Research methods in sports coaching

Sports coaching has become an established area of academic study, with the number of universities offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees growing considerably over the last 10 years. Accompanying this has been the emergence of research enquiry. Indeed, Gilbert and Trudel’s (2004) review of coaching research from 1970–2001 demonstrated the steady increase in research articles published in coaching between these periods. The field has now reached the point where coaching scholars position their research within a range of philosophical perspectives (i.e. positivist, structuralist, poststructuralist etc.), adopt quantitative, qualitative or mixed methodologies, and employ a range of methods and analysis techniques to answer a variation of questions. Until the publication of this book, “Research Methods in Sports Coaching”, undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking study in coaching, had to rely on generic research methods texts, or draw upon work from more closely related and established fields. What this book does is to address this issue by relating philosophical, theoretical and practical discussion specifically to the field of sports coaching, thus allowing coaching students to better understand and conduct coaching research.

“Research Methods in Sports Coaching” is a comprehensive text consisting of twenty-three chapters divided into six parts. These comprise; (1) philosophical considerations, (2) preparing and initiating the research process, (3) quantitative approaches to coaching research, (4) qualitative approaches to coaching research, (5) contemporary approaches to coaching research, and (6) disseminating coaching research. Part one, philosophical considerations, discusses the paradigm debate and introduces the reader to the terms of ontology, epistemology and methodology. I consider this one of the most vital components of the book as, from my experience, students have considerable difficulty in understanding these terms and how they relate to coaching research. The rest of part one dedicates a chapter to three of the most common philosophical positions adopted by coaching scholars; namely positivism, interpretivism and poststructuralism. Each chapter takes a similar format of introducing the reader to the philosophical position in question, offering implications for where research that adopts this philosophical standpoint can be used in coaching research, before concluding with case studies, which draw upon the works of the chapters’ authors. I found this concluding section to be most powerful in being able to relate my own work to those of experienced researchers. I am sure this is something other readers will find equally valuable.

Part two, “preparing and initiating the research process”, is composed of five chapters. These deal with important considerations that must be taken into account before any research is undertaken. The first chapter here (Chapter 6) deals with the research process and provides a step-by-step guide for readers to follow. While this guide is useful for researchers of all levels, I consider this more applicable for practicing coaches wanting to engage in research or undergraduate students. My experiences are that undertaking research is perhaps slightly messier and iterative than this step-by-step process suggests. In defence of the authors, however, the “reflections on the field” sub section was an excellent account of the realities of the process. Chapter 7 is essential for those students who carry out literature or systematic reviews, rather than conduct a research study. Often this is given short thrift, with the expectation that students know how to do this, rather than something they are taught, or have access to learn more about. The same can be said for Chapter 8, which concentrates on the place of theory in research. A common problem I encounter when reading undergraduate students’ work, is how devoid of theory it is, or that theory has been used inappropriately. So, this chapter is a useful reference point for students in that regard. Chapter 9, writing and presenting research, is what I consider one of the most interesting chapters of the book, and led me to reflect on my own writing. What was particularly useful here was the description of published coaching articles where the research had been written and presented in different ways. The final chapter of this part of the book, Chapter 10, offers guidance regarding ethical considerations. Again, my experiences of supervising students at undergraduate level have taught me that limited attention is paid to the ethics process. This chapter provides a valuable overview that can be followed to ensure research meets ethical standards and requirements. In summary, this part of the book is essential reading for practicing coaches wanting to engage in research activity, or undergraduate coaching students. For postgraduates or early career researchers, this part will serve more as a reference point or refresher to previously learnt material.

Parts three and four address quantitative and qualitative approaches to coaching research, respectively. The first two chapters of each part attend to arguably the most frequently employed methods. For quantitative research in coaching these are questionnaires and systematic observation, and for qualitative research, interviews and ethnography (although technically, ethnography is not a method, but rather a design). All chapters adopt a similar structure of explaining what the method is, how it is employed, and when it should be employed to satisfy certain research questions. Each chapter then departs with reflections from the field, a common theme that runs through the book. The chapters that follow these focus on the analysis and the judging of quantitative and qualitative data. It is these chapters that I consider an extension to most research methods texts, and serve as a mechanism by which readers can reflect on their research. I consider this part of the book to be what undergraduate students would find most valuable. One area or potential chapter I would like to have seen, however, would have been on mixed method research. I fully appreciate that only so much content can be included in any one book, and references were made to mixed method work (e.g. within Chapter 12), but given the calls for this type of work in coaching, I feel an additional chapter on this would have been welcomed.

Part five of the book deals with contemporary approaches in coaching research. As research interest in coaching has grown, so to have the prominence of alternative or different research approaches. Chapters within this section focus on autoethnography, discourse analysis and conversational analysis. For many readers of this book, moving from more accepted or traditional research approaches can be a daunting exercise, with there often being a tendency to stick to “safer” or “tried and tested” methods. From experience, this has often been the result of supervisors not being overtly aware of such approaches and how they can be used to offer a further understanding of coaching. The inclusion of these chapters should lead readers to a better understanding of what these approaches are, and how they can be used in coaching research. In fact, one of these chapters has served as a valuable reference point for my own research. In addition, I would urge readers to engage with other research methods texts that discuss contemporary research methods (such as visual approaches).

The final part of the book concerns the dissemination of coaching research. The first chapter in this part discusses “presenting coaching research”, and appears aimed towards a more undergraduate market, and provides useful advice regarding practical issues faced, and almost offers a “do’s” and “don’t’s” guide. The second chapter, meanwhile, “publishing coaching research”, would be more relevant for postgraduate students, through on a fictitious story that discusses how, in the authors’ experiences, quantitative research has often been prioritised above qualitative work, and how to target appropriate journals that best align with the type of research conducted.

In summary, I consider this book an excellent and worthwhile addition to the existing texts within sports coaching as it fills a much-needed gap. Undergraduate and postgraduate students in particular should find the text of considerable relevance and use throughout their studies. This is because it takes challenging research concepts and relates them to work done in coaching. For coaching researchers, I see this book as a teaching aide for supervising students’ dissertations and contributing to classes with a research element. I have been careful here not to confine use of this book to research methods classes, as I consider it useful where students are required to conduct some/any form of research. For example, I have led modules where students have to video their coaching and analyse the behaviours employed. Therefore, Chapter 12 of this book would have been useful for students in this regard.

A consistent theme running through the book is experienced researchers offering reflections and experiences of conducting research. These reveal interesting insights and allow readers to make connections between theory and practice. A further strength of this book is the links made between chapters. Cross-referencing occurs throughout, which allows the reader to make connections between the philosophical, methodological and practical aspects of study. With these points in mind, I consider “Research Methods in Sports Coaching” as a required or core text on any undergraduate and postgraduate coaching degree programme.

Ed Cope
The University of Hull
[email protected]
© 2016 Ed Cope
https://doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2016.1187381