Effective coach learning and processes of coaches' knowledge development: what works?

Decades of research and anecdotal evidence in coaching suggests that effective coaches continuously learn from a blend of different situations, having mastered the skill of learning from their experiences. However, the processes involved and the impact of different learning experiences on coaches’ knowledge and practice are less well understood. It has been argued that a specific coach learning theory that can explain how coaches dynamically interact with the learning environments they encounter is a necessary addition to move the field forward and enhance professional learning (Cushion and Nelson 2013). The chapter will discuss current research-based perspectives in coach learning, with reference to relevant models of learning and knowledge development from the broader learning literature, to explain how coaches’ existing experiences, knowledge and contextual factors influence their learning and resulting coaching knowledge and practice. In doing so, the chapter will elucidate what works, how and for whom in coach learning (McCullick et al. 2009).