Motivational and personality factors in sports coaches' non-formal education

Abstract

This review summarizes the available literature on the non-formal education of sports coaches. Considering the complexity of the sports coaches' job, it is recognized that formal education alone is not sufficient, and non-formal education within this field may need to be mandatory. Earlier studies suggested that motivation and personality could be crucial predictors of the willingness to continuously learn. The most promising motivational theory in the context of education is the self-determination theory, which emphasizes that even controlled, external motivation could be internalized. Furthermore, some personality traits (e.g., curiosity, conscientiousness) are associated with non-formal education and should, therefore, be fostered even in those individuals who did not autonomously decide to enroll in a program. This review also identified a clear lack of studies investigating the motivational and personality determinants of non-formal education in sports coaches, and future studies should aim to fill this gap.