The Role of Reflective Practice in the Professional Development of Sports Coach - Term Paper Example

Sports coaching - A critical review of the role of reflective practice in the professional development of sports coach/educator Introduction Sports coaching encompass managing an array of activities and demands which broadly includes positively influencing the performers and the environment for performance (Burnard & Hennessy, 2006, p. 106). This entails dealing with the actual coaching duties, liaison with sponsors and funding agencies, developing psychological and social environments. Despite these demanding tasks and challenges, coaches’ performance is mainly based on the outcome of competitive performance. According to (Mcgregor & Cartwright, 2011, p. 287), reflective practice is a means of analyzing and evaluating process that are used as an improvement tool to create a positive change in practice or rather the process of an individual studying their own experience so as to enhance in their work through learning. It basically entails looking back at the past series of events and assessing what has happened during the action or event, making some sense out of it, then deducing useful conclusions from it in order to make effective changes on it to make it better. Mental skills and knowledge creates the basis of professional coaching with the mental skills being the major focus. The cognitive representation also known as a schema refers to the mental model of potential possessed by an athlete. The coach uses the schema to determine every action during coaching to ensure that the full potential of the athlete is realized. Thus expertise in coaching depends on the ability of the coach to think critically and make sound decisions based on his or her skills. The coaching models propose that the cognitive representation of a coach propels coaching to requirements of developing a player and a team at the end. It is worth noting that besides the formal reflection learned at the university there is informal reflection that comes in hand and equally important especially when handling urgent real world situation when time is limited. The informal reflection in action may include other coaches, the players, and friends that work with the coach. Embracing of reflective practice has attained wider recognition as an essential way of developing professional and personal skills throughout the industry including coaching in sports, which has experienced extra attention in outlining the benefits of reflective practice to enhance further learning and development of proactive coaches. The elevated need of successful coaching in which practitioners’ protectiveness interest, geographical location and isolation has been a hindering factor to coaches’ development. It therefore necessitated the development of a reflective technique composed of documented account based on reflective models and mentoring created by elite coaches. Some of the methods adopted and review employed include; Reflective practice for sport coaches, Challenges within equestrian coaching, Mentoring aimed at enhancing reflective practices and the utility of written reflection. Reflection is a practice which links knowledge and experience hence a basis in experimental learning. In most cases research has shown that coaches learn from reflection on coaching practical experience acquired rather than theoretical knowledge. In reflective learning coaches are urged to explore the experience in relation to the decision they made to enhance self aware and their practice. Moreover it has been declared that reflection process include obtaining evidence that support using ones’ belief and knowledge, then allowing assumptions based on the same to be utilized in future decision making hence enabling a more informed approach in decision making and problem solving in complex environmental set up. This therefore creates and develops an equestrian coach able to maintain a high standard performance. Despite the associated benefits of reflection there is poor literature and absence of specific reflective skills and documented strategy to guide towards its achievement. It has been mentioned that although invisible, reflection is the answer to make learning and teaching process open and understandable. Equestrian coaches are obliged to take personalized continuing professional development (CPD) in every two years. Over the years there have been adoptions of an informal practice as opposed to formal coaches’ education due to limited opportunities in formal education. The chief role of instructors is facilitation of progression and skills. For example there is a triad relationship between a horse, a ride and the coach (triad environment). When working with the horse and rider a more personal reflection approach is employed. In England horse rider has become more readily skilled in the potential to reflect upon their performance or horse performance aided by the horse riders relationship moreover a number of equestrian coaches emanate from being former riders, and it follows that a former rider is deemed a more successful coach if he pursues it. Although the challenge still remains of reflecting one’s self as a coach and forge the familiar dyad relationship into a triad environment. Nonetheless, there is a hindrance in that the idea that coaches fancy to learn from some other coaches hence making it difficult as a huge number of equestrian coach occurs in an unsupervised capacity. Mentors are necessary for the development of reflective practice. Personal knowledge and understanding may cause a hindrance to personal reflection but with the platform such as forum it is possible to share our experiences with others thus interchanging our views. The utility was investigated using the study of R- cards in a reflective practice and each of the three coaches had an R-card designed for them on the cards they were to write down the reflection as the coaching practice continues to establish a point of reference for future in-depth reflection. In most cases the knowledge that the coach learn in theory or education course become less practical and more difficult to do with their teams and performance thus a gap develops between the theory and the real practice therefore it is important for a coach to develop a knowledge in action which is very useful for effective coaching in sports. This can be achieved through experience practices, information from fellow coaches and the team players. Reflective practice has a process aids in the decision making and experiences of the coaches and as a result this leads to the improvement of their understanding, management as well as their practice. Reflection forms a relationship between the use of professional knowledge and the practice forming a real hand-on experience. There are several reflective models that are applied in the sport psychology practice to elaborate more on the meaning and importance of