Teaching
The course is delivered in a blended manner through a mixture of face-to-face and online delivery. Interactive lectures, webinars, practical demonstrations and workshops, problem based learning and small group working will be delivered and facilitated by subject experts and coaching practitioners. Teaching sessions integrate academic theory with practical application and allow for discussion and critical appraisal. Online resources, provided through a Virtual Learning Environment, focus on individual study topics, worked examples and the exploration of appropriate resources.
There is c.32 hours face-to-face teaching per unit plus 3 hours online content delivered per unit. The taught units are as follows:
Psychological Coaching
This unit sets out the landscape for the course that advocates a psychological mindedness approach to coaching, irrespective of the coaching context in which students operate.
Evidenced-Based Coaching
This unit moves students’ thinking and attention from pure psychologically based models to those that are more evidenced based. The unit intention is to help students to develop the competence to challenge that evidence base critically and rigorously.
Neuroscience and Coaching
This unit builds on the previous units and helps to strengthen students’ competence in critical and analytical thinking as more scientific evidence is presented to them about coaching related issues in the context of the emerging interest and understanding of brain research.
Practical Philosophy for Coaching
This pivotal unit provides students with the opportunity to reflect on and contemplate their coaching practice through a philosophical lens. The aim of the unit is to not only provide insight and clarity on what has been studied so far but to also provoke healthy challenge and debate to students’ understanding of the coaching landscape.
Coaching in Systems
This unit develops the idea that coaching does not happen in isolation and argues for coaches to take a systemic approach to coaching that ultimately yields greater benefits to all those potentially affected by the outcomes of the coaching process.
Emerging Trends in Coaching
This unit builds on the learning gained from Evidence Based Coaching, and can be considered a synthesis of the content of all the units studied so far. The actual content of this unit is informed by contemporary and emerging research studies.
Dissertation - Research Methods: Theory and Practice
This unit consists of 3-days Research Methods taught provision in Year 1 with additional online support followed by Year 2 Dissertation plus supervision.
| One to one supervision |
Approximately 5 hours of supervision per student during Year 2 |
|---|---|
| Seminars & classes |
Approximately 32 hours face-to-face teaching per unit plus 3 hours online content delivered per unit split between lectures, webinars, practical demonstrations and workshops, problem based learning and small group working. |
| Lectures |
Approximately 32 hours of face-to-face teaching per unit plus 3 hours of online content delivered per unit split between lectures, webinars, practical demonstrations and workshops, problem-based learning and small group working. |
| Practicals |
Some practical work will be required and will be facilitated by subject experts and coaching practitioners. The number of hours is incorporated in the 32 hours of face-to-face teaching per unit. |
| Small group teaching |
Some small group work will be required and will be delivered and facilitated by subject experts and coaching practitioners. The number of hours is incorporated in the 32 hours of face-to-face teaching per unit. |
| Taught/Research Balance |
Predominantly Taught
|
Feedback
Students are given formal feedback on summative assignments (those assignments which formally contribute to the final outcome of the MSt award) and informal feedback throughout the course, including during supervisions. The continual formative feedback throughout the course is provided using a variety of strategies and techniques including evidence of regular reflection.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
Students on this course will be expected to complete a dissertation of 12,000 words in length, including footnotes and appendices but excluding tables and bibliography in Year 2.
Essays
All units on the course use summative (those assessments which formally contribute to the final outcome of the MSt award) assessment approaches designed to ensure experiential learning and work-based real-life relevance. Approaches may include, but are not limited to: short answer questions, essays, evaluative studies of problem-based scenarios, group presentations, critical analysis of literature and case studies, research proposals and research dissertations. All unit assessments are the equivalent of a 3000-4000 essay.
Written examination
There are no formal written examinations on this course.
Other
The examination shall include an oral examination on the dissertation and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls and on the other work submitted by the candidate; save that the Examiners may, at their discretion, waive the requirement for an oral examination.