plans will be formulated by students and that there is sufficient scope to
identify both independent and controlled variables.

Although the general aim of the investigation may be given by the teacher, students must identify a focused
problem or specific research question. Commonly, students will do this by modifying the general aim
provided and indicating the variable(s) chosen for investigation.

The teacher may suggest the general research question only. Asking students to investigate some property
of the musculoskeletal system, where no variables are given, would be an acceptable teacher prompt. This
could be focused by the student as follows: “Does the range of movement of the hip joint change following
a warm-up routine?”

Alternatively, the teacher may suggest the general research question and specify the dependent variable.
An example of such a teacher prompt would be to ask the student to investigate the effect of a factor that
may influence blood pressure. This could then be focused by the student as follows: “Does exercise intensity
affect blood pressure?” It is not sufficient for the student merely to restate the research question provided
by the teacher.

Variables are things that can be measured and/or controlled. Independent variables are those that are
manipulated, and the result of this manipulation leads to the measurement of the dependent variable. A
controlled variable is one that should be held constant so as not to obscure the effects of the independent
variable on the dependent variable. Confounding variables are factors that may also influence the results
of an experiment. Sometimes these can be measured but by definition they are not controlled and in some
cases have not been identified.

The variables need to be explicitly identified by the student as the dependent (measured), independent
(manipulated) and controlled variables (constants). Students should also attempt to recognize whether
confounding variables are influencing their results. Relevant variables are those that can reasonably be
expected to affect the outcome. For example, in the investigation “Does exercise intensity affect blood
pressure?”, the student must state clearly that the independent variable is the exercise intensity and the
dependent variable is blood pressure. Relevant controlled variables would include ambient temperature,
the age of the subject, the type of exercise. A confounding variable would be a difference in hydration
status.

Students should not be:

• given a focused research question

• told the outcome of the investigation
• told which independent variable to select
• told which variables to hold constant.

Aspect 2: controlling variables

“Control of variables” refers to the manipulation of the independent variable and the attempt to maintain
the controlled variables at a constant value. The method should include explicit reference to how the
control of variables is achieved. If the control of variables is not practically possible, some effort should be
made to monitor the variable(s).

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A standard measurement technique may be used as part of a wider investigation but it should not be the
focus of that investigation. Students should be assessed on their individual design of the wider investigation.
If a standard measurement technique is used, it should be referenced using a recognized citation style. For
example, while planning an investigation to study the effect of habitual dietary intake on body composition
the student may select a method to measure body composition. This method may be found by referring to
a primary source, a textbook, a website or teacher’s notes. As is normal in science, all sources of information
that are cited should be correctly referenced.

Students should not be told:

• which apparatus to select

• the experimental method.

Aspect 3: developing a method for collection of data

The definition of “sufficient relevant data” depends on the context. The planned investigation should
anticipate the collection of sufficient data so that the aim or research question can be suitably addressed
and an evaluation of the reliability of the data can be made.

If error analysis involving the calculation of standard deviation is to be carried out, then a sample size of at
least five is needed. The data range and amount of data in that range are also important. For example, when
implementing the Wingate test to determine peak power output, participants may be asked to complete
the test on more than one occasion in order that an average peak power output can be determined. This
average value should be closer to the subjects’ true peak power output.

Students should not be told:

• how to collect the data

• how much data to collect.

Data collection and processing

Ideally, students should work on their own when collecting data.

When data collection is carried out in groups, the actual recording and processing of data should be
independently undertaken if this criterion is to be assessed. Recording class or group data is only appropriate
if the data-sharing method does not suggest a presentation format for the students.

Pooling data from a class is permitted where the students have independently organized and presented
their data. For example, they may have placed it on a real or virtual bulletin board. (Note: All data shared in
this way must be anonymous.) For assessment of aspect 1, students must clearly indicate which data is their
own.

Aspect 1: recording raw data

Raw data is the actual data measured. This may include associated qualitative data. It is permissible to
convert handwritten raw data into word-processed form. The term “quantitative data” refers to numerical
measurements of the variables associated with the investigation. Associated qualitative data are considered
to be those observations that would enhance the interpretation of results.