the reflection for the coach and the team. The education provided by the coach have main factors associated will it and they include practice context, roles of the coach, reflective skills support and training. The process of personal reflection is usually limited by knowledge of the individual which can be circumvented by exchanging knowledge with other coaches so as to understand better and develop more. One of the major setbacks in this field of coaching is that most of the coaches practice in isolation and thus it becomes difficult for them to share experiences. This study was carried out using graduates from a university in UK with bachelors degree in coaching science (N=6) the group was represented by three sports which included hockey (n=1), tennis (n=1), football (n=4). All the participants went through two academic years learning reflective practice that allowed practical, critical and technical level. At the third year critical reflection showed that the beliefs of an individual together with the principles of effective coaching were related to the outcome of learning. The process of interview was reflective and emphasized in Gibb’s sixth stage reflective model. In year two of academics curriculum the Gibb’s model was introduced to act as the reflective guide. Before the interview the participants were directed to go back to their reflective journal, reflective report of end year and other reflections since graduation. Data saturation was used in the monitoring of the progression of the interview and also in the differences in the duration of the interview. The participants were selected after they had learnt the ethical issues in the institution and filled the consent form that they had been enlightened about before .After they had filled the consent form, all of them meet research team to discuss about the study and what they know about it. The meeting was convened at a neutral venue. The procedure was being conducted with an assumption that that only the participants with reflective experiences were educated and that it would not be easy to obtain a true representation. Reflection of the critical coaching incident was required from the participants each week for a period of three months of the study .In order to reduce the chances of memory decay as well as to enhance the memory of the participants experiences, all of them were interviewed immediately they submitted their final reflection and this was done within two days. A booklet that prepared them for the interview was sent to each participant two days before the actual interview. This was done to ensure that the in-depth information retrieval was maximized and most of the data recalled. All the interviews were recorded in audio tapes and also transcribed verbatim then each of them were carried out between 30-45 minutes. Both the inductive and deductive content analysis parts of the investigation were used in the interpretation of the data. The procedure used to analyze the data had five major steps. i. The transcripts of the interview were read by all the participants of the research team so as to have deeper and better understanding of the data. ii. The themes that were obtained from the literature of the categorized and coded data were used in deductive analysis. iii. Inductive analysis of the transcripts was carried out by pointing out the data that were categorized by themes that are deductive into clusters that are meaningful. iv. The deductive procedures were used to re-analyze the transcripts and this involved the themes that were inductive. v. Validation procedures that involved consensus of the team discussion and their agreement concerning the last themes and what it entailed. The obtained results were grouped into two that is, the reflective practice and the emergent themes identification produced from the participants and mentoring support to the participants offered by the research respectively. Participants in a study constantly referred to several factors and attributed them to a positive impact that structured reflection contributed to their coaching. These factors included; This involved improved confidence, understanding of both ones strengths and limitations hence it was linked to reflective practice in the sense that it improved focused internal thinking at the same time giving positive affirmation of the coach. This induced the sense of learning about the environment as well as the athletes and consequently linked to reflective practice because it covered on all aspects of coaching while provoking questions that lead to different and new way of thinking. This benefit lead to making informed decisions and enacting context specific changes which eventually lead to enabled focus on alternative approaches and invoking questions that challenge the ‘norm’. In general reflective practice is an approach that aids and assists practitioners in the process of self awareness. In the study of sports psychology, neophytes practitioners have indicated how reflection on experience has improved self awareness, thus it is believed practitioners have an upper hand and equipped with a better judgment with an ability to make more informed decisions resulting more effective ways tackling issues. Participants also indicated that they acquired the ability to understand their environment better during the coaching process. They further indicated that by attempting to reflect they had the potential to have a clearer and better understanding and consider their athletes requirements and needs. To function well within the coaching process it was confirmed that the ability to generate context specific knowledge through reflection was a vital role which helped coaching process and functions efficiency. Some participants believed that reflecting in a structured way boosted their practice and additionally helping to create positive changes within their practice. One participant commented that learning about what you do well and where you need to move forward and progress is only effected by change. These sentiments are tandem with similar findings that suggested that individuals assess their experience in order to develop a new approach and understanding therefore creating and enacting change. According to (Hay, 2007, p. 219), coaches should be allowed to have the opportunity to develop their understanding of reflective practice which includes definitions, the purpose and the process of reflective practice. Hence in so doing coaches will have a reduced chance of involving in other processes like simple evaluation which is a less effective approach. Once a better understanding is established the process will feel more comfortable hence a lower level of stress, discomfort and anxiety. It is also recommended that the challenge of contradiction between preconceived tutor ideas and an existing understanding of the student is appreciated. Reflective practice is a complex process that engages the entire person’s