Exploring teaching strategies for training programmes in business coaching

Abstract

Coaching and business coaching, in particular, is an academically immature, yet emerging discipline. While there appears to be general consensus about the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes of business coaches, there is currently little agreement on facilitating these competencies in the higher educational setting in order to develop the core competencies of business coaches. This qualitative study explores and describes teaching strategies to facilitate the core competencies of business coaches in business coaching training programmes. The findings indicate that the nature of business coaching practice demands a critical disposition to thinking and acting. The nature of the business coach learner as a mature adult emphasises the importance of an experiential learning environment that promotes learner reflexivity. Possible teaching strategies depend on and promote interactive discourse and real-time learning.