Search Results (11)

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. Full article

Interdisciplinarity, characterized by the cohesive integration of knowledge across disciplines, is increasingly recognized as a feature of expert sports coaching practice. Concurrently, the importance of coaches’ decision-making regarding the role and use of athletes’ errors during training has been emphasized from an increasingly interdisciplinary perspective. This study aimed to address the gap between current conceptualizations of effective training design and real-world application by seeking to (a) explore the current application of interdisciplinary knowledge and practice within golf strength and conditioning (S&C) support; (b) examine S&C coaches’ conceptualization of errors made by athletes in the golf S&C environment; (c) understand the role of golf S&C coaches in athlete development. This study used semi-structured interviews to explore eight golf S&C coaches’ (male = 7, female = 1, M_age = 37.8 ± 9.2 years, M_experience = 9.3 ± 2.6 years) perspectives on and experiences of athletes’ errors and interdisciplinary integration. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings revealed that interdisciplinary knowledge integration is infrequent in golf S&C coaching despite practitioners’ recognition of the potential benefits for coaches and athletes. This lack of collaboration and knowledge across coaching domains is exemplified through practitioners’ simplistic conceptualization of athletes’ errors and narrow working scope regarding athlete support. In summary, the findings indicate a clear need for development within golf regarding interdisciplinary knowledge and practice pertaining to support provision. Specifically, encouraging a more developed conceptualization of athletes’ errors in alignment with advances in coaching science would be beneficial. Recommendations are made to support the integration of S&C knowledge across golf coaching domains and stress the importance of developing golf S&C practitioners’ psychosocial competencies during accreditation and professional development. Full article

A large body of evidence highlights the importance of psycho-behavioural skills as a key feature of talent development in sport. The purpose of this study was to explore pedagogic intentions of coaches in the psychological development of athletes. Eleven coaches were purposefully sampled for interview based on a track record of expert practice. Using reflexive thematic analysis, three overarching themes were generated as representing the coaches’ work: knowing and shaping the athlete’s needs, purposeful breadth and flexibility of teaching approaches, using challenge to test skill development, and the necessity of review and refinement. Reflecting these data, we suggest the need for an increased appreciation of the role of the sports coach beyond the technical and tactical, with the recommendation that coaches build their knowledge and skillset across a breadth of domains to support the psychological development of athletes more effectively. Full article

The Multi-Action Plan (MAP) presents as an action-focused, sport-specific, mixed methods intervention model. MAP research characterized four Performance Types (PTs). Each PT operates on an affective, cognitive, behavioral, and psychophysiological level—across performance contexts. In this narrative review, we present a synthesis of our current understanding of MAP research, coupled with offering applied implications and directions for future research. We make the case for investigating the timing of transitions between PTs as our primary area of interest in expanding the MAP framework on a conceptual and applied level. Regarding pre-transition cues, we offer ideas on examining socio-environmental precursors to performance, with the aim of expanding MAP from a psycho-bio (affective, cognitive, behavioral, and psychophysiological dimensions) to a biopsychosocial concept (affective, cognitive, behavioral, psychophysiological, and socio-environmental dimensions). Regarding post-transition, we propose that investigating short- and long-term effort and reward perception will yield valuable insights into athletes’ rationales behind the selection, operationalization, and experience of specific PTs. Finally, and from a pracademic perspective, we reflect critically on the achievements of MAP research thus far and provide specific directions for future research. Full article

(1) Background: The pursuit of excellence is central to most development environments, and this is particularly the case in high-performance sport. Accordingly, we examined some mechanisms for development, focusing on the nature and impact of challenge in the experiences of more or less successful high-level rugby players. (2) Methods: Retrospective interviews were conducted with two groups of players. All had been successful on the development pathway (i.e., recruited to high level academies and selected as age group internationals). Only some had progressed to senior contracts and international selection, offering a basis for contrast. (3) Results: Data suggest the importance of negative experiences in the development of performers and performance. Importantly, however, the impact is dependent on both the skills of the individual and the style, timing and context of the challenge. (4) Conclusions: Negative experiences seemed to offer developmental opportunities wider than just learning to cope, at least for those who eventually succeeded. In short, progress was dependent on an interaction between individual skill, interpretation, context and social setting. The need for coaches and others to develop the appropriate attitudes and approach to challenge is a clear implication. Full article

(1) Background: The interpersonal dimensions of coaching in high performance sport have been subject to increasing scrutiny but with limited evidence to guide practice. Similarly, there is increasing practical interest in the concept of psychological safety, often portrayed as an implicitly desirable characteristic of all sporting environments but, as yet, still to receive research attention in high performance. As a first step to addressing these deficiencies, the present study addressed two research aims: (a) to examine the extent to which matched groups of international and released professional rugby union players perceived psychological safety to be an adaptive feature of their developmental experience and (b) to understand what elements of the player’s coaching experience were perceived to be enabling or disenabling of future progress. (2) Methods: Seven rugby union players who had ‘made it’ and eight players who had been released from their professional contracts took part in a semi-structured interview exploring their developmental experiences. Data were subsequently analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. (3) Results: Both groups of players found each of their talent development and high performance environments to be psychologically unsafe. Furthermore, players perceived coaches who were the most impactful in their development as offering ‘tough love’. This included a range of ‘harder’ and ‘softer’ interpersonal approaches that presented the player with clear direction, role clarity and a sense of care. It appeared that this interpersonal approach helped the player to navigate, and benefit from, the psychologically unsafe high performance milieu. (4) Conclusions: There appear to be a number of balances for the coach in the high performance setting to navigate and a need for more nuance in applying constructs such as psychological safety. Full article

