Coaches’ Knowledge and Attitudes as Predictors of Safeguarding Practice in Sport: A Case of Nairobi Basketball Association League Coaches, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated coaches’ knowledge and attitudes towards practice of safeguarding in sport among the Nairobi Basketball Association (NBA) league coaches in Kenya. It was based on the Knowledge–Attitudes–Practice (KAP) model, and employed a correlational design. This paper presents findings on coaches’ ratings of safeguarding knowledge, attitude and practice, and assesses the relationships among the variables. Goodman and Kruskal’s Gamma correlation was employed in testing the ordinal associations between the independent and dependent variables, while predictive relationships were tested through regression analysis. Results indicated a moderate, positive association between safeguarding knowledge and practice (γ = .395, p = .002) and a stronger association between attitudes and practice (γ = .667, p < .001). The regression model was statistically significant (F= 25.684, p < .001) and explained 37.4% of the variance in safeguarding practice (R² = .374; R = .612). However, when analyzed separately, only coaches’ attitudes significantly predicted safeguarding practice (p < .001), while knowledge did not (p = .194). These findings challenge knowledge-deficit assumptions embedded in safeguarding training models and suggest that attitudinal commitment, rather than cognitive awareness alone, is the principal driver of safeguarding behaviour. The study contributes empirical evidence from a sub-Saharan sport context and advances governance debates by highlighting the need for attitude-oriented safeguarding interventions.