Reframing Assessment in Coach Education and Development Programmes

Decisions pertaining to the role and function of assessment in professional development programmes for sport coaches are typically twofold. Either assessment activities are used as a mechanism to measure and certify at the end of a period of learning (assessment of learning), or they are used to prepare coaches for this moment by revealing the gap between present and required levels of knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes, and behaviour (assessment for learning). Developing this dichotomy, the purpose of this chapter is to offer an underpinning and unifying assessment as learning approach, taking an and both versus either or position on the matter. Making the case that all assessment activities have the potential to be positive and powerful learning opportunities, this chapter sets out to reframe the why, how, and what of assessment practice in coach education and development programmes. The implications of this are discussed, with reference to task design, lifelong learning, and stakeholder roles and responsibilities.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003472438