Stuart Armstrong
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stu-arm.bsky.social
Stuart Armstrong
@stu-arm.bsky.social
Fascinated by how humans learn and become skilful. Coach Developer, Workforce Innovation Consultant, Ecological Explorer - Host of the Talent Equation Podcast. https://linktr.ee/stu_arm
April 19, 2025 at 7:09 AM
So in my mind - I would rather be committed and wrong than uncommitted.
January 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
More importantly…

Coaches will do a load of boring, isolated, technique drills (because that’s what they’ve always done)

And then they will switch to a game and stand back and say and do nothing (because they are being ecological)

That’s actually the worst of both worlds (I’ve seen it! A LOT!)
January 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
The irony of this is that he devalues the whole scientific enterprise in the process.
January 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
I can only assume that he’s doing this because coaching is getting interested in (what he sees as) the ‘wrong’ scientific ideas.

Ideas that don’t correlate with his particular brand of research…(or consultancy)

So he tells coaches that they can pick and choose…
January 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Collins et al have campaigned for years that coaching should be more evidence led or evidence informed - but at a point when coaching is now getting interested in scientific ideas…he says that no one needs to worry, it’s complicated, ‘it depends’…just use your Professional Judgment…
January 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
I do worry about pluralism - but more from a real world perspective.

Coaching and ‘science’ are two words that did not go together until fairly recently

Even now, 90% of coaches will never even think to look at anything remotely scientific

Coaching is driven by ‘folk pedagogy’
January 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
I would argue that this empirical data stone can be thrown right back at Collins and his acolytes

Most of the studies that they would refer to as supporting their claims are either from other domains like formal education or from decontextualised lab studies.

Not to mention the replication crisis!
January 13, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Couldn’t agree more about how egregious this is…it smacks of desperation…

‘That looks ‘iffy’ - let’s attack it because we haven’t got much else to go on’!

I have a Podcast coming out from those two Authors giving them an opportunity to respond to this abhorrent attack.
January 13, 2025 at 4:49 PM