Activity theory, complexity and sports coaching: an epistemology for a discipline

Abstract

This file was dowloaded from the institutional repository Brage NIH -brage.bibsys.no/nih Jones, R. L., Edwards, C., Tuim Viotto Filho, I. A. (2014 AbstractThe aim of this article is two-fold. Firstly, it is to advance the case for Activity Theory (AT)as a credible and alternative lens to view and research sports coaching. Secondly, it is to position this assertion within the wider debate about the epistemology of coaching. Following a framing introduction, a more comprehensive review of the development and current conceptualisation of AT is given. Here, AT's evolution through three distinct phases and related theorists, namely Vygotsky, Leont'ev and Engeström, is initially traced. This gives way to a more detailed explanation of AT's principal conceptual components, including 'object', 'subject', 'tools' (mediating artefacts), 'rules', a 'community' and a 'division of labour'. An example is then presented from empirical work illustrating how AT can be used as a means to research sports coaching. The penultimate section locates such thinking within coaching's current 'epistemological debate; arguing that the coaching 'self' is not an autonomous individual, but a relative part of social and cultural arrangements. Finally, a conclusion summarises the main points made, particularly in terms in presenting the grounding constructivist epistemology of AT as a potential way forward for sports coaching.

The importance of history, language, change and challenge: What Vygotsky can teach sports coaches

“…This was a point highlighted by Jones, Edwards and Viotto Filho 13 , who, in borrowing from Leont'ev's 25 activity theory, provided an example of a coach's use of explicit mediating artefacts or 'tools' to develop both consciousness and meaning within athletes. In connecting the abstract to the concrete through the use of markers, cones and particular forms of talk, an attempt to provide personal meaning to conceptualisation was undertaken; an effort to mediate or guide the athletes' understanding and engagement with the task at hand.…”

“…Here, work by Jones and Ronglan 11 and Potrac, Nelson, Groom, Greenough 12 has somewhat interrogated Vygotsky's writings in terms of what they may mean for coaches and coaching. It is a line of inquiry which also includes a tentative examination both of Vygotsky's students 13 , and related ideas 14,15 . Although making welcome inroads in terms of opening alternative coaching horizons, this engagement with Vygotsky's thinking has been somewhat focussed on, and thus been limited to, his idea of learning within a 'zone of proximal development' 12 .…”

Tensions in mentoring medical students toward self-directed and reflective learning in a longitudinal portfolio-based mentoring system – An activity theory analysis

“…After this inductive analysis of the data, AT was used as a theoretical lens to further study how the mentoring process (action) is mediated by the tools, rules and roles in the context of a longitudinal portfolio-based mentoring system, as perceived by the mentor (subject) (Jones et al 2014;Battista 2015).…”

Care and phronesis in teaching and coaching: dealing with personality disorder

“…Most philosophical discussion uses hypothetical examples or personal anecdotes to illustrate and test the veracity of certain concepts and ideas. Following the example of Jones et al (2014), however, I am using data which I had collected for a previous study for this purpose.…”