Click here to view the video transcript
There are several key takeaways for educators regarding academic coaching. One is that the coaching conversation is student-driven. The student sets the agenda by identifying what they would like to explore in any given conversation.
Two is that coaching is strengths-based. A coach uses questioning to draw out abilities, talents, and successes, helping the student to see their own strengths more clearly, and then draw on them as they address areas of challenge, or less-developed abilities.
Three, is that coaching is driven by open-ended questions that put the student in the driver’s seat. These questions invite reflection that drive insight and action. And four, is that the student does most of the speaking in a coaching conversation. 80/20 is a useful guide. In other words, coaches can aim to be speaking about 20% of the time, and allow the student to speak about 80% of the time. The opportunity to speak and ruminate is an essential element of coaching. Given the time and space to analyse, come up with creative ideas, and initiate their own actions, students are more likely to become accountable and motivated.
- Coaching starts from the position that students are the experts in their own lives. This means that the coaching conversation is student-driven. Allow the student to set the agenda by identifying areas needing help/growth/addressing.
- Coaching assumes basic wellness and is strengths-based. Coaches acknowledge students’ abilities and successes and champion their strengths, helping students to draw on those successes and strengths when coming up with ideas about how to handle challenges.
- Coaching is driven by open-ended questioning that leads to both insight and action. In the process of questioning, the coach should only be speaking about 20% of the time, allowing the student to generate ideas, weigh potential positive and negative effects, and choose actions to execute.
Thank you for taking this ‘Introduction to Academic Coaching for Students’ course which has been developed with Sarah Kravits and Carol Carter. We hope you have enjoyed it. Remember to mark this lesson as ‘Mark Complete’ to earn your Course Completion Badge.
If you’re ready to build on what you’ve learned, check out Lifebound’s self-paced course: Inclusive Coaching Course for Academic Coaches. This course offers evidence-based coaching tools to help you support students to thrive in today’s complex educational and professional landscape. It’s a great next step for anyone looking to deepen their coaching practice in inclusive and empowering ways.
Further Reading:
Pink, D. (2008) Drive. Riverhead Books.
Dweck, C. (2007) Mindset. Ballantine Books.
Stolzfus, T. (2008) Coaching Questions: A Coach's Guide to Powerful Asking Skills. Coach22 Bookstore LLC.
References:
Bettinger, E. P., & Baker, R. B. (2014). The effects of student coaching: An evaluation of a randomized experiment in student advising. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 36(1), 3-19.
Capstick, M. K., Harrell-Williams, L. M., Cockrum, C. D., & West, S. L. (2019). Exploring the effectiveness of academic coaching for academically at-risk college students. Innovative Higher Education, 44, 219-231.
Robinson, C., & Gahagan, J. (2010). Coaching students to academic success and engagement on campus. About Campus, 15(4), 26-29.
Discussions
Is there anything new you think you might try or explore further in relation to academic coaching?
Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.