Solidarity and curiosity: planning peer coaching into professional learning

I was recently asked to make a video to introduce peer coaching as a feature of new DfE NPQ programmes. This blog summarises some of my thinking in relation to the possibilities and potential of adding peer coaching into any form of ongoing professional learning course.

Professional learning programmes have objectives, a curriculum, selected resources and common patterns of engagement for participants. Including peer coaching in the programme design offers participants the chance to personalise these elements, and to bring what they are learning to life. Coaching is one of the means by learning can become more nuanced, specific and contextualised.

Let’s take a broader view and draw briefly on research into coaching.

In a literature review for recent research into coaching Trista Hollweck and I (Hollweck and Lofthouse, 2021) highlighted the following key ideas from other researchers:

• Coaching is the art of facilitating the performance, learning and development of another (Downey, 2003) 
• Coaching is recognized as a powerful vehicle for increasing performance, achieving results and optimizing personal effectiveness (Bachkirova et al., 2014)
• Coaching might imply a monolithic activity, but the term refers to a diversity of practices aimed at generating individual or organizational positive change. (Grant, 2013)

In another research paper I defined coaching in education as an interpersonal and sustained dialogue-based practice in which a coach works with a coachee to facilitate self-reflection and effective decision-making and action in the context of their own personal and professional challenges (Lofthouse, Rose and Whiteside, 2021). This definition works well within the context of peer coaching as a component of participation in professional development. 

Evidence presented in that paper from three case studies of coaching in education demonstrated that coaching led to professional and personal formation, allowing the coachee to experience growth, development and self-efficacy. It also demonstrated that while coaching is an individualised one-to-one process, it produces ripple effects with the potential to impact more widely not only on the coachee’s educational setting but also on their future professional roles and working relationships with others. If people become more conscious of the value of coaching type conversations from direct experience and feel more familiar with the coaching stance it is likely to impact on the way that they work with colleagues. This might include using coaching conversations to support the development of practice amongst a team. 

Finally, earlier research presented evidence of the significance of the relational aspects of effective coaching which can create a social space in which teachers and others in the education system can feel heard and valued, and where their knowledge and skills are brought to the fore to be worked with and extended through co-construction with their coach (Lofthouse, 2019).

There are many existing and emerging coaching models and tools (including the GROW model and dilemma-based coaching model). These have value as the can help to guide those new to peer coaching in both their roles as coach and coachee. It is helpful to reflect on them as learning tools, they can then act as a scaffold not a script, which allows more fluid and fluent coaching conversations overtime. With practice the coaching models may start to become internalised, and participants may find themselves using the approach when working with others in their professional context or even when thinking things through independently.

In peer-coaching participants work reciprocally – and sustain this partnership over time. This can support learners as themes being introduced in professional learning programmes can be worked on together as the peers explore them further. Typically, this might include identifying areas of practice that the programme participants would like to develop and ways in which you might achieve this. Alternatively, the peer-coaching conversation might trigger a curiosity leading to further reading or seeking out experts or colleagues in particular roles in the participants’ context for exploratory conversations. 

It can be helpful to reflect on a metaphor. A professional learning programme can be seen as a learning journey, with a route and destination mapped out. Peer coaching provides participants with regular episodes in which they can connect, clarify, consolidate, contextualise and co-create to enhance their own professional learning. Think about those conversations which take place during a journey between travelling companions – as they set off, as they travel and as they reach their destination. In a peer-coaching relationship, participants each take responsibility for the quality and integrity of conversations that they have – appreciating each other’s learning and holding the space for thinking and decision making. If working well, the peer coaching will help them to activate learning and stimulate change.   

So, if you are designing professional development programmes – for any career stage, and online or face-to-face – you might like to include peer coaching. And if you are participating in a programme without it you might even initiate a peer coaching relationship with someone else in your cohort. Some useful starting points are to remember that coaching involves asking questions with intelligence, being appreciative of each other’s practice, knowledge and insights and welcoming the opportunity to engage as empathetic peers. Coaching can help to build and sustain curiosity and solidarity – a good basis for professional learning. 

References

Bachkirova, T., Cox, E. and Clutterbuck, D. (2014), “Introduction”, in Cox, E., Bachkirova, T. and Clutterbuck, D. (Eds), The Complete Handbook of Coaching, 2nd ed., SAGE, London.

Downey, M. (2003), Effective Coaching: Lessons from the Coach’s Coach, Thomson-Texere,
New York, NY.

Grant, A.M. (2013), “The efficacy of coaching”, in Passmore, J., Peterson, D. and Freire, T. (Eds), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Coaching and Mentoring, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, pp. 15-39.

The following papers can be requested by emailing r.m.lofthouse@leedsbeckett.ac.uk 

Hollweck, T. and Lofthouse, R.M. (2021), "Contextual coaching: levering and leading school improvement through collaborative professionalism", International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, Vol. 10. [4] 399-417. Contextual coaching: levering and leading school improvement through collaborative professionalism | Emerald Insight 

Lofthouse, RM (2018) Coaching in Education: a professional development process in formation. Professional Development in Education, 45 (1). pp. 33-45. ISSN 1941-5257 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2018.1529611

Lofthouse, R.M., Rose, A. and Whiteside, R. (2021), "Understanding coaching efficacy in education through activity systems: privileging the nuances of provision", International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-02-2021-0036