However , it is the blending rather than separation of learning experiences that is significant , and we still need to know more about how experiences combine to influence the overall picture of coaches ’ learning and development .
3 . Show me the evidence
Twenty years ago , we had pretty much no evidence that formal learning situations ( i . e . coach education courses ) had any impact on coaches at all . The most thorough study available was with just one Canadian ice hockey coach , and it found only very small changes in the coach ’ s knowledge and behaviours after attending a course ( Gilbert & Trudel , 1999 ). Evidence that ‘ captured ’ learning from formal coach education together with the combined impact of more informal situations such as observing and reflecting on coaching experiences was hard to pin down . Not a lot has changed with the ability to be definitive about the impacts of coaches ’ learning , but thanks to more sophisticated research designs and some updated reviews we do have a slightly clearer picture of ‘ what works ’ in certain circumstances and how to find it . It often seemed that ‘ knowledge transfer ’ of sportspecific , technical and bioscientific content tended to lack relevance for coaches , whereas now it is increasingly recognised that a shift in focus is appropriate . Evidence suggests that helping coaches to actively construct knowledge through participatory social interaction and reflecting on how the context influences their practice , and learning , is valuable ( e . g . Trudel , Milistetd & Culver , 2020 ).
4 . Learner-centred approaches - a word of caution
The last 10 years has seen a lot of enthusiasm for person-centred or athlete-centred coaching . In coach development the equivalent ‘ learnercentred ’ approaches are often aligned with constructivist-informed theoretical ideas . For example , you might be more likely to encounter a coach education course that takes place ‘ in situ ’ at your club with a facilitator or even be part of a shared online ‘ social learning space ’, supporting you to make ( i . e . construct ) meaning of new content ( Paquette & Trudel , 2018 ). However , there are often unacknowledged underpinnings and unintended consequences of wellintended ‘ learner-centred ’ actions . As an example , reflective practice is often recommended as wholly beneficial but recent research suggests it ’ s effects can also limit and constrain coaches ’ thinking , reinforcing existing practice and power relations ( Downham & Cushion , 2020 ). Overall , it is important to understand the theories informing different approaches to enable their effective application in different situations . There is still not a lot of evidence available to explain the effects of learner-centred initiatives on coaches ’ learning , or if they are indeed any better than what we did and had before .
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