ABSTRACT
Sport coaching research is a developing area of academic interest. It has, however, been criticised for not affecting the everyday practice of coaches. Criticisms have suggested that coaching research is a) divorced from the experiences of sport coaches and b) has failed to account for the complexities of coaching practice. In response to these concerns, this chapter introduces the pedagogical cases concept, which has been developed to aid the professional development of practitioners. Specifically, pedagogical cases are a translational tool that connect grounded accounts of sport pedagogy practice and multidisciplinary theoretical analyses. Thus, pedagogical cases bridge the chasm between theory and practice that characterises much coaching research.
In addition, this chapter also explains the phenomenological approach undertaken to develop the pedagogical cases in Chapters 4-7. Phenomenology aligns with a pedagogical cases framework because it values the subjective experiences of individuals. Additionally, phenomenological research derives rich descriptions of practitioners’ worlds, while simultaneously providing analytical insights that help to explain practitioners’ experiences. Thus, the pedagogical cases informed by phenomenology in Chapters 4-7 are an appropriate and novel addition to literature. Moreover, the pedagogical cases have potential to enhance the professional learning and practice of coaches and coach educators.
