ABSTRACT

As we described in an earlier chapter, findings from research on traditional models of professional development suggest that many coaches perceive coach education as failing to meet their individual learning needs (Jones, 2006). For many, traditional approaches to continuing professional development (CPD) lack the relevance and context-specific knowledge to impact their practices. As a result, and where CPD is deemed irrelevant to a coach's individual needs, coaches may sometimes simply ignore new CPD material and continue with what they know, while giving the impression that they are taking new ideas on board (Chesterfield et al., 2010). Indeed, what is striking from the relatively little research in the field of CPD for football coaches is a degree of consensus which suggests that existing CPD is divorced from the reality of practice (Jones & Wallace, 2005), does not take into account individual needs (Nelson & Cushion, 2006), is not sustained (Jones et al., 2003) and uses evaluation procedures that allow for an attendance model of learning (Nelson et al., 2013). Taken together, these findings mean that relatively little change has been captured in practice.