APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2020 , Vol . 6 aims between levels of development and clear long-term pathways ; poor communication ; lack of funding ; and cultural issues .
The research demonstrates the complex and multidimensional nature of talent development environments and suggests that further investigation is required to understand the characteristics of successful environments .
Method The research involved 13 focus groups and interviews with 67 diverse subject matter experts from across the UK and beyond . The interviews and focus groups were organised thematically , around six subject themes of investigation : talent development , physical development , sports psychology , relationships and well-being , skill acquisition , and nutrition . Within each focus group , research participants were drawn from similar fields .
The sessions were semi-structured in nature , organised and conducted in relation to exploration across these themes , in order to focus the discussions . The sessions were audio recorded and transcribed , and thematic analysis was undertaken of around thirty hours of discussion .
Key findings At the start of the discussions , research participants were asked to describe a high-quality learning and development environment . Key words used to describe a high-quality learning and development environment are presented in the word cloud and the eight most common themes are summarised below .
Accessible
Challenging
Humanistic Enjoyable
Long-term
Individualised
Aligned Adaptive
Holistic
Coherent Person-Centred
Organic
Open
Non-liner
Learning
Informed Planned
Development
Positive
Trusting
Inclusive
Thriving
Aligned
Diverse
Cohesive
Connected
Fluid
Adaptable
Safe
Supportive
Transparent
Open
Competitive
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