Andragogy fact or fiction within a swimming coaching context?
Date
2009-06-23T07:42:12Z
Authors
Morris-Eyton, Heather
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Abstract
The global population is ageing, and with it has been a growth of mature aged
participation in sport. Following this trend, swimming amongst the adult population
in South Africa, whether it is for recreation or competitive purposes, has increased.
This research reports on the coaching strategies used by one coach who is
training Masters swimmers in Johannesburg. It examines whether or not
andragogical principles and teaching methods could be applied to an informal
swimming coaching context. Qualitative methods were used for data collection,
including an interview with the coach, focus group discussions with the swimmers,
pool deck observations and video recordings of the training sessions. Results
indicated that adult education principles could be applied to an informal swimming
coaching context through flexible and accommodating coaching practices,
ensuring effective communication between the swimmer and the coach and
utilising the community of practice between the swimmers and coaches to ensure
effective adult learning.
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Keywords
Masters swimming, Swimming coaching, Adult education, Community of practice, Informal learning, Andragogy