Applied Coaching Research Journal Research Journal 1 | Page 8

APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2018, Vol. 1
Adventures in Coach Learning:
Considering New Approaches
Katie Dray, Abby Foad, Sarah Fullick, Michelle Secker and Mike Weed
The Centre for Sport, Physical Education and Activity Research (spear), Canterbury Christ Church
University
Abstract
Understanding the most effective ways through
which we can promote and deliver coach education
and learning opportunities is vital to develop the
sustainable workforce needed to both nurture talent
at the highest levels and play a role in keeping
people physically active. This article describes a
research study that explored three different learning
approaches (collaborative learning, problem-based
learning and project-based learning) used in other
sectors. The article discusses the available evidence
for each of the learning theories and draws from
case examples found during the research to explore
how these learning approaches might be used in
coach education.
Setting the scene
At the heart of coach education and coach
development activity is the understanding that,
much like the importance of identifying ways in
which sport participants learn, it is also of great
benefit to better understand the ways coaches
develop and learn the skills they need to be
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effective coaches. Research examining coach
learning identifies that there are a number of
different ways coaches learn, including formal
approaches like doing qualifications or attending
courses, but also that coaches place value on
more informal ways of learning such as reflection,
experiential learning and learning from other
coaches 1 . In addition, the mode in which this is
delivered is a rapidly developing landscape.
The ever-advancing development of technology as
a way to communicate and share ideas has seen a
recent surge in online activity by coach developers,
and represents an exciting new challenge for
engaging coaches in the learning process, potentially
providing useful tools with which coach education
might further develop its practices.
Due to the relative infancy of education and
development in coaching, relative to training
conducted in other sectors, this article reviews
three different approaches to learning (collaborative