TY - JOUR

T1 - Learning from the past; a Freirean analysis of FA coach education since 1967

AU - Chapman, R

AU - Richardson, DJ

AU - Cope, E

AU - Cronin, CJ

N1 - This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor Francis in Sport, Education and Society on 08/08/2019, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13573322.2019.1654989

PY - 2019/8/1

Y1 - 2019/8/1

N2 - Formal coach education has been described as an activity which promotes conformity from course attendees. To date, however, few studies have looked at how coach education has been socially constructed over time. The present study addresses this gap and provides a Freirean account of English Football Association (FA) coach education since 1967. Specifically, this study focuses on coach education in the participation domain (grassroots football) where many participants first experience football. Data were collected through an analysis of forty-seven documents including coaching materials and FA policies. In addition, an oral history of sixteen participants whom had all experienced FA coach education were conducted. This paper presents five findings which explain the development of pedagogy over time. The findings illustrate a move away from oppressive, dogmatic pedagogical methods towards a more liberating form of coach education policy. For example, FA formal coach education policy now embraces in-situ methods to situate learning in the lives of coaches. The paper supports the trajectory towards liberation by advocating for more humility and critical-consciousness between tutors and coaches, thus rejecting the concept of banking education. In doing so the paper makes three novel contributions by; (1) describing the development of FA coach education over time; (2) introducing a Freirean theoretical perspective to coach education research; and (3) prompting course tutors to consider how they can enhance their practice to be more liberating. These lessons may benefit educators both in football and other contexts.

AB - Formal coach education has been described as an activity which promotes conformity from course attendees. To date, however, few studies have looked at how coach education has been socially constructed over time. The present study addresses this gap and provides a Freirean account of English Football Association (FA) coach education since 1967. Specifically, this study focuses on coach education in the participation domain (grassroots football) where many participants first experience football. Data were collected through an analysis of forty-seven documents including coaching materials and FA policies. In addition, an oral history of sixteen participants whom had all experienced FA coach education were conducted. This paper presents five findings which explain the development of pedagogy over time. The findings illustrate a move away from oppressive, dogmatic pedagogical methods towards a more liberating form of coach education policy. For example, FA formal coach education policy now embraces in-situ methods to situate learning in the lives of coaches. The paper supports the trajectory towards liberation by advocating for more humility and critical-consciousness between tutors and coaches, thus rejecting the concept of banking education. In doing so the paper makes three novel contributions by; (1) describing the development of FA coach education over time; (2) introducing a Freirean theoretical perspective to coach education research; and (3) prompting course tutors to consider how they can enhance their practice to be more liberating. These lessons may benefit educators both in football and other contexts.

KW - 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy

KW - 1303 Specialist Studies in Education

U2 - 10.1080/13573322.2019.1654989

DO - 10.1080/13573322.2019.1654989

M3 - Article

SP - 681

EP - 697

JO - Sport, Education and Society

JF - Sport, Education and Society

ER -