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Developing a ‘letter to my younger self’ to learn from the experiences of expert coaches.
Get PDFThis study is focused on how novice sport science practitioners can learn from the hindsight of more experienced practitioners, and how such information can be effectively disseminated. Initially, thirteen expert, elite-level, strength and conditioning coaches wrote a reflective letter to their ‘younger selves’ offering advice in terms of things they had learnt throughout their coaching career. Thematically analysed, five themes were generated: willingness to learn and develop, appreciating the contribution of others, understanding and behaving in line with values, embracing uncertainty and difficult challenges, and creating and maintaining a work-life balance. Framed around these themes, the authors employed creative writing techniques to develop a composite letter with quotes extracted that best represented each theme, and woven together to create a final, coherent letter. To systematically examine the efficacy of using such a letter as a scaffolding learning strategy to advise early career practitioners, the letter was presented to 25 participants who were all on MSc Strength and Conditioning courses. Five focus groups were conducted to examine the participants’ perceptions of the letter. Thematically analysed, the findings highlight that the letter resonated with them and encouraged reflection in a number of specific ways (e.g., challenged their current approach to their coaching role, developed confidence to deal with challenges). We propose that the composite letter can be used as a pedagogic tool to stimulate reflection for new practitioners concerning their development, and offer motivation (to work hard in their own development) in the early stages of their career
Domestic dogs respond correctly to verbal cues issued by an artificial agent
Get PDFHuman-canine communication technology for the home-alonedomestic dog is in its infancy. Many criteria need to be fulfilled inorder for successful communication to be achieved remotely via artificialagents. Notably, the dogs' capacity for correct behavioural responses tounimodal verbal cues is of primary consideration. Previous studies ofverbal cues given to dogs alone in the test room have revealed adeterioration in correct behavioural responses in the absence of a sourceof attentional focus and reward. The present study demonstrates theability of domestic pet dogs to respond correctly to an artificial agent.Positioned at average human eye level to replicate typical human-doginteraction, the agent issues a recall sound followed by two prerecorded,owner spoken verbal cues known to each dog, and dispenses foodrewards for correct behavioural responses. The agent was used to elicitbehavioural responses in three test conditions; owner and experimenterpresent; experimenter present; and dog alone in the test room. During thefourth (baseline) condition, the same cues were given in person by theowner of each dog. The experiments comprised a familiarisation phasefollowed by a test phase of the four conditions, using a counterbalanceddesign. Data recorded included latency to correct response, number oferrors before correct response given and behavioural welfare indicatorsduring agent interaction. In all four conditions, at least 16/20 dogsperformed the correct recall, cue 1 response, and cue 2 responsesequence; there were no significant differences in the number of dogs whoresponded correctly to the sequence between the four conditions (p =0.972). The order of test conditions had no effect on the dogs'performances (p = 0.675). Significantly shorter response times wereobserved when cues were given in person than from the agent (p = 0.001).Behavioural indicators of poor welfare recorded were in response toowners leaving the test room, rather than as a direct result of agentinteraction. Dogs left alone in the test room approached and respondedcorrectly to verbal cues issued from an artificial agent, where rapidgeneralisation of learned behaviours and adjustment to the condition wasachieved
Leading together towards a stronger ‘us’: An experimental test of the effectiveness of the 5R Shared Leadership Program (5RS) in basketball teams
Get PDFObjectivesLeadership has been suggested to be a key factor in gaining a competitive advantage as a team, with shared leadership being a better predictor of team functioning than vertical leadership. Although the benefits of shared leadership are well-documented, evidence about how to implement a shared leadership structure remains sparse. This leaves coaches with three key challenges: (1) identifying the best leaders; (2) defining what roles those leaders should fulfill; and (3) developing their leadership skills. Solutions to these challenges havebeen proposed in the 5R Shared Leadership Program (5RS) — a leadership development program that seeks to implement an effective structure of shared leadership within sports teams.DesignTo test the effectiveness of 5RS program, we conducted an experimental-comparison group intervention in which eight national-level basketball teams (N=96) completed a questionnaire at two points in time (i.e., pre and posttest). The teams in the intervention condition completed the 5RS program, in which we identified the leadership structure in their teams (through Shared Leadership Mapping), appointed the best leaders in their leadership role, and then developed their identity leadership skills.ResultsThe results revealed that the 5RS program was successful in strengthening athlete leaders’ identity leadership skills, and as a result also team members’ identification with their team. Furthermore, in contrast to athletes in the comparison condition, athletes in the 5RS condition were able to maintain their levels of intrinsic motivation and commitment to team goals, while also reporting improved well-being.ConclusionsThe present study provides encouraging evidence that, by implementing a structure of shared leadership and by promoting athlete leaders’ identity leadership skills, the 5RS program is able to improve the team’s functioning and the well-being of its members.<br/
