Instruction is when someone gives clear directions or orders to another person or a group. In sports psychology, it means teaching someone skills like physical abilities, techniques, strategies, and mental approaches. Usually, a coach gives instruction to an athlete or a group of athletes.
There are different ways to give instructions. One common way is by speaking and explaining things. Another effective way is to show how something is done through demonstrations. This is also known as observational learning.
The effectiveness of instruction depends on various factors. For example, the timing of the instruction matters. It can be given before a skill is performed or after, as feedback. How often instructions are given also plays a role. Sometimes, giving instructions too frequently can lead to problems, so it’s good to balance it.
Instructions can be explicit, which means they are clear and direct, or implicit, which means they are more subtle. Interestingly, implicit instructions have shown to be helpful when performing under pressure.
To be a good instructor, one needs to think about who they are teaching (one person or a group), how they deliver the instruction (speaking or demonstrating), when they give it (before or after a skill is done), how often (frequent or less frequent), and the type of instruction (clear and direct or more indirect).
