Primary School P.E. Coach Development in a Football Club Community Foundation: Using Participatory Action Research to Enable Coaches to Embed Life Skills in Primary School P.E.

The purpose of this research was to examine the influences on primary school P.E. coaches’ ability to embed life skills in lessons. The research had two aims. The first aim was to examine the ecological influences that impact coach behaviour change, and explain how these influences impacted coaches’ ability to change their practice and embed life skills in their lessons. The second aim was to use Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a vehicle to engage coaches in this process of change. PAR is a collaborative, systematic and cyclical qualitative method, whereby the researcher and the participants work together to examine issues affecting and subsequently improve the participants’ lives. The approach contends that knowing is based upon experience, and experience can produce knowledge that influences practice, therefore justifying the role of participants as co-researchers. The research aims, and the development of a theory of practice which guided the study, were addressed through a central study, which was composed of three stages. The Introduction and Planning Stage was the first, during which the researcher reviewed relevant literature and made an introductory presentation to the Premier League Football Club Community Foundation (PLCF) staff. The second stage was the Inquiry, Action and Reflection Stage, which was split into five phases, where all data collection and analysis took place. The final stage was the Conclusion Stage, during which the last meetings with participants and stakeholders took place. The Inquiry Action and Reflection Stage is the main study component of the thesis, and comprised five phases. Phase 1 examined the level of understanding of life skills amongst participant coaches. Interview and observation analysis found that prior coach education experiences focused on technical and physical skill development, meaning coaches did not know how to embed life skills in lessons. Additionally, constraints in the primary school context made it difficult for coaches to plan and deliver high quality P.E. lessons. Phase 2 details the iterative, collaborative development of a Life Skills Coaching Resource over 20 months, which increased coach awareness of life skill development and helped them to embed life skills in lessons. Phase 3 assessed coach readiness to engage in a life skills Coach Development Programme. Interview analysis showed that a lack of managerial support and supplementary responsibilities within schools thwarted readiness. Phase 4 assessed the project partnership between PLCF and St. Mary’s. Interview analysis identified a need for more comprehensive planning on behalf of PLCF, and greater support for coaches from school staff to support engagement. Finally, Phase 5 assessed the fidelity of the Coach Development Programme. Interview, observation and reflective diary analysis revealed that coaches embedded life skills in lessons more consistently, and had a greater understanding of life skill development, following programme participation. Collectively the findings illustrate how prior coach education, partnership planning, the primary school P.E. context, and intra-organisational communication had a negative impact on coaches’ understanding of life skills and behaviour change. However, findings also show how utilising PAR to develop a context-specific Coach Development Programme facilitated coach engagement in the partnership, enhanced coach understanding of life skills, and facilitated behaviour change in coaches. Applied implications show that researchers can use PAR to develop coaching knowledge, facilitate coach behaviour change, and develop applied coaching resources. For community football organisations and universities, the findings illustrate the need to plan with secondary stakeholders to empower coaches to actively participate in children’s learning as well as their own professional development. Based on the findings, National Governing Bodies should advocate coach development over coach certification. Collectively, the findings illustrate the contested nature of P.E. provision in primary schools and the need for dialogue amongst stakeholders.