Research
Built on evidence, not opinion.
Why do some respond and develop more from coaching than others? A systematic review of coachability and its constituent components
MacGabhann S, Newman P, Witchalls J, Dowse R, Waddington G, Cobley S
“An individual's willingness and ability to seek, receive and act upon constructive feedback to persistently foster self-development and enhance performance in a given domain.”
Coachability was widely used but never consistently defined. This review synthesised five decades of research across sport, business and education to establish a consensus definition and six observable, potentially developable components.
doi:10.1007/s40279-025-02267-6 · Open access, CC BY 4.0
From theory to measurement
Six components in the literature. Four factors in the data.
The review identified six behavioural components. When coaches rated athletes on items written for all six, factor analysis showed some components are observed together in practice. The CAS measures the resulting four factors, each with six items.
The gap between perspectives is the information.
Earlier instruments relied on one viewpoint. The CAS captures the same behaviours from the athlete and two independent observers, so over-estimation, under-estimation and alignment each become a starting point for a development conversation.
Publications
Responsible use
The CAS is a profiling and development tool, not a selection test. Current evidence is cross-sectional and describes present behaviour, not future potential. Longitudinal validation and replication across sports are in progress, and we publish results as they become available.
Research built for the real world.
Learn more about the applied experience behind Coachability Lab.