Exploring self sacrifice, role captivity and motherhood
Get PDFThis chapter explores the cultural subsuming of self-sacrifice and motherhood focusing in particular on the concepts of choice and role captivity within households with children. Feminist theorists have long argued that the family acts as a central mechanism in the reproduction of gender inequality. The tendency for women, especially mothers, to channel their extra resources into household consumption has significant effects in terms of the differential levels of deprivation experienced by men, women and children within the same family. Drawing on two different data sets from Ireland, this paper looks at the role of women within household managing scarce resources often at their own personal cost and why this is often seen as a “badge of honour” or personal empowerment rather than deprivation at an individual level or inequality. Secondly, it looks at how mothers reluctantly assume the role of consumer within and for the family – a type of role captivity where the strain related to consumption is shouldered solely by women and legitimised as an extension of their caring responsibilities. We find that not only were mothers more likely to “go without”, but that this is implicitly sanctioned within a hegemonic family discourse which sees the welfare of the children as the primary responsibility of the woman, and which normalises the idea that the woman should make sacrifices to this end. A key question in the reproduction of gender inequality in the family therefore relates to the ability of the family unit to disguise and sanction such inequality
A Study Space Analysis for Multiple Interviewing of Child Witnesses
Get PDFThis article presents a study space analysis of 44 published research studies examining the use of multiple interviews with child victims/witnesses. Study space analysis is a method of detecting gaps in the existing literature and thus determining whether ecologically valid situations that arise in practice have actually been addressed and studied. The use of this methodology is particularly useful for techniques which are being considered for changes in policy or practice, ensuring that the literature is sufficient to warrant change. Multiple or repeated interviewing has been argued by some authors to be ready for change. However, in the present study space analysis, it is concluded that despite a growing literature, there are still some key variables which require research examination prior to policy change. In particular, research is needed involving samples of children between 11 and 18 years old, participants with multiple needs and interviews regarding repeated events. Findings from the online supplementary material also identify the need for studies with longer delays between the event and the initial interview, more than two interviews of a child, phased multiple interviews and interviews conducted by professional interviewers. ‘This article presents a study space analysis of 44 published research studies examining the use of multiple interviews with child victims/witnesses’. Key Practitioner Messages: Some researchers suggest that interviewing a child more than once about an event can be beneficial for police investigations as it leads to additional accurate details. This study concludes that there are key variables yet to be studied under controlled conditions and thus more research is required before comprehensive policy change is recommended. Future research is required with adolescent participants, children with multiple needs and interviews about repeated events
Embodying unpredictability
Get PDFThis article examines the senses of messiness and unpredictability which I have found within the Cunningham dance technique. It will do this by explicating my lived experience of learning and teaching aspects of a Cunningham-based approach to dance practice. A central question of my research is how a sense of messiness contributes to enable ‘kinaesthetic unpredictability’ in the lived experience of performing Cunningham’s precise and predetermined dance phrases. To define my ‘sense of messiness’ I will use choreological methods and improvisational frames to argue that a somatic sensation of messiness arises in various ways in the body/mind, produced in the act of dancing multiple and fragmented relationalities. The article will question the value of exploring a lived experience of Cunningham’s fixed forms and examine how messiness and unpredictability can free up dancers to find individual innovations. The discussion draws on voices of Cunningham dancers and teachers. I will share my own pedagogic approach to expanding a lived experience, encouraging different ways of knowing and experimentation with potential relationalities. The article aims to extend debates about dance training today including the use of codified forms and somatic approaches, principles of legacy techniques, and synthesising and innovating ways of knowing
