Examining the role of the environment in facilitating the development of self-regulated learning skills in high-performance female academy youth footballers

Citation

Popplewell L, Martindale RJ, Elder K, Fitzgerald A, Semple F, Andronikos G, Dugdale JH, Fountain H, McArdle M & English C (2026) Examining the role of the environment in facilitating the development of self-regulated learning skills in high-performance female academy youth footballers. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 86, p. 103186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2026.103186

Abstract
Research has consistently found that athletes who progress and reach the top in their sport take more personal responsibility for their own learning. Therefore, understanding which features of the Talent Development Environment (TDE) best facilitate self-regulation learning (SRL) skill use would be useful for coaches to understand. Given the dearth of research within talent development in female football, the aim of this research was to examine the quality of TDEs and SRL skill use in a high-performance youth female football context and investigate the relationship between the environment and self regulated learning skill use. To this end, the Talent Development Environmental Questionnaire 9S (TDEQ-9S) (Martindale et al., 2024) and the Football-Specific Self- Regulated Learning Questionnaire (SRLQ) (Toering et al., 2013) were administered to 348 female elite youth female football players (U13, 15 and U17) across 12 high-performance youth academies. Hierarchical regression analysis evaluated the relationship between the TDE and SRL, at both an overall and at an age group level. Finally, cluster analysis was employed to identify groups of athletes based on their experiences of TDE at an overall and age group level. The results showed that in general, the TDEs were positively experienced and SRL skills were regularly engaged. Lower average scores for active use of peers & role models, active management of holistic development, and SRL skill use, Planning, highlighted potential areas for improvement. Furthermore, higher quality TDEs predicted higher self regulated learning skill use. The regression analysis model significantly predicted SRL use. It showed that overall, individualised coaching focus; active use of peers & role models; and psychological readiness & autonomy support were significant positive predictors of SRL, with organised quality training & competition experiences having a significant negative relationship with SRL. Implications suggest that practical steps to manage these four environmental features may facilitate improved SRL in female footballers. Future research would be useful to focus on longitudinal methods to investigate the longer-term impacts of TDEs and explore how SRL and TDE components interact over time and influence developmental trajectories.

Journal
Psychology of Sport and Exercise: Volume 86

• Examining the role of the environment in facilitating the development of self-regulated learning skills in high-performance female academy youth footballers