Effectiveness of an intervention to improve anti-doping education knowledge among Botswana school sport coaches

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effects of an intervention workshop programme on the anti-doping content knowledge (AE-CK), pedagogical content knowledge (AE-PCK), and value contextual knowledge (AE-VCK) of Botswana school sports coaches. Using a pretest-posttest control group design, participants from sampled schools were randomly assigned to two conditions comprising an experimental group (n = 137) exposed to a 3-day anti-doping pedagogies workshop, and a control group (n = 87) that did not receive the intervention. Both groups were comparatively evaluated pre-test and post-test on their AE-CK, AE-PCK, and AE-VCK. Treatment intensity consisted of six hours of training sessions per day. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) yielded significant differences between the treatment and control groups’ AE-CK, AE-PCK, and AE-VCK after controlling for the covariates (pretest scores) [AE-CK (F _{(1, 219)} = 48.73; p < .0001; partial η2 = .18), AE-PCK (F _{(1, 219)} = 37.64; p < .0001; partial η2 = .15) and AE-VCK scores (F _{(1, 219)} = 33.13; p < .0001; partial η2 = .13]. This exploratory study raises critical questions about whether and how the science of effective instructional practices in traditional school subjects could be applied to the subject matter of anti-doping education. The study informs and enables strategic support for innovative anti-doping methodologies and instructional technologies across sporting cultures and structures as envisaged by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).