A pilot study evaluating strengths-based coaching for primary school students: Enhancing engagement and hope

Abstract

Objective:This pilot study examines the impact of an evidence-based strengths coaching programme on male primary school students’ levels of engagement and hope.Design:In a within-subject design study, 38 Year Five male students (mean age 10.7 years) participated in a strengths-based coaching programme as part of their Personal Development/Health programme at an independent, private primary school in Sydney, Australia.Method:Participants were randomly allocated to groups of four or five with each group receiving eight coaching sessions over two school terms. The Youth Values in Action survey was used to highlight participant’s character strengths, and the participants were coached in identifying personally meaningful goals, and in being persistent in their goal-striving, as well as finding novel ways to use their signature strengths. They also completed a ‘Letter from the future’ that involved writing about themselves at their best.Results:The strengths-based coaching pilot programme was associated with significant increases in the students’ self-reported levels of engagement and hope.Conclusions:Strengths-based coaching programmes may be considered as potential mental health prevention and promotion intervention in a primary school setting to increase students’ wellbeing and may also form an important part of an overall Positive Education Programme.

Strength-based parenting and adolescents’ psychological outcomes: The role of mental toughness

“…Self-reported strengths knowledge and use have been identified as major predictors of subjective wellbeing in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies among different age groups (e.g., Govindji & Linley, 2007;Proctor et al, 2011;Quinlan, Swain, Cameron, & Vella-Brodrick, 2015;Sheldon, Jose, Kashdan, & Jarden, 2015;Waters, 2015a;Wood, Linley, Maltby, Kashdan, & Hurling, 2011). Strength use was associated with hope and positive coping in child samples (Madden, Green, & Grant, 2011;Waters, 2015b), life satisfaction and self-esteem in adolescents (Proctor et al, 2011;Suldo, Savage, & Mercer, 2014;Waters, 2015a), subjective wellbeing, selfesteem, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction in college samples (Allan & Duffy, 2014;Douglass & Duffy, 2015;Proctor et al, 2011), and happiness in adult samples (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005). While some studies have shown that both self-reported strength knowledge and use are associated with subjective wellbeing (Govindji & Linley, 2007), in some studies, self-reported strength use was found to be the strongest predictor of wellbeing (Linley, Nielsen, Gillett, & Biswas-Diener, 2010).…”

The impact of peer-to-peer coaching on self-esteem, test anxiety and perceived stress in adolescents

“…However, self-esteem and perceived stress were not influenced by the intervention. The approach to mental health in schools tends to be reactive rather than proactive with resources only being made available to students when students demonstrate difficulties (Madden, Green & Grant, 2011). Peer coaching may be a beneficial, low cost, proactive method to support students during stressful periods.…”

“…Coaching psychology has been described as a collaborative and solution focused practice. It is designed to enhance wellbeing, facilitate goal attainment and create purposeful, positive change (Law, 2013;Madden, Green & Grant, 2011).…”

“…Although coaching was originally teacherfocused, it has developed to play a significant role in supporting, encouraging and challenging students to enjoy their educational experiences and be more likely to achieve their potential (van Nieuwerburgh, 2012). Students adapt well to coaching, with a study investigating coaching with primary school students (Madden et al, 2011) finding that students were able to identify their strengths and weaknesses.…”

Positive Education: The Key Role of the School Counsellor

“…Empirically researched and evaluated programs, which could be delivered by SCs, have also been found to reduce psychological disorders in the short and long term (Gillham et al, 2007;Gillham et al, 1995;McGrath & Noble, 2003). Research around the effectiveness of evidence-based coaching to enhance student wellbeing, as well as support academic achievement and engagement, continues to grow (e.g., see Dulagil et al, 2016;Green et al, 2008;Madden et al, 2011).…”