The implementation of problem based learning styles to teach the Coach-Athlete relationship to undergraduate Sport and Exercise Science students

This study explored problem based learning (PBL) styles and it’s suitability to improve the learning experience of level 6 (third year) Sport and Exercise Science undergraduate university students compared to a traditional style of lecturing when teaching the Coach-Athlete relationship. Sixty-four (Mage years=23.47, SD=3.44) students attended a lecture on the topic of the Coach-Athlete relationship. A PBL task was implemented using images of a coach showing a hostile approach and another image of a coach using a friendly approach. These images were used to initiate discussions about the potential problems the scenarios could elicit. At the end of the session student’s completed a questionnaire regarding their thoughts about the session’s ability to aid learning and whether they felt it was preferred over a traditional style of lecturing as well as their enjoyment of the session. Eighty one percent (n=52) of participants found the task helpful to aid learning, 66% (n=42) of participants indicated that using this style of lecture could aid learning more than a traditional approach and 73% (n=47) of participants enjoyed the task. It may be useful to use PBL styles in lecture sessions to engage students within the topic area of the Coach-Athlete relationship. PBL could also be used to help develop transferable skills for those students who want to pursue a career in coaching