School districts are hiring literacy coaches to provide professional development and followup support for teachers as a means to improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement in reading. A paucity of research exists reflecting a clear analysis of the factors which can be used to determine the effectiveness of a coach. According to a survey conducted by Roller (2006), few districts follow standards developed by the International Reading Association (2003) related to qualifications and experience. This lack of consistency in the training required could influence the effectiveness of the coach. The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of coaches as perceived by administrators, teachers, and the coaches themselves, and to understand the factors that contributed to this effectiveness. In this study, coaches, teachers, and school administrators completed a survey entitled Survey of Perceived Effectiveness of the Literacy Coach (SPELC) to determine how the effectiveness of the coach was perceived by all three groups. Factors predicting the self-rated effectiveness of the coaches were determined. The coaches were also surveyed to collect information on their background and the extent of training they received in the area of literacy coaching to examine the influence these factors had on their perceptions of effectiveness. The sample of participants (n=487) consisted of 54 administrators, 242 teachers, and 191 coaches. The Literacy Coach Perceived Effectiveness Scale (LCES) was developed to measure perceptions of effectiveness using scores derived from 22 items. The SPELC was used to collect data from the participants to compare the effectiveness ratings of literacy coaches. Teachers ix rated the effectiveness of coaches significantly lower (score of 42) than administrators (score of 50.6). Literacy coaches’ perception of their effectiveness was similar to that of the administrators (score of 52.2) The self-reported effectiveness of coaches was used to determine the factors that predicted high perceptions of effectiveness. The two factors of overriding importance were years of coaching experience and university-level training in topics related to literacy coaching. Overall, the findings show the importance of advanced education in reading education in determining the perception of effectiveness of a literacy coach.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the influence of an NCCP coach education module on coaches‟ ongoing learning. Using the theoretical framework of Jarvis (2006) and Moon (2004) to guide the research, this study consisted of three phases: an interview with each of the 10 coaches prior to attending a module to understand their biographies as well as various learning situations they had already experienced; attendance at one of three potential Competition-Development modules, Managing Conflict, Coaching and Leading Effectively, or Psychology of Performance, and an interview with each of the 10 coaches immediately following the module to explore their thoughts, reflections and possible learning within the module; and a third and final interview with each of the 10 coaches three months following the module to explore how they implemented learning from the module, as well as other learning situations that may have occurred within that 3 month timeframe. The findings indicated that the biographies of each of the coaches varied considerably. For example, the coaches‟ athletic experiences ranged from recreational to national level and several of the coaches were still active in sport at a master‟s level. Their formal education levels ranged from high school to completion of a university masters degree, and their ages varied from 21-45. As well, each of the coaches said they learned something from the NCCP coaching module they attended such as a more effective method for communicating with their athletes, strategies to cope better with conflict, and the importance of setting a variety of goals. The findings also indicated that a number of the coaches were open to on-going learning and stated that they would continue to enrol in formal coach education modules.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the influence of an NCCP coach education module on coaches‟ ongoing learning. Using the theoretical framework of Jarvis (2006) and Moon (2004) to guide the research, this study consisted of three phases: an interview with each of the 10 coaches prior to attending a module to understand their biographies as well as various learning situations they had already experienced; attendance at one of three potential Competition-Development modules, Managing Conflict, Coaching and Leading Effectively, or Psychology of Performance, and an interview with each of the 10 coaches immediately following the module to explore their thoughts, reflections and possible learning within the module; and a third and final interview with each of the 10 coaches three months following the module to explore how they implemented learning from the module, as well as other learning situations that may have occurred within that 3 month timeframe. The findings indicated that the biographies of each of the coaches varied considerably. For example, the coaches‟ athletic experiences ranged from recreational to national level and several of the coaches were still active in sport at a master‟s level. Their formal education levels ranged from high school to completion of a university masters degree, and their ages varied from 21-45. As well, each of the coaches said they learned something from the NCCP coaching module they attended such as a more effective method for communicating with their athletes, strategies to cope better with conflict, and the importance of setting a variety of goals. The findings also indicated that a number of the coaches were open to on-going learning and stated that they would continue to enrol in formal coach education modules.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the influence of an NCCP coach education module on coaches‟ ongoing learning. Using the theoretical framework of Jarvis (2006) and Moon (2004) to guide the research, this study consisted of three phases: an interview with each of the 10 coaches prior to attending a module to understand their biographies as well as various learning situations they had already experienced; attendance at one of three potential Competition-Development modules, Managing Conflict, Coaching and Leading Effectively, or Psychology of Performance, and an interview with each of the 10 coaches immediately following the module to explore their thoughts, reflections and possible learning within the module; and a third and final interview with each of the 10 coaches three months following the module to explore how they implemented learning from the module, as well as other learning situations that may have occurred within that 3 month timeframe. The findings indicated that the biographies of each of the coaches varied considerably. For example, the coaches‟ athletic experiences ranged from recreational to national level and several of the coaches were still active in sport at a master‟s level. Their formal education levels ranged from high school to completion of a university masters degree, and their ages varied from 21-45. As well, each of the coaches said they learned something from the NCCP coaching module they attended such as a more effective method for communicating with their athletes, strategies to cope better with conflict, and the importance of setting a variety of goals. The findings also indicated that a number of the coaches were open to on-going learning and stated that they would continue to enrol in formal coach education modules.

