Coaching

Case study

Max is in the third year of his studies. He would like to discuss his study choices: internship, taking a minor, or some elective courses first. He k still need to take some resits. Max no longer enjoys studying. He would rather ‘just get his degree and then get to work’. He is thinking of doing a minor. He heard they are ‘at least just subjects with a test’. Then he wants to do his resits, and only do an internship next year. He is mainly looking for an easy internship ‘with the government or something’. How can a coaching approach help Max in his study choices?

What do we mean by coaching?

One conclusive definition of coaching is not easy to give, but there are clear characteristics:

• Coaching is a form of counselling within an equal relationship.
• Coaching gives the student (coachee) an active, guiding role in their own development.
• A coach and coachee explore goals, solutions and insights together.
• A coach supports the path of development, but is not prescriptive.
  This is somewhat similar to supervision and intervision. One distinction is that supervision and intervision start from case histories and direct experiences. This is not necessarily the case with coaching.
• Coaching is a form of applied psychology. Some approaches have their origins in psychotherapy, such as RET, Rational Emotive Therapy, or ACT, Acceptance Commitment Therapy/Training. (Coaching is not aimed at healing trauma or disorders.)
• Coaching is applied in many areas: career, well-being, life questions, relationships, management and education. Coaching focuses on individuals or teams.

Extra information

Much education relies on social constructivist learning theories and (motivation) theories. Consider Ryan & Deci’s Self Determination Theory, which assumes a high degree of personal engagement of students. Coaching aligns with this: it emphasises personalised learning and learning outcomes. This puts the focus on the student and his/her enquiry and learning abilities.

Coaching requires a basic attitude that is collaborative, accepting, equal and inquisitive. The coach applies various (conversational) skill models and working forms.

Coaching can focus on reflection and personal insights. Most coaching focuses explicitly on practical behavioural change. This corresponds to insights from positive psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy. The premise is that blind spots, limiting thoughts, or beliefs become visible when the coachee has different experiences.

What skills can the coach use?

• Speaking skills.
  A coach can emphasise a student’s words that express motivation, change and opportunity. A coachee may initially emphasise problems, obstacles and impossibilities. The coach then asks, for example, about the desire for change, what the benefits of change are and what the coachee would notice progress on. The behaviour that is already moving in that direction is highlighted. Goals are thus clarified and positively formulated.
• Listening skills
  These skills can encourage reflection in the student: his/her desires or ambivalences become visible by summarising or paraphrasing them: ‘You want to finish your studies quickly so that you can really get to work, and you are therefore looking for an easy internship’.
• Questioning techniques,visualisations and perspective shifting
  Questions can emphasise previous success experiences, for example: ‘How have you dealt with this so far?’ Or visualisation of behaviour change: ‘What will it look like if you do this right?’ and perspective changes: ‘What will your colleagues notice about …?’.

Agreements

End conversations with concrete agreements on ‘homework’, in line with the next steps for the student’s goals.

What can you do as a supervisor/supporter with coaching?

Coaching is not necessarily complicated, but that does not make this form of guidance easy. It requires training. Some tips and skills are relatively easy to learn and apply in all kinds of situations with students. Even if the relationship is not 100% coaching.

Experiment above all

DO’S

• Clear roles
  In any teaching or coaching, it is good to clarify expectations and share responsibility for the learning process.
• Shift the focus
  Sometimes long conversations arise about what is lacking in books, homework, timetables, tests or IT. There is a misplaced idea that from complaining comes a solution, and that all grievances must be heard. Other students are probably prepared and want to pass the test. They want to know what does work well.
• Express ‘resolving’ language and reframe problems
  Is a task vague (negative scenario). Perhaps there are many opportunities to fill it in yourself (positive scenario).
  Are fellow students failing (problem). Take the lead yourself (solution).
  Does collaboration not work because everyone lives far away, or is busy with work? (negative statements) Perhaps everyone sees the importance of flexibility, good agreements and online consultation (possibilities).
• Silent and don’t know either
  With genuine curiosity, ask what seems like a reasonable solution to the student himself. This avoids hard work on sham solutions.
• Set questions that encourage or motivate confidence
  Questions that motivate confidence include scale questions, such as: How far have you come? What’s already in there? Or ask about need and goals: What makes this important? If you don’t do this, what are you missing?
• Give a reflection in the following way
  -exaggerate a little
  -naming emotions or attitude
  -show ambivalences or contradictions
  Reflection can provide insight or broaden a perspective. Curiosity and benevolence is the key here.

Follow-up case study

The coach asks about positive expectations Max has of ‘just getting to work’. What does that look like? What are the gains? What internship would fit with that? And what minor could prepare for that? Max would like to graduate soon. The coach asks what that would require and what advantages Max sees in it. Together, they explore his wish to do a minor with ‘just subjects with a test’. Perhaps he is looking for overview, flexibility with resits, desires a larger theoretical base or combines it better with his work. What the coach deliberately did not do is ask why Max is not motivated, or why he thinks an internship (with the government) should be easy.

Extra information

• If you want to enhance your coaching skills, a colleague can support you through TLN.
• The community of HU Guides offers a lot of information and peer support
• The six roles of the teacher – Handbook for effective teaching (Martie Slooter)