(1) Background: There is abundant literature in talent development investigating the relative age effect in talent systems. There is also growing recognition of the reversal of relative age advantage, a phenomenon that sees significantly higher numbers of earlier born players leaving talent systems before the elite level. However, there has been little investigation of the mechanisms that underpin relative age, or advantage reversal. This paper aimed to investigate (a) the lived experience of relative age in talent development (TD) systems, (b) compare the experience of early and late born players, and (c) explore mechanisms influencing individual experiences. (2) Methods: interviews were conducted with a cohort of near elite and elite rugby union players. Data were subsequently analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and findings considered in light of eventual career status. (3) Results: challenge was an ever-present feature of all players journeys, especially at the point of transition to senior rugby. Psycho-behavioural factors seemed to be a primary mediator of the response to challenge. (4) Conclusions: a rethink of approach to the relative age effect is warranted, whilst further investigations of mechanisms are necessary. Relative age appears to be a population-level effect, driven by challenge dynamics. Full article

Research into sports coaches has identified the valuable role they play concerning social support provided to athletes together with their contribution to social and cultural interactions within both the participation and performance domains. The purpose of the present study was to qualitatively extract and examine the knowledge and on-task cognitions of high-level coaches (HLCs) within strength and conditioning (S and C). Applied cognitive task analysis (ACTA) was used to examine ten HLCs, each purposefully sampled to reflect over eight years of work in full time environments. The analysis of responses demonstrated HLCs engage in a pattern of innovative and diverse thinking, together with adaptability and multilevel planning, designed to promote an inclusive approach from performers, coaches and management. Commonality was demonstrated within the decision making of HLCs during the design of training programs. Communication was another important consideration when connecting with athletes, observing athletes, speaking to the head coach and integrating their approach with others. A confident, flexible approach to adapting to situational demands was evident and supported by the ability to recall and select from a wide range of previously learnt and tested strategies. Evidence is offered for the importance of interpersonal and social factors in HLCs’ relationships with athletes and coaches. The incorporation of strategies to support versatile, dynamic decision making within future S and C coach development materials will support more impactful performances by coaches at all stages of the coaching process. Full article

Understanding the combustion dynamics of fuels, and the generation and propagation of smoke in a wildland fire, can inform short-range and long-range pollutant transport models, and help address and mitigate air quality concerns in communities. Smoldering smoke can cause health issues in nearby valley bottoms, and can create hazardous road conditions due to low-visibility. We studied near-field smoke dynamics in a prescribed fire of 3.4 hectares of land in a boreal black spruce forest in central Alberta. Smoke generated from the fire was monitored through a network of five field-deployable micro sensor systems. Sensors were placed within 500–1000 m of the fire area at various angles in downwind. Smoke generated from flaming and smoldering combustions showed distinct characteristics. The propagation rates of flaming and smoldering smoke, based on the fine particulate (PM_2.5) component, were 0.8 and 0.2 m/s, respectively. The flaming smoke was characterized by sharp rise of PM_2.5 in air with concentrations of up to 940 µg/m³, followed by an exponential decay with a half-life of ~10 min. Smoldering combustion related smoke contributed to PM_2.5 concentrations above 1000 µg/m³ with slower decay half-life of ~18 min. PM_2.5 emissions from the burn area during flaming and smoldering phases, integrated over the combustion duration of 2.5 h, were ~15 and ~16 kilograms, respectively, as estimated by our mass balance model. Full article

We present and discuss parameters of a high dynamic range (HDR) image sensor with LED flicker mitigation (LFM) operating in automotive temperature range. The total SNR (SNR including dark fixed pattern noise), of the sensor is degraded by floating diffusion (FD) dark current (DC) and dark signal non-uniformity (DSNU). We present results of FD DC and DSNU reduction, to provide required SNR versus signal level at temperatures up to 120 °C. Additionally we discuss temperature dependencies of quantum efficiency (QE), sensitivity, color effects, and other pixel parameters for backside illuminated image sensors. Comparing +120 °C junction vs. room temperature, in visual range we measured a few relative percent increase, while in 940 nm band range we measured 1.46x increase in sensitivity. Measured change of sensitivity for visual bands—such as blue, green, and red colors—reflected some impact to captured image color accuracy that created slight image color tint at high temperature. The tint is, however, hard to detect visually and may be removed by auto white balancing and temperature adjusted color correction matrixes. Full article

The European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires EU member states to produce and implement river basin management plans, which are to be designed and updated via participatory processes that inform, consult with, and actively involve all interested stakeholders. The assumption of the European Commission is that stakeholder participation, and institutional adaptation and procedural innovation to facilitate it, are essential to the effectiveness of river basin planning and, ultimately, the environmental impact of the Directive. We analyzed official documents and the WFD literature to compare implementation of the Directive in EU member states in the initial WFD planning phase (2000–2009). Examining the development of participatory approaches to river basin management planning, we consider the extent of transformation in EU water governance over the period. Employing a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach, we map the implementation “trajectories” of 13 member states, and then provide a detailed examination of shifts in river basin planning and participation in four member states (Germany, Sweden, Poland and France) to illustrate the diversity of institutional approaches observed. We identify a general tendency towards increased, yet circumscribed, stakeholder participation in river basin management in the member states examined, alongside clear continuities in terms of their respective pre-WFD institutional and procedural arrangements. Overall, the WFD has driven a highly uneven shift to river basin-level planning among the member states, and instigated a range of efforts to institutionalize stakeholder involvement—often through the establishment of advisory groups to bring organized stakeholders into the planning process. Full article