Uncertainties are associated with all raw data and an attempt should always be made to quantify
uncertainties. For example, when students say there is uncertainty in the measurement of height/resting
heart rate, they must estimate the magnitude of the uncertainty. This can be achieved by examining the
within-subject variation in the variable being measured using a test-retest procedure. Within tables of
quantitative data, columns should be clearly annotated with a heading, units and an indication of the
uncertainty of measurement. The uncertainty need not be the same as the manufacturer’s stated precision

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of the measuring device used. Significant digits in the data and the uncertainty in the data must be
consistent. This applies to all measuring devices, for example, digital meters, stopwatches, and so on. The
number of significant digits should reflect the precision of the measurement.

There should be no variation in the precision of raw data. For example, the same number of decimal places
should be used. For data derived from processing raw data (for example, means), the level of precision
should be consistent with that of the raw data.

The recording of the level of precision would be expected from the point where the student takes over the
manipulation. For example, students would not be expected to state the level of precision in a solution
prepared for them.

Students should not be told how to record the raw data. For example, they should not be given a pre-
formatted table with columns, headings, units or uncertainties.

Aspect 2: processing raw data

Data processing involves, for example, combining and manipulating raw data to determine the value of
a physical quantity (such as adding, subtracting, squaring, dividing), and taking the average of several
measurements and transforming data into a form suitable for graphical representation. It might be that
the data is already in a form suitable for graphical presentation, for example, from the Wingate test power
against time or revolutions per minute against time can be plotted. If the raw data is represented in this way
and a graph is drawn the raw data has been processed. Plotting raw data (without a graph line) does not
constitute processing data.

The recording and processing of data may be shown in one table provided they are clearly distinguishable.

Students should not be told:

• how to process the data

• what quantities to graph/plot.

Aspect 3: presenting processed data

Students are expected to decide upon a suitable presentation format themselves (for example, spreadsheet,
table, graph, chart, flow diagram, and so on). There should be clear, unambiguous headings for calculations,
tables or graphs. Graphs need to have appropriate scales, labelled axes with units, and accurately plotted
data points with a suitable best-fit line or curve (not a scatter graph with data-point to data-point
connecting lines). Students should present the data so that all the stages to the final result can be followed.
Inclusion of metric/SI units is expected for final derived quantities, which should be expressed to the correct
number of significant figures. The uncertainties associated with the raw data must be taken into account.
The treatment of uncertainties in graphical analysis requires the construction of appropriate best-fit lines.

The complete fulfillment of aspect 3 does not require students to draw lines of minimum and maximum
fit to the data points, to include error bars or to combine errors through root mean squared calculations.
Although error bars on data points (for example, standard error) are not expected, they are a perfectly
acceptable way of expressing the degree of uncertainty in the data.

In order to fulfill aspect 3 completely, students should include a treatment of uncertainties and errors with
their processed data, where relevant.

The treatment of error (variation) and uncertainties should be in accordance with assessment statements
6.1.1 to 6.1.4 of this guide.

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Conclusion and evaluation

Aspect 1: concluding
Analysis may include comparisons of different graphs or descriptions of trends shown in graphs. The
explanation should contain observations, trends or patterns revealed by the data.

When measuring an already known and accepted value of a physical quantity, students should draw a
conclusion as to their confidence in their result by comparing the experimental value with the textbook or
literature value. The literature consulted should be fully referenced.

Aspect 2: evaluating procedure(s)

The design and method of the investigation must be commented upon as well as the quality of the data.
The student must not only list the weaknesses but must also appreciate how significant the weaknesses are.
Comments about the precision and accuracy of the measurements are relevant here. When evaluating the
procedure used, the student should specifically look at the processes, use of equipment and management
of time.

Aspect 3: improving the investigation

Suggestions for improvements should be based on the weaknesses and limitations identified in aspect 2.
Modifications to the experimental techniques and the data range can be addressed here. The modifications
proposed should be realistic and clearly specified. It is not sufficient to state generally that more precise
equipment should be used.