emotion, behavior and cognitions. It is therefore apparent that every individual will reflect at different levels and in different ways. Education can be implemented in form of a workshop as a part of coach education program or a part of professional development program. In practice, reflection practice seldom appears as a mainstream in workshops, it can therefore be asserted that coaches are denied a development opportunity in that line and the thus lacks the knowledge required to effectively engage in the process. Such endeavors should utilize expertise available since teaching reflection educators require both reflective practitioners experts and for them to take part in the process themselves. The content and workshop structure has to be in line with the topic thus eliminate the notion that reflective workshop is just as something extra to be done hence dispelling a negative effect on the motivation towards the process. To improve the level of intervention mentoring is essential, this initiative can be achieved by learning from other professions. The process exposes trainees to a process of supervised experience thus enabling direct interaction and learning between the two parties throughout the training sessions. Despite the fact that this approach has a profound impact, it is paramount for the organizations to choose carefully a person who qualifies to be a mentor otherwise, the initiative will have less or no impact (Bulman & Schutz, 2013, p. 73). For example what distinguishes a mentor? Should the mentor have more years in coaching, higher level of qualification or by virtue of their age? It is important to share reflection both in the early stages of development (inexperienced coach) as well as later stages (experienced coach) however often find it less important to share reflections but it is suggested that it is equality important for coaches at both levels to share reflection as its is crucial for helping upcoming coaches to learn from it and make sense out of the experiences. Network development can be created by organizing workshop activities, which in turn enable qualified coaches and trainees to interact on a personal level (Heaney, Oakley & Rea, 2009, p. 48). This could establish a culture of trust, cooperation and collaboration which ultimately create community of formal learning. The initiative can be more effective and have more weight if done properly that is; the participant or coaches should have a similar background in terms of experience, context and similarity of challenges and the problems to be solved. If this is made to happen regularly perhaps quarterly for coaches from representing regions meeting to discuss and reflect upon practice based issues and good practice model to adopt for optimum performance. After the coaches have established an understanding on the application of reflective practice it is extremely important to move in to the next stage of refining and maximizing which includes supporting the coaches to develop their own approach to reflection. Reflective practice should be practice continuously even after the completion of formal training, therefore professional bodies should establish standards and professional stance regarding value, principle, belief and experiences about continuous experimental learning to support coaches in that respect. Reflective coaching practice is rather a coaching disposition than a tool that is picked and dropped down whenever the coach feel necessary to do so, it has to be established as the core, basic or primary aspect of coaching at all levels. It has been suggested that written experiences promote skills and experiences which allow coaches to view their experiences in front of them. Structured reflective practice as recognized by participants in the project has its problems; it’s confusing and time consuming. Therefore it is important for the profession body to put in place the following conditions to undermine the limitation or negative effects. Undertaking appropriate training regarding the use of structure training. Feedback on reflections training regarding nature of the process rather than the reflection content. Continuous mentoring and support should not only assist coaches improve on their practice or identification of appropriate action courses but should rather improve ways in which the reflective practice occur. Different reflective models should be put in place and utilized; this entails use of context specific approach, resource and technology available. Opening up an environment governed by accountability, in the sense that coaches are motivated to reflect in a self-determined way rather than being force as a requirement in the educational program. Conclusion It is apparent that participants had the ability to involve positively in the process of reflection, hence coaching was efficient as the process improved a good cognitive awareness pertaining what they were able to do and this enable them to own both their learning and skills of teaching. The process of mentoring supported the coaches in reflecting their ability. Individuals and organizations considering creating a culture of reflective practice should consider certain factors that greatly affect the impact and results of the process. Among these factors are; the emotion and time issue associated with structured reflective practice; individual and personal understanding and perception about reflective practice; ways in which practitioners are asked to engage in reflective practice; how to maintain, enhance and motivate to constantly engage in reflective practice and ways to facilitate effective and efficient reflective practice by experiential learning. Reference List BARKER, R. (2003). BTEC national sport. London, Heinemann. BULMAN, C., & SCHUTZ, S. (2013). Reflective practice in nursing. Hoboken, Wiley Blackwell. BURNARD, P., & HENNESSY, S. (2006). Reflective practices in arts education. Dordrecht, Springer. DUGDILL, L., CRONE, D., & MURPHY, R. (2009). Physical activity and health promotion: evidence-based approaches to practice. Chichester, U.K., Blackwell. HAY, J. (2007). Reflective practice and supervision for coaches. Maidenhead, Open University Press. HEANEY, C., OAKLEY, B., & REA, S. (2009). Exploring sport and fitness: work-based practice. London, Routledge. HEMMINGS, B. J., & HOLDER, T. P. (2009). Applied sport psychology: a case-based approach. INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY. (1987). The sport psychologist. [Champaign, IL], Human Kinetics Publishers. JASPER, M. (2003). Beginning reflective practice. Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes. MCGREGOR, D., & CARTWRIGHT, L. (2011). Developing reflective practice: a guide for beginning teachers. Berkshire, England, Open University Press. SANYAL, B., VALE, L. J., & ROSAN, C. (2012). Planning ideas that matter: livability, territoriality, governance, and reflective practice. Cambridge, Mass, MIT Press. Read More