an element of a learning experience might be new to the coach yet would ‘ fit in ’ with what they already knew , did , valued or believed . It was at this stage that the concept would pass through the individual-level filter ( in the middle ), enabling it to be tried out in practice . I hope the figure provides a memorable visual to help understand why individuals experiencing the same situation will come away ‘ unevenly ’, having learned different things . But I suppose that might depend on whether you count ‘ coffee connoisseur ’ as part of your biography !
7 . Context is key when trying new things out
To extend the coffee metaphor , once you have your cup full , the next thing you ’ d do is try it ( the lower half of figure 1 ). If you needed a bit of a boost first thing in the morning , you might adapt it by adding a bit of sugar first , or if it ’ s late in the day you might even leave the coffee altogether . In other words , the context is influential when trying things out .
Bringing it back to what the coaches in my study said about their learning , if a new concept fitted in with their biography but wasn ’ t right for the context they were working within , then they wouldn ’ t try it in practice . They might however adapt it for their particular group or club setting , then give it a go .
To summarise these findings : individuals made their own sense of concepts according to their beliefs about how the new knowledge could be used . However , certain working contexts might limit learning , especially if coaches don ’ t have wider knowledge or support from others that allows or encourages them to adapt new ideas before or after trying them out .
8 . Reflective conversations can mediate learning from experience
Extending what I learnt from my research , there was a final stage in the coaches ’ learning process represented by the smaller loop ( box 4 ) at the foot of figure 1 . By ‘ mediate learning from experience ’ I , and other researchers , suggest this additional reflective cycle allows coaches to learn from their practice .
Once coaches believed that new knowledge would work in context , perhaps with some adaptation , their next step was to apply it and experiment with using it . They did this through a ‘ reflective conversation ’. Rather than just a discussion , reflective conversations draw from the work of Donald Schön ( 1978 ), characterising the repeating spiral of appreciation ( setting the problem ), action ( generating ideas or strategies , experimenting , and evaluating ) and reappreciation . This reflective cycle focused heavily on ‘ what works ’ and led to changes in biography ahead of the next learning opportunity . This part of the process suggests that coaches who can deliberately ask themselves , perhaps with the help of others : how well did that new idea work in practice , and how do we know ? How could it be adapted and tried again ?’ are likely to get the most from their learning experiences .
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