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

Introduced in 1987 by Donald Schon the notion reflective practice has been identified as a comprehensive mechanism which is fundamental for enhancing the invention, skill and creativity of an individual when they are rendering their services towards the completion or fulfillment of a specific discipline (Ferraro, 2000). The vast scope of application which is associated with the concept of reflective practice is largely linked with meeting the purpose of enhancing professionalism and readily broadening the manner in which an individual partakes in conducting a specific profession, occupation or discipline of interest or relevance. However, the ultimate goal or aim of conducting and/or participating in the process of reflective practice as suggested by the creator of the notion Donald Schon is to adopt “…reflective practice as a way for beginners in a discipline to recognize consonance between their own individual practices and those of successful practitioners” (Ferraro 2000, p. 2). It is apparent that when approaching the topic of professionalism and maintaining the essential etiquettes for conducting one’s self as a part of a discipline the notion of what constitutes of professionalism maybe challenged if not completely spark a row of disagreements on the part of individuals. Considering this understanding, the argument which has been developed in this paper abides by a standard definition of what should comprise of traits of professionals and professionalism itself for the purpose of advancing the discussion on the approach and role of reflective practice with regard to the professional development of a sports coach/educator. According to Tarrant (2013), the journey which must be completed during the course of becoming a professional or abiding by the principles of professionalism includes the identification of a critical measure which cannot be ignored and that specific factor or aspect is that of developing a professional identity. In more ways than one a individual’s professional identity embodies an individual’s performance at his/her work (Tarrant, 2013) however, this concept cannot be solely regarded as a factor which becomes evident by assessing and examining the outcomes which have been achieved by an individual when conducting the prescribed tasks or duties of a profession. For example in their research which discusses the creation of professional identities amongst medical residents, Pratt, Rockmann and Kaufmann (2006) suggest that the establishment of a professional identity is an evolutionary process whereby, an individual is not expected to let go off the transitory mechanisms of work or task completion which he/she has assembled in the quest for achieving a professional identity. In fact, the significance of these specific elements is critical and cannot be ignored because they act as an irreplaceable foundation for building the future of a professional identity until it has reached a state of maturity (Sullivan 2000; Pratt, Rockmann and Kaufmann, 2006; Hamilton, 2008). As noted previously, the research which has been conducted in this paper applies the concept of reflective practice upon the professional scope and dimension of a sports coach/educator’s profession so as to understand and comprehend the role which this fundamental concept plays in aiding their professional development and enhancement. In her research regarding the notion of professionalism and how an understanding of the same can allow practitioners to effectively apply the concept of reflective practice Sachs (2003) asserts that regardless of societal, cultural or geographic barriers and differences the view which is held by individuals on the defining the meaning of the term ‘professionalism’ echoes an understanding which suggests that in lieu of abiding by a collective comprehension of what must constitute of a group identity, professionalism is most vividly seen in and demonstrated by the individual’s personal actions which culminate into an expression of behaviors and the execution of his/her actions. According to Tarrant (2013), as an individual begins to recognize and explore the opportunities which define professionalism and begins to explore the scope of reflective practice as a mechanism which allows the achievement of professional traits, characteristics and etiquettes a reality the true potential of reflection is realized and explored in a profound and in-depth manner. Thus, the crux of the notion of reflective practice lies in contemplating about one’s self and the external environment (Davies, 1995; Gelter, 2003; Tarrant, 2013). The preceding discussion establishes the foundation for applying the concept of reflective practice in a comprehensive and insightful manner upon the concept of professional development of a sports coach/educator. Henceforth, the critical explanations and evaluation which follow this part of the analysis specifically apply the concepts and definitions which have been explored so far so as to understand the role of this mechanism in aiding the professional development of a sports coach/educator and whether this tool of professional development can be deemed as effective or beneficial for advancing and polishing the skills