Good Practices of Didactical Methods Database

Title: Non-directive learning/coaching for Citizens’ Curriculum
Good Practice Mission: The mission of non-directive coaching is to empower individuals or groups to independently identify and achieve their goals. By facilitating reflective learning and structured problem-solving, the coach creates an environment where clients can tap into their own expertise and resources to find solutions.
Specific goals of the GP:

Non-directive coaching aims to help people develop the confidence and strategies they need to take charge of their own learning and development.
Year: 2017
Duration of the implementation:
Target group: Adult learners
Summary:

In non-directive coaching, the individual or group is the expert and they set the agenda. The coach helps them to think through that agenda and then apply their own expertise to achieve the outcomes they want.

Non-directive coaching is facilitative. It is based on reflective learning and structured problem-solving. The coach requires knowledge only of how to help people learn and problem-solve for themselves.

The process requires the educator to use:

  • purposeful but non-directive questioning
  • constructive challenges
  • confidence-building reassurance and affirmation

The requirements for the transferability of the practice are:

This practice can be very effective among adult education and VET, and it could be particularly helpful for work-based learning environments.

In more formal contexts, its implementation would require specific staff, additional to the traditional instruction, especially within institutions where instructors must work with large numbers of learners/students.

Apart from that, the process is straightforward, with reporting being one of the most helpful aspects to be considered by the educators/coaches.
Space requisites:
Obstacles revealed?:

Since the learner needs only an objective, a willingness to act and a willingness to reflect on their learning, it might be more difficult to implement with learners/trainees who do not have a clear objective in their participation.
Methodology used: Individual learning
Inquiry-based learning
Resources needed:

The only requirement is that the coach has expertise in helping people to reflect and problem-solve for themselves.
Link: Guide
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