Prof D Morley, Prof D Richardson, Dr S Roberts
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Background:
British Cycling are arguably the most successful National Governing Body of sport in the last decade in Great Britain, rising meteorically from a position as a minority sport to being a world leader in both performance and participation environments. This is reflected by continuous outstanding performances within Olympic and World championships and a 44% increase in BC membership between 2012 – 2013 (British Cycling Annual Report, 2013), alongside the achievement of the significant milestone of over 128,000 members, in 2016. British Cycling currently has 4500 coaches (3470 males, 1030 females) and delivers coaching courses that qualify 800 coaches a year. These coaches qualify at Level 1, 2 or 3 on a coach education pathway, with Levels 1 and 2 being recently reviewed and re-developed by British Cycling. As part of a wider collaboration between LJMU and British Cycling, there is a research opportunity to review British Cycling’s coach education pathway.
Aim:
This cross- Faculty research project will aim to build on the excellence already achieved within the Faculties by partnering British Cycling in evaluating their coach education pathway.
Research design:
Using a ‘realist evaluation’ approach (Pawson & Tilley, 1987), this ethnographic study will explore the contexts and mechanisms responsible for producing certain outcomes within the coach education pathway. For example, one of the objectives of the research will be to understand the outcomes of online delivery and episodes of reflection (mechanisms) used on the recently developed Level 1 coaching qualification as it’s delivered in different domains to people with differing expertise (contexts). An understanding of ‘policy trajectory’, within a policy discourse framework (Ball, 1993), will also be used as a useful way of understanding the filtration of coaching practices from policy makers (e.g. British Cycling’s Management team) to policy implementers (coach educators and the coaches themselves). Drawing on evidence from the teacher-training field (Ziechner & Gore, 1990), the process of professional socialization suggests that individuals are subjected to peer pressure to conform to existing practices when entering the traditional context in which they normally operate, for example a School or Club coaching environment. Therefore, this study will entail the exploration of perceptions of the intent and efficacy of coach education across Levels 1, 2 and 3 from the viewpoint of a range of practitioners, subsequently monitoring the ‘wash-out’ effect of policy to practice longitudinally, as coaches return to their natural coaching environments. To date, there is no empirical evidence in this field of study that explicitly tracks the impact of coaching practices, in relation to the completion of coaching qualifications, over a sustained period of time. This is critical to British Cycling, but also to every National Governing Body of sport that all use similar models of delivery but fail to evaluate the longitudinal impact of such an approach. Following ethical approval, data will be captured using a combination of semi-structured narrative interviews, use of social media technologies (i.e. Facebook & blogs) and reflective diaries.
This research design will provide data to answer the following research questions:
1. What do coach education policy makers expect coaches to know, understand and practice as a result of attending coaching qualifications?
2. Which aspects of coaching qualifications do coaches find the most useful and use the most in their coaching practices and how do these differ over time?
3. Is there a ‘wash-out’ effect in coaches returning to their natural coaching environments following their successful completion of a Level 1, 2 or 3 coaching qualification?
4. At all levels of the coach education pathway, which contexts and mechanisms interface to produce which outcomes?
Further details (including Job Description) and informal discussion from Professor David Morley on 07929 999005 or [Email Address Removed] .
The Appointment Process.
Please ensure you include:
• two referees with knowledge of your academic suitability for undertaking a PhD
• A covering letter (max. 2 sides A4) outlining your suitability for the post
• A CV
Please send your documentation, FAO Professor David Morley, to Wendy Bowe ([Email Address Removed]). on or before 4pm Friday 16 December. Interviews will take place in January at the National Cycling Centre.
Funding Notes
Funding Notes:
Candidates must demonstrate outstanding qualities and be motivated to complete a PhD in 3 years.
All candidates must satisfy the University’s minimum doctoral entry criteria for studentships of an honours degree at Upper Second Class (2.1) and/or an appropriate Masters degree. An IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 minimum (or equivalent) is essential for international students.
In addition to satisfying basic entry criteria, LJMU will look closely at the qualities, skills and background of each candidate and what they can bring to their chosen research project,
Please refer to the Job Description for more details.