Guiding: Student Motivation

Introduction

Coaches have the potential to support soccer players with many things, such as developing technical skills, promoting physical literacy, and also increasing their motivation to play. In a parallel process, the role of a coach educator in motivating coaches should not be understated, nor should motivation be assumed or left to chance. Guiding, one of the five core tasks of a coach educator according to the Coach Educator Profile, acknowledges that we aspire to motivate, support, and inspire student coaches to engage in the learning process. Further, it is within our gift to encourage these coaches to take ownership of their learning process, as part of becoming an increasingly self-regulated learner. Understanding the role that motivation plays in the learning process can help students coaches to become lifelong learners. If we can do this successfully, coaches are likely to seek out new opportunities to develop further beyond the completion of any one, single, course. Within this article, we explore two key theories associated with intrinsic motivation, a psychological concept that explains a persons’ actions when driven by internal reward (e.g., the inherent fun and enjoyment found within a task). Coaches with high levels of intrinsic motivation, engage in learning opportunities (such as attending a course) out of curiosity and an internalised desire. These coaches don’t need too much external motivation, such as a reward or somebody else telling them what to do. In fact, the use of external regulation to support coach learning, such as incentives, has received little research support (Howard, 2021).

One of the foundational theories concerned with intrinsic motivation is commonly known as self determination theory (SDT). This was developed in the 1980’s by two academics from the United States of America, called Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. SDT is based on the assumption that humans have three basic needs. These are competence (to feel capable), relatedness (to have meaning) and autonomy (to be self-governing). These basic needs do not develop in isolation and require an environment to support their development. Throughout the remainder of the article, each of these basic needs will be explored in turn, with a focus on what they mean for coach educators supporting coaches.

Competence

Developing a sense of mastery within the coaches that we support will promote feelings of competence. This can be achieved by providing opportunities for success within a given task/activity. Coach educators could seek to understand where the student coaches are currently at (i.e., biography, goals, and personal resources) and use this as the start line for learning and development. This might mean ensuring that the challenge point on tasks, or the introduction of a new idea, is suitably difficult by appropriately supported, allowing for a sense of competency to emerge. We can also instil a sense of competence with careful consideration of our behavioural strategies, such as using praise or generating positive feedback on efforts. All of this will help to foster a sense that coaches are progressing toward to development goals. Equally, if things are not going as well as we hoped, we may seek to reduce the challenge point. This could be re-phrasing a piece of information or adjusting a task to allow the coach to experience more success.

Autonomy

A sense of autonomy is associated with feelings of empowerment and ownership over one’s learning journey; promoting autonomy will contribute to motivated coaches who are ready to engage and learn. In educational settings it has been shown that those who feel highly autonomous are likely to be more self-regulated in their approach to learning tasks and experience more positive outcomes (Guay, 2022). On our courses, coach educators can support student learners’ sense of autonomy by allowing them choice over their own actions. This can be done in a variety of ways. For example, we might offer choice over how our learners present information back after a task. We might also provide a choice of what activities they want to do, and then engaging them in the design of these activities. Letting tasks or discussions play out, sitting back and observing, provides space for students coaches to engross themselves in the moment and take ownership of their own learning. In this sweet spot, autonomy and the subsequent increase in motivation has the potential to be significant, and likely to result in high quality, deeper, and more meaningful learning experiences.

Relatedness

Relatedness is associated with experiencing feelings of connectedness with others and the task at hand. The more that coaches feel related to the course and others around them, the more intrinsically motivated they will be to learn. Coach educators could also deliberately seek to demonstrate empathy and care for student coaches through their interactions. This may be as simple as learning coaches’ names prior to the course, or encouraging people to feel free to ask and answer questions without judgement. From a physical perspective, the spaces in which we work with coaches should generate as much interaction as possible, this could be through the use of tables over rows of seats. Further, developing an environment where peer support is encouraged will help all coaches work together and feel a sense of support for one another.

Call to Action

The purpose of this article was to highlight some key principles concerned with enhancing intrinsic motivation in the coaches that we support. It is important to note that coach educators can seek to place equal consideration on all three basic needs when working with coaches on courses. Since, the three needs do not work in isolation and should be considered in combination (i.e., each part of a virtuous cycle). Core considerations for meeting the needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness should come in the form of challenge point, choice, collaboration, and care. These facets will support optimal functioning and higher levels of intrinsic motivation thus leading to more positive learning outcomes, greater perseverance, and lifelong learning. We hope that by promoting the use of SDT (Ryan & Deci, 2000) in our practice as coach educators, we can improve levels of intrinsic motivation with coaches.

Article Contributor:

Dr. Liam McCarthy, Leeds Beckett University

References

Guay, F. (2022). Applying Self-Determination Theory to Education: Regulations Types, Psychological Needs, and Autonomy Supporting Behaviors. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 37(1), 75-92. https://doi.org/10.1177/08295735211055355

Howard, J. L., Bureau, J. S., Guay, F., Chong, J. X. Y., & Ryan, R. M. (2021). Student Motivation and Associated Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis From Self-Determination Theory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(6), 1300-1323. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620966789

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68.