Manipulative skills
This criterion must be assessed summatively.

Aspect 1: following instructions

Indications of manipulative ability are the amount of assistance required in assembling equipment, the
orderliness of carrying out the procedure(s) and the ability to follow the instructions accurately. The
adherence to safe working practices should be apparent in all aspects of practical activities.

A wide range of complex tasks should be included in the scheme of work.

Aspect 2: carrying out techniques

It is expected that students will be exposed to a variety of different investigations during the course that
enables them to experience a variety of experimental situations.

Aspect 3: working safely

The student’s approach to safety during investigations in the laboratory or in the field must be assessed.
Nevertheless, the teacher must not put students in situations of unacceptable risk.

The teacher should judge what is acceptable and legal under local regulations and with the facilities
available. See the “Safety” section in this guide.

Personal skills

Note: The personal skills criterion is assessed in the group 4 project only and is to be found in ”The
group 4 project” section.

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The use of ICT

In accordance with aim 7—that is, to “develop and apply the students’ information and communication
technology skills in the study of science”—the use of information and communication technology (ICT) is
encouraged in practical work throughout the course, whether the investigations are assessed using the IA
criteria or otherwise.

Section A: use of ICT in assessment

Data-logging software may be used in experiments/investigations assessed using the IA criteria provided
that the following principle is applied.

The student’s contribution to the experiment must be evident so that this alone can be assessed by the
teacher. This student’s contribution can be in the selection of settings used by the data-logging and
graphing equipment, or can be demonstrated in subsequent stages of the experiment.

(When data logging is used, raw data is defined as any data produced by software and extracted by the
student from tables or graphs to be subsequently processed by the student.)

The following categories of experiments exemplify the application of this principle.

1. Data logging within a narrowly focused task

Data-logging software may be used to perform a traditional experiment in a new way.

Use of data-logging software is appropriate with respect to assessment if the student decides on
and inputs most of the relevant software settings. For example, an investigation could be set up to
monitor a person’s ventilatory response while on an cycle ergometer using a spirometer sensor linked to a
calculator-based data logger in which the student controls the level of exercise (speed or workload). Data-
logging software that automatically determines the various settings and generates the data tables and
graphs would be inappropriate with regard to assessment because the remaining student input required
would be minimal.

If the experiment is suitable for assessment the following guidelines must be followed for the DCP criterion.

Data collection and processing: aspect 1

Students may present raw data collected using data logging as long as they are responsible for the majority
of software settings. The numerical raw data may be presented as a table, or, where a large amount of
data has been generated, by graphical means. For example, the student should set the duration and
rate of the sampling, and the generated data in the form of lists of measurements from the calculator or
computer could be downloaded by the student into a computer spreadsheet. Students must organize the
data correctly, for example, by means of table or graph titles, columns or graph axes labelled with units,
indications of uncertainties, associated qualitative observations, and so on.

The number of decimal places used in recorded data should not exceed that expressed by the sensitivity
of the instrument used. In the case of electronic probes used in data logging, students will be expected to
record the sensitivity of the instrument.

Data collection and processing: aspects 2 and 3

Use of software for graph drawing is appropriate as long as the student is responsible for most of the
decisions, such as:

• what to graph
• selection of quantities for axes
• appropriate units

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• graph title
• appropriate scale
• how to graph, for example, linear graph line and not scatter.

Note: A computer-calculated gradient is acceptable.

In the example of the investigation to monitor ventilatory response, the student could process data by
drawing a graph in the spreadsheet and measuring the breathing frequency from the data. By inspecting
the graph or spreadsheet data, the maximal and minimal lung volume values could be identified and used
to calculate the mean tidal volume at rest. The mean volume of air breathed per minute and recovery rate
after exercise could also be calculated.

Statistical analysis carried out using calculators or calculations using spreadsheets are acceptable provided
that the student selects the data to be processed and chooses the method of processing. In both cases, the
student must show one example in the written text. For example, the student must quote the formula used
by or entered into a calculator and define the terms used, or the student must write the formula used in a
spreadsheet if it is not a standard part of the program’s menu of functions (for example, mean, standard
deviation).

2. Data logging in an open-ended investigation

Data-logging software can enhance data collection and transform the sort of investigations possible. In
this case fully automated data-logging software is appropriate with regard to assessment if it is used to
enable a broader, complex investigation to be undertaken where students can develop a range of responses
involving independent decision-making.

For example, a design task could be set with the teacher prompt “Investigate a factor that affects heart
rate”. If a heart rate monitor with automatic pre-programmed software to monitor the number of beats
per minute is used, the student could use the program to develop a broader, complex investigation, for
example, comparing the heart rate responses to exercise of athletes and non-athletes.

Design: aspect 1
The student must state a focused problem/research question, for example: “After a standardized exercise
test, is the rate at which heart rate returns to the pre-exercise level different for trained and untrained
individuals?”

Relevant variables must also be identified, for example:

• independent variable—training history

• dependent variable—heart rate
• controlled variables—temperature, age of participants, position/posture of participants after exercise.
Design: aspect 2
The student must design a method to monitor and control the variables, for example, ensure that all
participants recover in the same supine position after exercise and in the same room with controlled
environmental conditions. Also they must ensure that the time taken from completing the exercise,
adopting the supine position and the first measurement being taken is constant.

Design: aspect 3
The student must design the method for the appropriate collection of sufficient raw data. The student would
choose the participants from their athletic history and/or prowess and determine the number taking part in
the experiment. The student would also decide the intensity and duration of exercise, the recovery position
of the participant, the length of time the heart rate is recorded and the frequency of taking measurements.

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Data collection and processing: aspect 1

Appropriate raw quantitative data would consist of the heart rate readings and the time elapsed after
finishing exercise. The data could be annotated on a series of graphs or presented in a table with an
appropriate title, column headings and units. Qualitative data also should be recorded, for example, the
characteristics of the participant (age, gender, athletic history), resting position/posture. In addition the
heart rate of the participant before taking exercise and the temperature of the room should be recorded.
Calculation of uncertainties would not be expected in this experiment.

Data collection and processing: aspect 2

Graphs of heart rate against time would not be assessed, as these would have been generated automatically
by the pre-programmed software on the data logger, without input from the student. However, the rates
of change of heart rate derived from these graphs could be plotted against time for each participant using
graph-plotting software where student input is possible, for example, choice of type of graph, x and y axes,
range and scale. Alternatively data on the time taken to return to a normal heart rate could be recorded in a
table or by graphical means such as a bar chart.

Data collection and processing: aspect 3

The student would generate graphs of heart rate versus time for each participant, which should have clear
titles, correctly labelled axes, a legend for the data of the different participants, and trend lines to reveal the
degree of uncertainty. The student could also produce a table combining information on the characteristics
of the participants with data on recovery rates or present the same data with a bar chart.

Section B: use of ICT in non-assessed practical work

It is not necessary to use ICT in assessed investigations but, in order to carry out aim 7 in practice, students
will be required to use each of the following software applications at least once during the course.

• Data logging in an experiment

• Software for graph plotting
• A spreadsheet for data processing
• A database
• Computer modelling/simulation
There are many examples of the above in the ICT resources for biology, chemistry and physics on the OCC.
Many of these examples are suitable for the sports, exercise and health science course.

Apart from sensors for data logging, all the other components involve software that is free and readily
available on the Internet. As students only need to use data-logging software and sensors once in the
course, class sets are not required.

The use of each of the above five elements of the use of ICT by students would be authenticated by means of
entries in the students’ practical scheme of work, Form 4/PSOW. For example, if a student used a spreadsheet
in an investigation, this should be recorded on Form 4/PSOW. Any other applications of ICT can also be
recorded on Form 4/PSOW.

