The Development of Coaching Knowledge among Malaysian Accredited Football Coaches

The purpose of this study is to provide an in-depth understanding of some of the ways in which Malaysian football coach has constructed, and continues to construct, their professional knowledge. In this study, the defining development of knowledge among “A”, “B” and “C” licenced football coaches in Malaysia (N = 12) were examined from the perspective of identifying their sources of knowledge. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to explore how participants accumulate their knowledge. Probe questions were also used to explore ideographic themes and issues relevant to each interviewee. The data was initially analysed through creating electronic written transcripts of the participant’s answer during the interviews. Following the principle of Strauss & Corbin’s, (1990) EGT, data construction, data deconstruction and data reconstruction stages were systematically conducted. Results showed sources of knowledge category emerged as a central overarching category. Based on the analysis, the following seven sub-categories emerged that make up the Source of Knowledge category; i) coaching courses and formal education courses, ii) foreign and international experience iii) video and game observation iv) learning from mentors and others v) trial and error/ squad sessions vi) past playing experience and vii) coaches networking. Subsequent investigations are recommended to identify how this knowledge is integrated into the coaching process and applied in the development of football coaching skills.