of a sports coach/educator. The research of Knowles et al. (2001) adopts the models of reflective practice as they have been utilized in the field of nursing and the educational development of teachers to critically evaluate whether they can be applied in a similar manner in to aid the development of reflective sports coaches. Moreover, the research also explores the phases or levels of reflective practice which have been formulated through prior research work in the stated fields. Most importantly, the study incorporates the provisions of what is termed as a ‘reflective skills development programme’ to report pertinent findings and conclusions on the development of reflective coaches through reflective practice. The development of reflective practice and skills by following a systematic framework has remained a key highlight of several researches in a wide array of disciplines including nursing (Glaze, 2001; Kuiper and Pesut, 2004) and education (Bullough, 1989; Morrison, 1996; Lashley, 1999) The application of the reported mechanisms of reflective practice in the field of academia which has been later replicated to meet the requirements of sports development is based on a two-way model of supported reflective practice. In this scenario, the critical factor of consideration for practitioners is that of ‘feedback’ whereby, in the first stage feedback is provided for patterns of training and teaching procedures while, in the second stage this procedure is reviewed and evaluated through the means of feedback (Bell, 2001). Accordingly, another milestone in the field of practitioner development which has been identified in the research of Crawford et al. (2006) focuses upon meeting the objectives of creating reflective practitioners. The tenets of this program or mechanism are based upon implementing a project based system of promoting reflective practice under which academic initiatives are designed in a comprehensive manner and then applied to a particular discipline to achieve designated objectives of the execution of the model (Crawford et al., 2006). Similarly, the practical study of Knowles et al. (2001) on the subject follows analogous principles and fundamentals to formulate a 5-Stage model to explore the implementation of reflective practice in a sports coaching programme. The findings of the study which comprised of a sample size of eight sports coaches suggests that intermittent examinations of the level of reflection which has been achieved by the coaches during the course of the program vary with reference to each passing stage. Therefore, while the reflection periods are variable it has also been determined that the level of demonstrated skill sets, the degree of confidence which is possessed by each member of the sample and the reflective traits of sample members possess a correlation with the respective stage of reflection at which the individual stands during a given period of time (Knowles et al., 2001). While, the study of Knowles et al. (2001) examines the progressive changes in the learning experiences of sports coaches during the execution of a ‘reflective skills development programme’ it does not outline whether such mechanisms and models can be singlehandedly attributed for promoting reflective practice in sports coaches thereby, eliminating the possibility of external factors in aiding the professional development of sports coaches and educators. However, Cushion, Armour and Jones (2003) outline in their research that the most important models of reference for sports coaches can be classified under two categories 1) experience and 2) conducting observation of other individuals’ actions which have positively contributed in the field. Nonetheless, Cushion, Armour and Jones (2003) reaffirm that the significance of incorporating reflective practice in learning cannot be ignored primarily because of the fact that the structure of sports coaching is rooted in the establishment of hierarchal models and under this process it is most essential to not ignore the implications of undergoing reflective practice. However, the key aspect in this scenario is to identify the scope of coach education and understand the importance of educational mechanisms in enhancing the level of skills and attributes rather than solely relying upon secondary observations and learning of coaching techniques and other aspects of consideration. Knowles, Borrie and Telfer (2005) note that the trends in demand for sports coaches and the fact that the training facilities for equipping potential coaches with necessary expertise remains quite scarce and largely inadequate in comparison with the outlined requirements, the scope of sports coaching remains largely unexplored and uncharted. Henceforth, the role of reflective practice in this regard is to augment the abilities of sports coaches and strengthen the potential of their educational learning to discover the full scale of the application of their skills and expertise with regard to the prospective scenarios which may emerge during the course of their careers. Even though, the research recommendations of Knowles, Borrie and Telfer (2006) substantiate the unmatched importance of incorporating reflective skills mechanisms in sports coaching programs and