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The group 4 project

Summary of the group 4 project

The group 4 project is a collaborative activity where students from different group 4 subjects work together
on a scientific or technological topic, allowing for concepts and perceptions from across the disciplines
to be shared in line with aim 10, that is, to “encourage an understanding of the relationships between
scientific disciplines and the overarching nature of the scientific method”. The project can be practically or
theoretically based. Collaboration between schools in different regions is encouraged.

The group 4 project allows students to appreciate the environmental, social and ethical implications
of science and technology. It may also allow them to understand the limitations of scientific study, for
example, the shortage of appropriate data and/or the lack of resources. The emphasis is on interdisciplinary
cooperation and the processes involved in scientific investigation, rather than the products of such
investigation.

The choice of scientific or technological topic is open but the project should clearly address aims 7, 8 and 10
of the group 4 subject guides.

Ideally, the project should involve students collaborating with those from other group 4 subjects at all
stages. To this end, it is not necessary for the topic chosen to have clearly identifiable separate subject
components. However, for logistical reasons some schools may prefer a separate subject “action” phase (see
the following “Project stages” section).

Project stages
The 10 hours allocated to the group 4 project, which are part of the teaching time set aside for IA, can be
divided into three stages: planning, action and evaluation.

Planning
This stage is crucial to the whole exercise and should last about two hours.

• The planning stage could consist of a single session, or two or three shorter ones.
• This stage must involve all group 4 students meeting to “brainstorm” and discuss the central topic,
sharing ideas and information.
• The topic can be chosen by the students themselves or selected by the teachers.
• Where large numbers of students are involved, it may be advisable to have more than one mixed
subject group.
After selecting a topic or issue, the activities to be carried out must be clearly defined before moving
from the planning stage to the action and evaluation stages.

A possible strategy is that students define specific tasks for themselves, either individually or as members of
groups, and investigate various aspects of the chosen topic. At this stage, if the project is to be experimentally
based, apparatus should be specified so that there is no delay in carrying out the action stage. Contact with
other schools, if a joint venture has been agreed, is an important consideration at this time.

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Action
This stage should last around six hours and may be carried out over one or two weeks in normal scheduled
class time. Alternatively, a whole day could be set aside if, for example, the project involves fieldwork.

• Students should investigate the topic in mixed subject groups or single subject groups.
• There should be collaboration during the action stage; findings of investigations should be shared
with other students within the mixed/single subject group. During this stage, in any practically based
activity, it is important to pay attention to safety, ethical and environmental considerations.

Note: Students studying two group 4 subjects are not required to do two separate action phases.

Evaluation
The emphasis during this stage, for which two hours is probably necessary, is on students sharing their
findings, both successes and failures, with other students. How this is achieved can be decided by the
teachers, the students or jointly.

• One solution is to devote a morning, afternoon or evening to a symposium where all the students, as
individuals or as groups, give brief presentations.
• Alternatively, the presentation could be more informal and take the form of a science fair where
students circulate around displays summarizing the activities of each group.
The symposium or science fair could also be attended by parents, members of the school board and the
press. This would be especially pertinent if some issue of local importance has been researched. Some of the
findings might influence the way the school interacts with its environment or local community.

Addressing aims 7 and 8

Aim 7—“develop and apply the students’ information and communication technology skills in the study of
science”.

Aim 7 may be partly addressed at the planning stage by using electronic communication within and
between schools. It may be that ICT (for example, data logging, spreadsheets, databases, and so on) will
be used in the action phase and certainly in the presentation/evaluation stage (for example, use of digital
images, presentation software, websites, digital video, and so on).

Aim 8—“raise awareness of the moral, ethical, social, economic and environmental implications of using
science and technology”.

The choice of topic should enable one or more elements of aim 8 to be incorporated into the project.

Addressing the international dimension

There are also possibilities in the choice of topic to illustrate the international nature of the scientific
endeavour and the increasing cooperation required to tackle global issues involving science and technology.
An alternative way to bring an international dimension to the project is to collaborate with a school in
another region.

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Types of project
While addressing aims 7, 8 and 10 the project must be based on science or its applications.

The project may have a hands-on practical action phase or one involving purely theoretical aspects. It could
be undertaken in a wide range of ways.

