Are coach education programmes the most effective method for coach development?

The purpose of this study is to establish whether coaches from a multi-sport context develop most effectively through coach education programmes and whether formal learning is fostering coach effectiveness. A sample of eight qualified male multi-sports’ coaches participated with an age range of 24 to 52 years (M = 32.6, ± = 8.9) and 9 to 18 years coaching experience (M = 12.6, ± = 3.8). Qualitative semi structured interviews were employed, lasting approximately 30 to 60 minutes. The data then underwent a thematic analysis process reducing the data into six overarching themes: values of the coach; the coach’s role on athlete development; forms of learning; barriers regarding coach education; role of governing bodies; coaches career pathway. The findings of the study indicated coaches access a wide range of sources to enhance their practice, but informal learning was preferred (interacting with other coaches and learning by doing). This resulted from numerous barriers experienced surrounding the delivery, cost and access to coach education programmes preventing coaches from progressing through the pathway. However, coaches in the study feel coach education should be a mandatory process for every coach. The findings have implications for policymakers and sport organisations in developing their coach education structure

The Effect of Motivational Highlight DVDs on State Self-Confidence in Elite Female Hockey Players

Formal coach education programmes, driven by the national governing bodies of individual sports, have for many years been regarded as essential in the development of competent, qualified coaches. However, more recent opinion suggests that such coach education is actually ‘‘low impact’’ in comparison to the hours individual aspirant coach’s spend coaching, being coached or participating (Rossi & Cassidy, 1999: Learning and teaching in physical education. London: Falmer). It appears the literature is, in part, implying that experiential learning has greater significance over formal education programmes. The aim of this study was to investigate the educational journey of a sample of paddlesport coaches by addressing why coaches chose to enter formal coach education programmes

Sources, topics and use of knowledge by coaches

In recent years, the value of social learning approaches as part of the design and delivery of formalised coach development initiatives has gained credence in the literature. However, insight is currently lacking into the fundamental social dimensions that underpin coach learning. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore coaches’ perceptions of their actual and preferred methods of acquiring new coaching knowledge, the types of knowledge they currently acquire and/or desire, and their application of new knowledge. Responses to an online survey, completed by practicing coaches (N = 320) in a range of sports and contexts, were analysed descriptively and inductively. Results revealed that coaches’ preferred, and mostly acquired, coaching knowledge from informal learning activities, especially when these permitted social interaction. Notably, however, formal coach education courses were also reported relatively frequently as a source of recent knowledge acquisition. Nevertheless, critical justification for and application of, acquired knowledge was largely absent. Based on the findings, we suggest that, before social learning activities such as mentoring schemes and communities of practice are placed at the centre of formalised coach development provision, coach educators must put in place the support structures to better enable coaches to recognise and deal with the potentially mixed influences of the social milieu on coach learning, aiming to ensure that their informal development is sufficiently open-minded, reflective and critical

Peningkatan Aktivitas dan Hasil Belajar IPS melalui Pembelajaran Kooperatif Round Table dan Rally Coach

This research aims to analyze the increase in the activity of students using cooperative learning Round Table and Rally Coach models, (2) analyze the improvement of student learning outcomes using cooperative learning Round Table and Rally Coach models. The method used is a action research consisting of two cycles. Applied learning Round Table and Rally Coach models grade students VIIIC SMP Negeri 2 Sungai Raya Bengkayang Kalimantan Barat. The data used were obtained from observations, the results of tests, interviews, questionnaires and documentation. From the analysis of the results of the action increased activity of students through cooperative learning Round Table and Rally Coach models with both criteria in the first cycle and excellent in cycle II, and an increase in student learning outcomes. In addition, students gave a good response to the cooperative model of learning by Round Table and Rally Coach models.Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis peningkatan aktivitas siswa dengan menggunakan model pembelajaran kooperatif Round Table dan Rally Coach, (2) menganalisis peningkatan hasil belajar siswa dengan menggunakan model pembelajaran kooperatif Round Table dan Rally Coach. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian tindakan kelas yang terdiri atas dua siklus. Model pembelajaran yang diterapkan Round Table dan Rally Coach pada siswa kelas VIII-C SMP Negeri 2 Sungai Raya Bengkayang Kalimantan Barat. Data yang digunakan diperoleh dari observasi, hasil tes, wawancara, angket dan dokumentasi. Dari analisis hasil tindakan terjadi peningkatan aktivitas siswa melalui pembelajaran kooperatif Round Table dan Rally Coach dengan kriteria baik pada siklus I dan sangat baik pada siklus II, serta terjadi peningkatan hasil belajar siswa. Selain itu siswa memberikan respon yang baik terhadap pembelajaran dengan mengguanakan model kooperatif Round Table dan Rally Coach