frameworks, the conclusions of their study indicate that in the present scenario, the formulation of sports coaching initiatives is rarely able to incorporate the full scope of mechanisms and tools which have the potential to instill reflective practice amongst sports coaches. The crux of this study therefore, points out the fact that reflective practice frameworks are characterized by a innate flaw which deters sports coaches from fully accepting the benefits of reflective practice or understanding what the concept entails. Henceforth, while it is established that the role of reflective practice in sports coaching and education is pivotal, practitioners must understand and realize that sports coaching programs should be extensively equipped with mechanisms which are conducive to the promotion of reflective practice otherwise, sports coaches and educators may only experience benefits through mentoring rather than reaping the advantages of professional development (West et al., 2001; Knowles, Borrie and Telfer, 2006; Taylor and Garratt, 2010). Accordingly, the proposed model of Knowles and Gilbourne (2004) with regard to the notion of reflective practice establishes a case for advocating the integration of mechanisms, approaches and techniques which can be adopted to enhance the psychological dimension of sports coaching. This framework essentially postulates that reflective practice must be undertaken “…as an approach to professional training and development that can assist practitioners in effectively managing themselves in practice” (Knowles and Gilbourne 2004, p. 188). To comprehensively explore the concept of applying reflective practice in the realm of sports, it is critical to identify and assess the specific models which can be integrated so as to highlight the role of reflective practice in the professional development of sports coaches and educators. The first framework in this case can be identified as that of the ‘What and When Reflection’. As noted by Boyd and Fales (1983), the purpose of this mechanism is to evoke learning from a variety of experiences and eventually guide the individual towards the in-depth exploration of issues and causes of concern thereby, organizing thoughts, identities and perspectives to arrive at pertinent conclusions for the purposes of aiding the resolution of the matter or impending issue. Accordingly another alternative model for promoting reflective practice is based upon six stages which must be adopted to reach desired aims and objectives. The framework which has been developed by Gibbs (1988) focuses on 1) understanding the ongoing matters which occurred during a specific consultation 2) identifying the individual’s thought process as it occurred and progressed during the course of the consultation 3) examining the evaluative aspects of the consultation process 4) understanding the purpose, meaning and context of the consultation 5) gathering the outcome of the consultation to identify weaknesses and issues which must be addressed in the future and 6) developing a plan of action for shaping the course of future consultative ventures. Alternatively, Wilson (2008) states that with the promotion of new technologies in the sports arena and the increasing utilization of innovation including video technology to reach fair verdicts and enhance future performance. Henceforth, it is possible to identify video as a critical mechanism for aiding reflective practice (Carson, 2008). The research of Carson (2008) establishes that the recording of coaching practice on video acts as experience for the coach to revisit and evaluate later. Eventually, the adoption of this mechanism can be identified as being most important for amateur sports coaches and educators because it allows them to assess their performance, highlight imminent issues and develop on the positive attributes which have been displayed through the video (Carson, 2008). Similarly, the conclusions which have been drawn from the study of Irwin, Hanton and Kerwin (2004) suggest that the foundations of the emergence of elite coaching knowledge as it specifically applies to transitional phases which are observed in the field of men’s artistic gymnastics reflects the possibility of incorporating reflective practice. Thus, it can be identified that the primary goal of the research conducted by Irwin, Hanton and Kerwin (2004) is to establish whether the elite coaching knowledge which is acquired by the coaches in the field is a consequence of conducting reflective practice. The sample size of this study which focuses on the techniques and approaches of sixteen sports coaches in men’s artistic gymnastics supports theoretical findings that reflective practice is conducive towards the enhancement and expansion of a coach’s knowledge base, an understanding of one’s self and the creation of a more balanced relationship with the discipline to achieve professionalism. Moreover, the evaluation of Irwin, Hanton and Kerwin’s (2004) research holds important implications for further research and studies on reflective practice because the sample size is restricted towards the exploration of elite coaches and the process which they adopted to acquire their extensive knowledge base. With regard to identifying the most critical