The purpose of the present study was to explore the influence of an NCCP coach education module on coaches‟ ongoing learning. Using the theoretical framework of Jarvis (2006) and Moon (2004) to guide the research, this study consisted of three phases: an interview with each of the 10 coaches prior to attending a module to understand their biographies as well as various learning situations they had already experienced; attendance at one of three potential Competition-Development modules, Managing Conflict, Coaching and Leading Effectively, or Psychology of Performance, and an interview with each of the 10 coaches immediately following the module to explore their thoughts, reflections and possible learning within the module; and a third and final interview with each of the 10 coaches three months following the module to explore how they implemented learning from the module, as well as other learning situations that may have occurred within that 3 month timeframe. The findings indicated that the biographies of each of the coaches varied considerably. For example, the coaches‟ athletic experiences ranged from recreational to national level and several of the coaches were still active in sport at a master‟s level. Their formal education levels ranged from high school to completion of a university masters degree, and their ages varied from 21-45. As well, each of the coaches said they learned something from the NCCP coaching module they attended such as a more effective method for communicating with their athletes, strategies to cope better with conflict, and the importance of setting a variety of goals. The findings also indicated that a number of the coaches were open to on-going learning and stated that they would continue to enrol in formal coach education modules.

Using archival analysis and interviews this study examined the career pathways, learning experiences, and athletic experiences of 11 high-performance head hockey coaches who played goal in ice hockey. Guided by the learning situations discussed in Wright, Trudel, and Culver (2007) the interviews revealed four important learning experiences common to all the coaches: coach interactions, books and videotapes, coach clinics and academic education, and experiences related to playing and coaching. Like Werthner and Trudel (2009) the results indicated that certain similarities aside, each coach’s career pathway is idiosyncratic with elite athletic experience being an important, but not imperative, aspect of high-performance coaches’ career development. The findings provide insight into how these individuals acquired their coaching knowledge and provide a more complete picture of the developmental pathways associated with becoming a high-performance head hockey coach.

Using archival analysis and interviews this study examined the career pathways, learning experiences, and athletic experiences of 11 high-performance head hockey coaches who played goal in ice hockey. Guided by the learning situations discussed in Wright, Trudel, and Culver (2007) the interviews revealed four important learning experiences common to all the coaches: coach interactions, books and videotapes, coach clinics and academic education, and experiences related to playing and coaching. Like Werthner and Trudel (2009) the results indicated that certain similarities aside, each coach’s career pathway is idiosyncratic with elite athletic experience being an important, but not imperative, aspect of high-performance coaches’ career development. The findings provide insight into how these individuals acquired their coaching knowledge and provide a more complete picture of the developmental pathways associated with becoming a high-performance head hockey coach.

No description available.

The success of our Canadian national hockey teams in the international arena offers a platform on which to evaluate our current athlete development initiatives in hockey. Following the Molson Open Ice Summit in 1999, Hockey Canada embarked on several initiatives exploring ways to enhance player development. One of these initiatives was the National Coach Mentorship Program, which emphasizes cooperation between coaches, within a highly competitive environment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the implementation of the NCMP in Manitoba to further understand tensions between emphasis on competitive performance outcome principles in Canadian hockey and collaborative approaches to coach education. Using a community of practice model with semi-structured interviews, complemented by participant observation, this study was completed to provide a greater understanding of tensions in mentoring by analyzing the program’s formal parameters and design and its’ current manifestation in concrete mentoring relationships in the Manitoba hockey coaching community.

The success of our Canadian national hockey teams in the international arena offers a platform on which to evaluate our current athlete development initiatives in hockey. Following the Molson Open Ice Summit in 1999, Hockey Canada embarked on several initiatives exploring ways to enhance player development. One of these initiatives was the National Coach Mentorship Program, which emphasizes cooperation between coaches, within a highly competitive environment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the implementation of the NCMP in Manitoba to further understand tensions between emphasis on competitive performance outcome principles in Canadian hockey and collaborative approaches to coach education. Using a community of practice model with semi-structured interviews, complemented by participant observation, this study was completed to provide a greater understanding of tensions in mentoring by analyzing the program’s formal parameters and design and its’ current manifestation in concrete mentoring relationships in the Manitoba hockey coaching community.