• Designing and carrying out a laboratory investigation or fieldwork.

• Carrying out a comparative study (experimental or otherwise) in collaboration with another school.
• Collating, manipulating and analysing data from other sources, such as scientific journals,
environmental organizations, science and technology industries and government reports.
• Designing and using a model or simulation.
• Contributing to a long-term project organized by the school.

Logistical strategies
The logistical organization of the group 4 project is often a challenge to schools. The following models
illustrate possible ways in which the project may be implemented.

Models A, B and C apply within a single school, and model D relates to a project involving collaboration
between schools.

Model A: mixed subject groups and one topic

Schools may adopt mixed subject groups and choose one common topic. The number of groups will
depend on the number of students. The dotted lines in the model show the addition of more groups as
student numbers increase.

B—biology C—chemistry P—physics D—design technology S—sports, exercise and health science

Planning (and definition of activities)

BCPDCS

Action phase Action phase Action phase Action phase

BCPDCS BCPDCS BCPDCS BCPDCS

Evaluation stage
BCPDCS

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The group 4 project

Model B: mixed subject groups adopting more than one topic

Schools with large numbers of students may choose to do more than one topic.

Topic 1 Planning (and definition of activities) Topic 2

BCPDCS

Action phase Action phase Action phase Action phase Action phase Action phase
BCPDCS BCPDCS BCPDCS BCPDCS BCPDCS BCPDCS

Evaluation stage
BCPDCS

Model C: single subject groups

For schools opting for single subject groups with one or more topics in the action phase, simply replace the
mixed subject groups in model A or B with single subject groups.

Model D: collaboration with another school

The collaborative model is open to any school. To this end, the IB will provide an electronic collaboration
board on the OCC where schools can post their project ideas and invite collaboration from another school.
This could range from merely sharing evaluations for a common topic to a full-scale collaborative venture at
all stages.

For schools with few Diploma Programme students or schools with Diploma Programme course students,
it is possible to work with non-Diploma Programme or non-group 4 students or undertake the project once
every two years. However these schools are encouraged to collaborate with another school. This strategy
is also recommended for individual students who may not have participated in the project, for example
through illness or because they have transferred to a new school where the project has already taken place.

Timing
The 10 hours that the IB recommends be allocated to the project may be spread over a number of weeks.
The distribution of these hours needs to be taken into account when selecting the optimum time to carry
out the project. However, it is possible for a group to dedicate a period of time exclusively to project work if
all/most other school work is suspended.

Year 1
In the first year, students’ experience and skills may be limited and it would be inadvisable to start the
project too soon in the course. However, doing the project in the final part of the first year may have the
advantage of reducing pressure on students later on. This strategy provides time for solving unexpected
problems.

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 The group 4 project

Year 1–year 2
The planning stage could start, the topic could be decided upon, and provisional discussion in individual
subjects could take place at the end of the first year. Students could then use the vacation time to think
about how they are going to tackle the project and would be ready to start work early in the second year.

Year 2
Delaying the start of the project until some point in the second year, particularly if left too late, increases
pressure on students in many ways: the schedule for finishing the work is much tighter than for the other
options; the illness of any student or unexpected problems will present extra difficulties. Nevertheless,
this choice does mean students know one another and their teachers by this time, have probably become
accustomed to working in a team and will be more experienced in the relevant fields than in the first year.

Combined SL and HL
Where circumstances dictate that the project is only carried out every two years, SL students of this course
and HL students from other group 4 subjects can be combined.

Selecting a topic
Students may choose the topic or propose possible topics, with the teacher then deciding which one is the
most viable based on resources, staff availability, and so on. Alternatively, the teacher selects the topic or
proposes several topics from which students make a choice.

Student selection
Students are likely to display more enthusiasm and feel a greater sense of ownership for a topic that they
have chosen themselves. A possible strategy for student selection of a topic, which also includes part of
the planning stage, is outlined here. At this point, subject teachers may provide advice on the viability of
proposed topics.