facets which were demonstrated by each of the elite coaches in the sample size, the researchers highlight the observation that the skill set and the knowledge base of each coach and the process on which they relied upon to acquire the same comprised of focusing upon experiential learning and maintaining a strong sense of individuality (Irwin, Hanton and Kerwin, 2004). Overall, the role of reflective practice in this scenario and with reference to this particular sample size of elite coaches was realized when these individuals embarked upon further enhancing their skill set by participating in coaching clinics and mentoring programs. The research corroborates the ‘What and When Reflection’ model of Boyd and Fales (1983) by declaring that the individual’s experiences in mentorship and coaching clinics counted as the most significant elements to promote reflective practice and strengthen the coaching mechanisms and approaches which they gradually learnt to rely upon. While, the analysis which has been conducted thus far establishes that reflective practice is a critical element in aiding and advancing the professional development of sports coaches and educators, the scope of applying reflective practice and its associated mechanisms has remained confined to either elite coaches or practitioners which are still undergoing their training and hence, have access to a prescribed curriculum for developing approaches and appropriate mechanisms when they experience a lack of confidence or seek help in establishing a model for reflective practice. However, Knowles et al. (2006) believe that in order to explore the true extent of the effectiveness of reflective practice mechanisms which are taught to prospective practitioners at graduate level, it is important to identify whether a sample size of graduate sports practitioners can still demonstrate reflective practice when they are no longer confined to a controlled scenario of a curriculum-based campus learning environment. This particular study applies the six-staged model of Gibbs (1988) to acquire relevant data and information to evaluate the sports graduates’ ability to demonstrate reflective practice at a practical level. The findings of this research have critical implications for the training of future sports practitioners and coaches because they claim that the ability of graduates to conduct reflective practice is essentially variable and is not uniform for each graduate once he/she is faced with a practical scenario in which to apply their learning (Knowles et al., 2006). However, the research also recognizes the evident reasons for the presence of these representations of reflective practice amongst graduates. The primary reasons for this observation can therefore, be identified as sharing a relation with the relatively short tenure of sports coaches and practitioners and the absence of mechanisms to hold professionals accountable for the decisions which they have taken to meet desired objectives and goals (Knowles et al., 2006). The mechanisms for promoting reflective practice have emerged as a direct consequence of the development of sports on a professional scale (Carson, 2008). As the demand for quality sports practitioners and coaches increases, their training and education has taken a turn towards betterment while, in the past only players were acknowledged to be the primary targets of training and educational practice. However, with the rise in the number of elite coaches and the subsequent expansion of the knowledge base of practitioners it is critical to evaluate the role of reflective practice in promoting strengths in current practice and restricting the impact of weaknesses on desired outcomes. As discussed in this paper, the models of reflective practice may range from traditional applications and concepts to the more contemporary ones which incorporate the use of video technology and related innovations to equip practitioners with the ability to learn from prior experiences. Nonetheless, while the role of reflective practice in training amateur coaches remains unmatched it is important to learn from the experiences of elite coaches to devise mechanisms of reflective practice for further implementation. For example, this paper focused on the creation of experiences as a fundamental implication in reflective practice. This concept is noted in several researches (Ferry and Ross-Gordon, 1998; Lyons, 1999 Knowles et al., 2001; Knowles, Borrie and Telfer 2006; Mann, Gordon and MacLeod, 2009). However, in order to make reflective practice more effective it is important to devise approaches to evaluate these experiences and maximize the potential of coach’s learning through reflective practice. References References Bell, M. (2001). Supported reflective practice: a programme of peer observation and feedback for academic teaching development. International Journal for Academic Development, 6(1), 29-39. Boyd, E. M., & Fales, A. W. (1983). Reflective learning key to learning from experience. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 23(2), 99-117. Bullough, R. V. (1989). Teacher education and teacher reflectivity. Journal of Teacher Education, 40(2), 15-21. Carson, F. (2008). 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