Assessing the effectiveness of the transformational coaching workshop using behavior change theory

Abstract

Coach development programs (CDPs) provide an avenue for youth sport coaches to learn about the knowledge and behaviors necessary to facilitate positive athlete outcomes. More recently, an evidence-informed, interpersonal-focused CDP, the Transformational Coaching Workshop (TCW; Turnnidge & Côté, 2017), yielded promising findings for its effect on the observable leadership behaviors of youth sport coaches after participation (Lawrason et al., 2019). However, it is unknown what factors facilitated the changes in coaches' behaviors post-workshop. The COM-B of behavior change (Michie et al., 2011) suggests that there are three factors necessary for any behaviour to occur: capability, opportunity, and motivation. Therefore, this study used the COM-B model to identify coaches' perceptions of the barriers and facilitators that influence the effectiveness of the TCW. Sixty-three volunteer youth sport coaches participated in the study as part of an intervention (n = 31; Mage = 45.65 years; SDage = 8.82 years) or comparison group (n = 32; Mage = 44.59 years; SDage = 11.86 years). Using a two-arm, non-randomized pre- and post-intervention design, dependent- and independent-samples t-tests were conducted to assess within and between-group differences of coaches' perception of their capability, opportunity, and motivation to use transformational coaching behaviors. Although not statistically significant, effect sizes indicated that participants in the intervention group reported improvements in their perceived capability and opportunity to use transformational coaching behaviors at post-intervention. This study provides support for the effectiveness of the TCW, and continued application of behavior change frameworks into coaching intervention research.

Acknowledgments: This research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.