Coach Education & Development as Complex Interventions: Implementation of Evidence-guided Practice

Abstract

Background Ideally, coaching interventions such as coach education, development and CPD activities should be evidence-guided and demonstrate that they are likely to be effective in changing coach behaviour. However, translating research evidence into advances in practice is challenging (Michie et al., 2005; Bishop, 2008). Reasons relate to the complex, entangled, ever-changing, disparate and incoherent coaching ecosystem (Moore, 2021), the methods of scientific enquiry (Bishop, 2008) and the philosophical nature (North, 2013) of sport coaching research. Furthermore, most interventions are complex, involving interactions of multiple components at organisational and individual level (Craig et al., 2015). Therefore, the aim of this project was to develop a model, grounded in behaviour change science, to support the development of effective coaching interventions. Methods A Critical Realist ontology (Bhaskar, 1995; Gorski, 2013) was adopted as both researchers are embedded within the UK coaching system, which allows them to recognise the complex relational and emergent nature of coaching interventions (North, 2017). A logic model was developed (Pawson and Tilley, 1997) in which system inputs were informed on by Bailey et al. (2010), Moore (2021) and by the authors expertise of working in ‘the system’. The Medical Research Council guidance model for complex interventions (Moore et al., 2015) and the theoretical domains framework (Michie et al., 2005) were used for the coaching interventions and mechanisms & mediators of impact aspects of the model. Results The resultant model considers complex inputs, interventions, interactions, outcomes mediating factors which may coalesce around the development of effective coaching interventions.