Improving Student Coaches' Learning through Teaching Reflective Techniques

The purpose of this research was to examine how teaching reflective concepts and directing reflective writing would influence student coaches' (SC) level of reflective writing in a one semester coaching internship course. A Multiple baseline format was used to implement the intervention. The intervention used five reflective ideas to try and enhance the level of SCs' reflective abilities including; (a) teaching the SCs a reflective cycle, b) introducing SCs to high levels of quality reflective writing, (c) allowing SCs to assess the level of reflection their personal journals, (d) having SCs write reflective statements within the five reflective levels of the scale, and (e) providing SCs with constructive feedback on their journals. The results suggested that the intervention had no substantial influence on SCs level of reflective writing. Further research is needed to examine the time and practice SCs need in coaching education programs to improve their reflective abilities and how SCs' role frames influence their beliefs and effort given toward reflective practice.