Increasing the Effectiveness of Formal Coach Education: Evidence of a Parallel Process (original) (raw)
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Increasing the effectiveness of coach education: evidence of a parallel process
2013
The purpose of this study was to use the results of an exploratory case study to discuss the design and delivery of formal coach education pathways. Nine coaches completed qualitative and quantitative feedback on a formal transformational leadership training program. The theme that was consistently being presented by coaches was the need for learning to be situated within practical demonstrations and discussions where the coach learner and coach educator work collaboratively to facilitate understanding of the applications of program content to coaching practice. These results have been discussed in the light of the parallel processes that are evident in coach education. The relationship dynamics between athlete and coach are paralleled in the relationship between coach learner and coach educator. Formalising the parallel process in coach education is put forward as a conceptually sound approach to facilitate reflection in coaching practitioners through the use of practical demonstra...
Formal vs. Informal Coach Education
International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 2009
The training of coaches is considered central to sustaining and improving the quality of sports coaching and the ongoing process of professionalisation. Sports coaches participate in a range of learning opportunities (informal to formal) that contribute to their development to varying degrees. In this article, we present our collective understanding on the varying types of learning opportunities and their contribution to coach accreditation and development. The authors presented these views (from a sports pedagogy perspective) as part of a workshop entitled “Formal vs. Informal Coach Education” at the 2007 International Council of Coach Education Master Class in Beijing. These reflections seek to stimulate the on-going, and often sterile, debate about formal versus informal coach education/learning in order to progress scholarship in coaching.
The purpose of this study was to enrich our understanding of formal coach education settings. We investigated how coaches developed knowledge during a postgraduate tertiary coach education course. We also explored coaches' perceptions of changes they made to their coaching attitudes, behaviours, skills, and practices as a result of their studies. Semistructured interviews 1 were conducted with 17 performance coaches. Results revealed that coaches developed knowledge through rich learning situations that were relevant to their coaching context. Furthermore, the three types of knowledge (professional, interpersonal and intrapersonal; Côté & Gilbert, 2009) were fostered in an environment that was socially constructed through a Community of Practice. Coaches felt they were better equipped to develop athlete performance as a result of the knowledge gained through the course. The findings reinforce the importance of developing formal coach education that is learner-centred, provides diverse learning experiences, and embraces informal learning concepts when embedded in formal learning contexts.
Coach training: Impact beyond coach training
International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478), 2021
The aim of this study is to know the impact of coach training on coaches' personal and professional lives in various areas of development. A self-report questionnaire and an interview methodology were used to collect data using a within-subject design. The results of the study show that there is a significant improvement in the various areas of development impacting both the personal and professional life of the coach in a positive manner. The practical implications of the study are further discussed.
Investigating Possible Effects from a One-Year Coach-Education Program
Sports
The main purpose of the current study was to examine possible effects from a coach education program over one year, in which each coach was supervised by a mentor who facilitated their learning based on coach-centered values. The current study was designed as an experiment with a control group, where the coaches in the experiment group received mentoring by a mentor over one year, whereas the coaches in the control group did not. Ninety-four coaches completed the study over one year from a variety of sports (n > 30), where cross-country skiing, soccer, biathlon, handball and swimming were the most represented sports. Among the coaches in the sample, 87% were coaches for athletes who competed or had ambitions to compete at an international level. The results from self-reported questionnaires at the pre-test and post-test show that the coach education program had a significant effect on the bond dimension in the coach–athlete working alliances and the coaches’ perceived coach perfo...
How Coach Educators Deliver Formal Coach Education: A Full Range Leadership Perspective
International Sport Coaching Journal, 2021
While recent work recognizes a need for coach education to place greater emphasis on interpersonal knowledge when developing coaching expertise, it is our position that coach educators (CEs) must follow a similar trajectory in embracing the interpersonal knowledge requisite of their role and move beyond a reliance on content and professional knowledge in order to shape their delivery. To better understand CEs’ behaviors, the authors observed four experienced CEs in Alpine skiing, using an adapted version of the Coach Leadership Assessment System during delivery of a coach education and assessment course. The authors also interviewed CEs to further elucidate the observational data. The findings suggest the benefit of transactional approaches to leadership during assessment when set against the backdrop of an environment driven by intentions consistent with transformational leadership. Furthermore, we call for a greater appreciation of context when imagining CEs’ behaviors that align ...
A call for clarity and pragmatism in coach education
International Coaching Psychology Review, 2023
While literature on coaching has grown exponentially in the past two decades, there have been only a handful of articles that discuss coach education and few have discussed what constitutes good pedagogy. In this conceptual article based upon observations from the field and our own ongoing action research, we review those discussions and offer a pragmatic, scholar-practitioner approach to coach education that supports the five intentions of coach education (Bachkirova et al., 2017). We offer Ostrowski's The Four Provinces model (2022)-which includes the coaching context, relationship, process, and self-as a navigational map for coaching students as they begin their journey to becoming a coach. Because it is agnostic of any specific knowledge areas, the model affords coach educators the flexibility to emphasise their preferred coaching knowledge areas (such as systems theory, humanistic psychology, adult learning theory, and developmental psychology), while providing structure to their curriculum development. We also share early feedback resulting from the implementation of the Four Provinces within a credit-earning graduate-level concentration in Leadership Coaching and explore implications for future research and practice.
Considerations and Suggestions for Design of a Learning and Development Program for Sport Coaches
Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2020
Coaches play a highly influential role across the whole spectrum of sport. Their proficiency is crucial to the progression, welfare and even the personal development of the athletes under their charge. Maximising the development of that proficiency is therefore a crucial concern of numerous sporting and community organisations. Effort must be directed to continuous improvement of learning and development programs for coaches, with consideration given to the differing requirements of coaches operating in different contexts. Historically, most coach education initiatives have entailed formal instruction in "classroom" situations, but feedback from participants suggests that this is sub-optimal. Better outcomes might be achieved through methods designed to promote informal learning within real-world coaching environments. There is evidence that experiential learning resulting from repeated cycles of action and reflection can contribute substantially to the development of expertise. Observation and imitation of significant others is also a powerful learning mechanism. Here, we review and summarise literature relating to these matters, while also addressing topics such as the nature of coaching, the characteristics of expert coaches, and the ways in which coaches currently learn. We touch upon the concepts of situated learning, cognitive apprenticeship, and mentoring, and identify known barriers and facilitators to adult learning. We then provide a suggested framework for the practical design, implementation, evaluation, and continual refinement of a program emphasising informal but guided nurturing of coach learning and development. The suggested approach is consistent with classical learning theories and incorporates the establishment of critical friendships and communities of practice.
International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 2019
Using a learner-centered perspective underpinned by a constructivist view of learning, the aim of this research was to analyze the scientific articles published from 2009 to 2016 concerning sports coaches' perceptions on the teaching strategies experienced in coach education programs. The search for articles took place across six databases: PUBMED, SCOPUS, Web of Science, PyscNET, ERIC, and SPORTDiscus. Two peer-reviewed journals related to sports coaching that were not indexed in the aforementioned databases at the time of the review were also screened. A total of 1937 articles were initially found with 17 eventually deemed appropriate for incorporation into the review after applying the established exclusion criteria. Three themes related to interactive, reflective, and assessment activities were generated from an inductive thematic analysis conducted on the coaches' quotes extracted from the reviewed articles. In general, it was revealed that coaches mostly held positive perceptions of situations and experiences that positioned them at the center of the learning process through interaction and reflection. Suggestions are discussed to address coaches' negative perceptions on the assessment strategies experienced and to improve the integration of learner-centered approaches in coach education initiatives.