Abstract
Introduction
It is a real pleasure for me to write this commentary in response to the leading article, which is rich in diverse information and therefore different conceptual frameworks/theories can be used to have a look at it and give an opinion. I will use my ‘meaningful learning process pair of glasses’ to highlight key elements of some of the learning situations created by Dr. Gillham while consulting with coaches and teams. My interest for this perspective comes from my recent academic work1,2 and my work as a personal coach helping university professors and high-performance sport coaches in their career development. I believe that, at the end of a session with a client, a consultant should ask himself/herself: Was this session a meaningful learning situation for my client?
Meaningful learning
Personally, I like Novak’s
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definition of meaningful learning. His definition is relatively simple and focuses on three elements.
Relevant prior knowledge: That is, the learner must know some information that relates to the new information to be learned in some non-trivial way; Meaningful material: That is, the knowledge to be learned must be relevant to other knowledge and must contain significant concepts and propositions; The learner must choose to learn meaningfully: That is, the learner must consciously and deliberately choose to relate new knowledge to relevant knowledge the learner already knows in some non-trivial way. (p. 23)
Dr. Gillham’s coaching consultant work
For this short commentary, I have selected, for analysis, two cases from the coaching consultant work of Dr. Gillham, as presented in the leading article.
Empowering the pitcher in softball
The information given to the reader suggests that the problem was seen, at first, as a disagreement between the head coach and the pitching coach. Interestingly, the solution came from creating a meaningful learning situation with the athlete (pitcher). In this particular context, the meaningful material was not what Dr. Gillham taught – he did not – but the questions he asked at a right learning moment – ‘a safe space for exploration, discovery and true learning, to take place as the learners face their professional and personal challenges’ 4 (p. 25). Based on his personal knowledge in baseball and consulting skills, the questions were meaningful and helped the athlete to express how she usually likes to feel and what to do in these crucial game situations (relevant prior knowledge). From there, she was able to come up with ‘her own rules for pitching’ that she could then clearly explain to the two coaches. Since the athlete was personally concerned in the discord between the coaches, she became very involved in the process (chose to learn meaningfully).
Goal setting and peer assessment in soccer
This case is a good example of how prior knowledge might be a barrier to learning. Although the head coach was looking for help (chose to learn) and Dr. Gillham, like in the previous case, asked appropriate questions (meaningful material) and suggested a way to address the issue, the coach showed resistance to discussing/including a goal-setting plan in his coaching practice. Where such resistance comes from might be difficult to identify but doing so is essential. Dr. Gillham showed respect and waited for key moments (safe learning space) to discuss goal-setting with the coach and gradually brought him to transform his thought pattern.
Conclusion
In a constantly changing environment where there is danger of drowning in an overabundance of information, the optimal goal in helping others is not so much to give solutions but to provide the necessary conditions to favour meaningful learning. From what was presented in the article, Dr. Gillham has applied one of the ‘golden threads’ listed by Hawkins and Smith
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regarding their coaching practice: Adult human beings learn best through experience, not by being taught or told. The work of the learning enabler is never to know better and never know first, but to create the enabling conditions and the experiences that create a transformational shift in the relationship and the individual. (p. 13)
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.