Developing coaches through a cognitive apprenticeship approach: A case study from adventure sports

A cognitive apprenticeship (CA) approach to the development of professional judgement and decision making has been examined in a variety of professional contexts in recent years. More recently several authors have theorised that CA may be an effective approach to developing judgement and decision making in outdoor professionals. This paper reports on a unique study of an in-house national coach development programme in the Outward Bound Trust (the Trust) in the UK. It examines the extent to which a CA framework is currently utilised in the development of coaches and considers how the current approach to coach development may be enhanced. This embedded mixed methods study proceeded in two parts: firstly a mixed online survey for the coaches, followed by a participatory focus group of the ‘in house’ coach trainers. The results found that aspects of the CA approach are used to varying degrees, depending on the experience and knowledge of the coach trainers, although limitations with the application of the CA approach are compensated by the organisation’s educational culture and through an established community of practice. Additionally, the application is inconsistent across the organisation. The findings highlight the need for increased intentionality, alignment with organisational values, and Trust-wide development of coach trainers in order to expand the existing approach and align it with the application of a CA within the Trust.