Communities of practice, social learning and networks: Exploiting the social side of coach development

Large-scale coach education programmes have been developed in many countries, and are presented as playing a key role in the development of coaches and the promotion of high standards. Unfortunately, however, coaches often perceive that the current system of formal coach education fails to meet their needs. Perhaps as a result, the majority of their development is personally perceived to take place via informal and non-formal means. Appropriately, therefore, there has been an increasing focus within the coaching literature on the social aspects of learning, with social constructivist perspectives receiving particular attention. Reflecting this appropriate focus, this paper explores some of the potential opportunities and threats that social learning methods, such as Communities of Practice (CoP), present for coach developers. In tandem, we outline how all coaches are influenced by a set of pre-existing beliefs, attitudes and dispositions which are largely tempered by their experiences and interactions both with and within their social ‘milieu’. We argue that, at the very least, we need to begin to understand these constructs and, if we do, the potential for coach developers to manipulate and exploit them is obvious. In conclusion, it is highlighted that whilst offering inherent challenges, CoPs and other social learning methods provide coach developers with a great opportunity and legitimate tool to change coach behaviour and raise coaching standards. Perhaps paradoxically, we also propose that formal coach education may still have a vital role to play in this process

The Open Society and coach education: a philosophical agenda for policy reform and future sociological research

Background: The realisation of the strategic importance of high quality coaching to the achievement of national sport policy objectives is resulting in extensive movements to professionalise the coaching industry. Interest in coach education is therefore growing among academics and policy-makers alike. A recent review of literature in this field, however, reveals a troubling problem situation: formal coach education is important for coach learning but tends to be expensive, inflexible and overly technical and therefore has little real impact on coaching practice. The solutions offered by many academics are, unfortunately, vague and often philosophically flawed. This is particularly so when the descriptive model of communities of practice (CoP) is suggested as a prescriptive model for coach education. The first part of the paper, therefore, ends with an extended critique of the use of CoP as a model for coach education. Purpose: To provide a clear philosophical argument for the direction of reform for coach education, drawing on a normative theory of the ideal conditions for the growth of knowledge. Discussion: Starting with the argument that any descriptive (or ‘evidence-based’) model is inherently conservative, the second part of the paper offers an alternative solution to the problem of coach education that is openly prescriptive (or normative). It is the Popperian ideal type of an Open Society (OS). It is argued that the concept of an OS is a better prescriptive model for coach learning for a number of reasons. First, it is based on a logically sound epistemological theory of the ideal social conditions for the growth of knowledge. Second, it is simple and easy for lay people to understand. Third, as an ideal type, it offers a target or goal against which progress towards a better method of coach education can be measured. In this final sense, it also offers a clear agenda for policy reform and future sociological research. Conclusions: The paper makes a series of practical recommendations for reforming coach education and its institutions based on the model of the OS. Foremost among these are making learning resources free at the point of use and using Web 2.0 technologies to democratise educational episodes and widen participation in coach education programmes of all kinds

Views of Coaching Practice Expressed by School-Based Coaches

This study reports on the views of coaching expressed by school-based coaches and coaching experts in response to observing the practice of a novice coach featured in a video. Researchers hypothesized that a coach participant\u27s observations about another coach\u27s practice would be a useful tool for examining participants\u27 beliefs about coaching. Researchers compared responses from school-based coaches to the responses of coaching experts and views expressed in leading coaching literature in order to examine the variation in school-based coaches\u27 views. Analysis of responses from both practicing coaches and coaching experts revealed eight themes that describe components of the videotaped coaching cycle: 1) coaching relationships; 2) the use of praise by the coach; 3) discussions of student learning; 4) how coaches respond to teachers\u27 questions; 5) how coaches prompt reflection; 6) how coaches address teacher knowledge and learning; 7) discussions of mathematics content; and, 8) facilitation of the coaching session. The analysis also revealed that these themes correspond to accepted domains of coaching knowledge reported in the coaching literature

Formal vs. informal coach education

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