• Identify possible topics by using a questionnaire or a survey of students.

• Conduct an initial “brainstorming” session of potential topics or issues.
• Discuss, briefly, two or three topics that seem interesting.
• Select one topic by consensus.
• Students make a list of potential investigations that could be carried out. All students then discuss
issues such as possible overlap and collaborative investigations.

Assessment
The group 4 project is to be assessed for the personal skills criterion only and this will be the only place
where this criterion is assessed. It is up to the school how this assessment takes place.

Note: The group 4 project is not to be used for the assessment of the other criteria.

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The group 4 project

Personal skills (for group 4 project assessment only)

This criterion addresses objective 4.

Aspect 1 Aspect 2 Aspect 3

Levels/marks Self-motivation and Working within a Self-reflection

perseverance team

Complete/2 Approaches the project Collaborates and Shows a thorough

with self-motivation and communicates in a awareness of their own
follows it through to group situation and strengths and weaknesses
completion. integrates the views of and gives thoughtful
others. consideration to their
learning experience.

Partial/1 Completes the project Exchanges some views Shows limited awareness
but sometimes lacks but requires guidance of their own strengths
self-motivation. to collaborate with and weaknesses and gives
others. some consideration to
their learning experience.

Not at all/0 Lacks perseverance and Makes little or no Shows no awareness of

motivation. attempt to collaborate their own strengths and
in a group situation. weaknesses and gives
no consideration to their
learning experience.

The assessment can be assisted by the use of a student self-evaluation form, but the use of such a form is not
a requirement.

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Appendices

Glossary of command terms

Command terms with definitions

Students should be familiar with the following key terms and phrases used in examination questions, which
are to be understood as described below. Although these terms will be used frequently in examination
questions, other terms may be used to direct students to present an argument in a specific way.

Objective 1
Define Give the precise meaning of a word, phrase, concept or physical quantity.

Draw Represent by means of a labelled, accurate diagram or graph, using a pencil. A

ruler (straight edge) should be used for straight lines.

Label Add labels to a diagram.

List Give a sequence of brief answers with no explanation.

Measure Obtain a value for a quantity.

State Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or
calculation.

Objective 2
Annotate Add brief notes to a diagram or graph.

Apply Use an idea, equation, principle, theory or law in relation to a given problem or
issue.

Calculate Obtain a numerical answer showing the relevant stages in the working.

Describe Give a detailed account.

Distinguish Make clear the differences between two or more concepts or items.

Estimate Obtain an approximate value.

Identify Provide an answer from a number of possibilities.

Outline Give a brief account or summary.

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Glossary of command terms

Objective 3
Analyse Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure.

Comment Give a judgment based on a given statement or result of a calculation.

Compare Give an account of similarities between two (or more) items or situations, referring
to both (all) of them throughout.

Construct Display information in a diagrammatic or logical form.

Deduce Reach a conclusion from the information given.

Derive Manipulate a mathematical relationship to give a new equation or relationship.

Design Produce a plan, simulation or model.

Determine Obtain the only possible answer.

Discuss Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of arguments,
factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly and
supported by appropriate evidence.

Evaluate Make an appraisal by weighing up the strengths and limitations.

Explain Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.

Predict Give an expected result.

Show Give the steps in a calculation or derivation.

Sketch Represent by means of a diagram or graph (labelled as appropriate). The sketch

should give a general idea of the required shape or relationship, and should
include relevant features.

Solve Obtain the answer(s) using algebraic and/or numerical and/or graphical methods.

Suggest Propose a solution, hypothesis or other possible answer.

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Appendices

Bibliography

This bibliography lists the principal works used to inform the curriculum review. It is not an exhaustive list
and does not include all the literature available: judicious selection was made in order to better advise and
guide teachers. This bibliography is not a list of recommended textbooks.

Davis, R, Roscoe, J and Philips R. 2005. Physical Education and the Study of Sport. (Fifth Edition). London, UK.
Mosby.

Fox, S. 1999. Human Physiology. Boston, USA. WCB/McGraw-Hill.

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