Chu 1984

1. Chu, D. (1984). Teacher/coach orientation
and role socialization: A description and
explanation. Journal of Teaching in Physical
Education, 3(2), 3-8.
Kathleen Wack and David Robertson

2. Purpose of paper
• Is the formal program of the teacher/coach
preparation adequate for both roles?
• How do the following issues play into
preparation?
– coaching vs. teaching role preferences
– Importance of athletics to employing institutions
– training for coaching role and number of
coaching courses required for pre-service
candidates

3. Significance
• Gave context to why PE and Coaching in America are
currently in the status that they are, arguing that
much is based on teacher preparation programs
• Argued that teacher-coach role conflict priorities, as
well as priorities of other stakeholders, does not
match teacher preparation programs
• Fundamental in the argument for the need for
coaching education programs

4. Background
1. Expanded on Chu’s 1978 doctoral dissertation on
teacher-coach role conflict
2. Cited surveys of pre-service teacher candidates on
teacher-coach role conflict:
a. Prefer teaching or coaching?
65% & 63% prefer coaching (n=159 and 267)
b. What coursework did you take to prepare for
coaching?
87% teaching vs 13% coaching (n=30)

5. Methods/Analysis
• Compared these results to all programs:
a. Looked at 1977 College Blue Book and 1975
Peterson's Annual Guide to Graduate Study to see
which institutions had the major
b. analyzed 130 institutions and 111 catalogues
c. Classified 2172 courses into either coaching,
teaching, or both

6. Findings
• Ratio of coaching to teaching courses was 1:14
• Mean coaching courses required was 1.3 per
institution
• 59 institutions offered no coaching courses

7. Conclusions
1. Explained/analyzed the historical perspective
of the tie between athletics and coaching:
a. Philosophy of the University?
b. Realizing the resource-drawing capabilities of
sport
c. How PE came to oversee athletics
d. Struggle to be a legitimate and rigorous field of
study
e. Status of most PE majors are recruited to the field
of study due to athletics and the desire to coach

8. Conclusions
2. Argues that “it should not be assumed that
preparation for teaching physical education is
adequate for coaching” (p.7).
3. There is “little formal curriculum to prepare
students for coaching” (p. 6) and a “paucity of
coaching courses” (p. 3).

9. What We Learned
• Still arguing points today:
– Teacher-coach role conflict
– Expectations/pressure of stakeholders on
coaching versus teaching
– Legitimacy, rigor, and respect of physical
education and coaching as a field of study
– Teacher preparation program course offering
variability

10. Implications for further research
• Repeat study today, almost 40 years later. Has
anything changed, and how much?
• Do programs with more course offerings or
specialized training (ACE) result in
professionals with similar teacher-coach role
conflict results?

11. Questions?