‘Getting into the flow of university’: a coaching approach to student peer support

Authors

  • Digby Warren London Metropolitan University
  • Wilko Luebsen London Metropolitan University

Abstract

As Keenan (2014) reports, peer-led learning schemes are gaining momentum globally, bringing benefits to both ‘peer leaders’ and their mentees. Such schemes can also be vehicles for student engagement and supporting successful transition. In its Peer-Assisted Student Success (PASS) scheme, London Metropolitan University has developed a course-embedded model in which trained ‘Success Coaches’ provide academic and personal guidance to first-years on all undergraduate degree programmes via in-class groups and one-to-one support. Another distinctive feature is its adoption of a coaching philosophy in the role of student mentoring. This case study explores the experiences and benefits accrued by both first-year students and Success Coaches from this coaching style, drawing on rich data collected via focus groups using images as a form of ‘arts-based inquiry’. Themes emerging from the data illuminate the nature of the peer relationship. The paper also considers implications, for peer-mentor training, of incorporating a coaching approach.

 


 

Author Biographies

Digby Warren, London Metropolitan University

Digby Warren is Associate Professor of Higher Education at London Metropolitan University, working for 25 years in the field of HE teaching and learning development, concerning which he has co-edited two highly received books. He is a specialist in course design, with a focus on student diversity and transformational approaches.

Wilko Luebsen, London Metropolitan University

Wilko Luebsen holds a MA in International Business and currently administers and supports the PASS Scheme at London Metropolitan University. For the past two years he has been involved in the REACT Project as a researcher and development consultant working across the UK Higher Education sector to promote Student Engagement.

References

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Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change cover

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Published

10/02/2017

How to Cite

Warren, D., & Luebsen, W. (2017). ‘Getting into the flow of university’: a coaching approach to student peer support. The Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 3(1), 262–269. Retrieved from https://journals.studentengagement.org.uk/index.php/studentchangeagents/article/view/599

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2017)

Section

Peer Learning Communities

License

Copyright is held by the journal. The author has full permission to publish to their institutional repository. Articles are published under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence.