Evaluation of football curricular in Zambian football clubs of the MTN/FAZ super league

Abstract

This study is an evaluation of football curricular in clubs of the Zambian Mobile Telephone Network (MTN)/Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Super League. The study inquired into the existence of a common football curricular in clubs of the MTN/FAZ super league; the effectiveness of such curricular; and what improvements could be done to such curricular. The study unpacks two models in understanding football curricular within a football academy or club. Through gaining insight into the expert model and player development model used by Australia and United States of America (USA) respectively, this study adopted the realist approach guided by a case study design which aimed at understanding the relationship between the initial context, mechanism of change and intended outcomes of the Football Curricular (FC). The evaluation of the FC was governed by constructed and situated theories of learning as advocated by Lave and Wenger (1991), Kirk and Macdonald (1998) and Wenger (1998) who emphasized the interaction of new and old knowledge inspiring coaches to acquire both practical and ontological knowledge, skill and understanding. The study examined the intended outcomes of the FC through a critical pedagogical perspective that challenged the coaches, the club management and football administrators to consider the FC, either accepting or rejecting it as it was implemented. The sample composed of one hundred and eleven respondents drawn from twelve selected football club, the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Child development, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), football administrators, and officials from National Sports Council of Zambia (NSCZ). Data was collected from sport coach educational documents; questionnaire, video recording, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured interviews were held with the football club coaches and other individuals who were identified to have valuable insights in football curriculum in Zambia. Data was analyzed qualitatively using the themes. The study revealed that football clubs in the MTN / FAZ super league had independent football curricular; implementation of the curricular was problematic; the coaches did not have the necessary knowledge, skill and understanding of the FC. The study also identified some mechanistic blocks that prevented coaches from developing their knowledge, skill and v understanding of effective implementation of the FC. These included the relationship with the club managers, football administrators at FAZ and NSCZ. From these findings, it was clear that the absence of knowledge, skill and understanding of the FC by the coaches, club management and football administrators had a negative effect on coherence in coaching, evaluation procedures and consequently on having a well- defined body of knowledge and shared terminologies in player development. The study recommended that a National Football Curricular (NFC) be designed; a technocratic capacity of football curricular implementation agencies within FAZ to steer the curricular implementation process should be built; the Ministry of sports, Youth and Child development and other football administrators need to provide a platform for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes for coaches and assign organizations such as Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) and National Organization for Women in Sport Physical Activity and Recreation (NOWSPAR) to spearhead CPD programmes.