Skill acquisition at British Para Swimming: bridging the gap between research and coaching practice

Powell, Danny Robert (2024) Skill acquisition at British Para Swimming: bridging the gap between research and coaching practice. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

This thesis documents a series of studies which are the first to identify the gaps between skill acquisition research recommendations and applied coaching practice on the British Para Swimming World Class Programme, and to utilise these findings to impact learning design. Specifically, study one and study two examined coaching practices in relation to three key principles in skill acquisition: (i) focus of attention, (ii) contextual interference, and (iii) implicit learning. Using athlete surveys, study one findings revealed no significant difference between coaches’ use of internal or external focus cues, that coaches incorporate predominantly blocked practice scheduling, and that training design did not differ as a function of athlete disability. Study two provided a more extensive analysis of coaching practices through the observation of nine senior coaches on the British Para Swimming team, and coach interviews to shed light on the rationale behind their approach. Results indicated that coaches: (i) predominantly emphasise internal focus instruction and feedback cues, (ii) incorporate relatively low levels of between-skill variability and higher levels of within-skill variability and blocked practice, and (iii) apply mostly explicit learning techniques such as part-task training and verbal feedback, but also demonstrate the use of some implicit learning techniques such as analogies and constraints-based learning. Interview data indicated coaches had no knowledge of key skill acquisition principles. In utilising these findings to provide relevance and context to skill acquisition interventions, study three explored the efficacy and impact of an online skill acquisition coach education process with two senior Para swimming coaches with no knowledge of skill acquisition principles. Coaches were observed and interviewed both before and after four development sessions. Findings indicated the intervention was effective in influencing learning design, with coaching practices adapted to align more closely with established lines of inquiry in skill acquisition research. The thesis also describes experiences of a Skill Acquisition Practitioner embedded in the British Para Swimming team, as they attempt to identify and implement techniques which aim to enhance the learning and performance of skills among athletes with a range of disabilities, each with unique learning implications. Overall, the thesis demonstrates the importance of identifying gaps in understanding to provide context, and of harnessing coach experiential knowledge, in attempting to bridge the gap between skill acquisition research and applied coaching practice.