Coaching and leadership behaviours of instructors in military training: A critical incident study

Scrase, Gemma; Patrick, John; Morgan, Phillip; Ahmed, Afia

Abstract

Objectives:
The aim of this study was to investigate dimensions of coaching and leadership relevant to instructors engaged in military training across the three Services of the Armed Forces. Three specific objectives were: to devise a framework of instructors’ leadership and coaching behaviours; to compare instructor behaviours across the Services; and to compare instructor and recruit perspectives.Design: Examples of instructor behaviours were generated using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT). The main rationale was that the CIT has the benefit of combining qualitative and quantitative methods.

Methods:
An opportunity sample of instructors (n = 123) and recruits (n = 1149) from twelve sites in the UK was used. The procedure included: incident generation, inductive classification, independent validation of the new framework of coaching and leadership behaviours, and deductive classification of incidents into Hardy et al.’s (2004) framework.

Results:
Inter- and intra-rater reliability, using Perreault and Leigh’s (1989) reliability index, were satisfactory. The new framework consisted of nine categories of instructors’ leadership and coaching behaviours. These included:- Showing and Demonstrating; Using Instructional Strategies; Use of Knowledge; Feedback, Practice and Adapting; Forms of Punishment or Control; and Helping (Counselling, Coaching and Mentoring). There were differences between the Services. However the Helping category contained a large number of incidents in all Services and there was a high degree of similarity between the instructors’ and recruits’ perspectives.

Conclusions:
In general, coaching and leadership behaviours of instructors are perceived favourably by instructors and recruits and recommendations are made concerning how such effects can be strengthened and further exploited.

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: Special Group in Coaching Psychology - 1st International Conference
• Start Date: Dec 18, 2006
• End Date: Dec 19, 2006
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2006
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: coaching, leadership, military training, instructor behaviours, critical incident technique
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1035341
• Publisher URL: http://abstracts.bps.org.uk/index.cfm?&ResultsType=Abstracts&ResultSet_ID=865&FormDisplayMode=view&frmShowSelected=true&localAction=details
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : A Special Group in Coaching Psychology - 1st International Conference