Strategies of Private Table Tennis Coaches for Conducting Lessons Based on Clients’ Interests

Abstract

Private educators who offer classes to support the learning of hobbies are often considered educational professionals, but the specifics of their professional skills in pedagogy and learning support have not been fully clarified. This study aimed to shed light on an aspect of these skills by revealing the strategies for conducting lessons based on the interests of their clients. Results from the thematic analysis of interviews with ten coaches, both general and high-performing, at a table tennis school in the Tokyo metropolitan area indicated that the coaches used the strategies of “understanding goal-oriented interests through conversation,” “adjusting practice menus and conversation based on interests,” and “professionalism as a service provider.” Additionally, the following strategies were found to be characteristic of high-performing coaches: “sensitive understanding of fluctuating interests,” “collaborative construction of interests through acceptance and suggestion,” and “recognizing interest as an object of support by team.”