Graduateness and sports coaching: A preliminary study of coaches’ behaviour using the REVISED Arizona State University Observation Instrument

This project aimed to identify if there were differences in coaching behaviours between coaches trained and educated in less-academic, traditional, governing body of sport approaches (n=6) and those who were educated and trained through Higher Education routes (n=6). Data were gathered from twelve coaches by videoing and audio-recording coaching sessions. The data were analysed using the REVISED ASUOI observation tool, employing an independent-samples t-test to establish differences between the graduate coaches and non-graduate coaches across each of the behaviour categories. Differences were identified in five categories – Learning Intention, Closed Questioning, Open Questioning, Coaches’ Model, and Observation. Graduateness as outlined by Coetzee (2014), was proffered as an explanation of differences. Further work is suggested using conversational analyses to provide a more subtle and nuanced examination of the coaches’ vocabularies and judgements as they communicate.