Summary

At the University of Wolverhampton, students are supported by an Academic Coach (AC), a full time and permanent role, who acts as personal tutor. ACs’ practices are underpinned by an Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) coaching and mentoring model that positions the student as an active agent in their learning and development. ACs meet with students on a one-to-one and group basis, listening, questioning, supporting, challenging and nudging students’ thinking and motivation towards activities. These coachable moments have a direct impact on their learning and personal potential in the classroom and beyond. Through this case study, we discuss how academic coaching operates, providing a worked example of student coach interactions. A theoretical framework that draws on coaching and nudge theory is used, and recommendations shared to support others with implementation.

Introducing Academic Coaching

The AC role, created in 2018, is a unique form of student support that is not found elsewhere in the sector. ACs support students to navigate the transition into and through the university, encouraging them towards independent learning, helping in forging academic learning relationships, and understanding the nuances of learning in HE. The AC role is carried out by individuals who reflect the diversity of the student body. Recruitment of ACs is often from University alumni, with 66% of those currently in role being recent graduates, and the rest being recruited externally. Growing from a pilot of nine ACs, there are now (July 2025) 34 Academic Coaches acting as personal tutors for all new students at levels 3 and 4, and for taught postgraduate international students. Due to this growth a Senior Academic Coach (SAC) role was developed in 2021. SACs ensure consistency in the support offered to students across the University and provide more detailed data analysis to highlight the role’s impact.

The Academic Coach Role

ACs provide tailored support for identified groups. Their work is written into and underpins university strategic initiatives e.g. the Access and Participation Plan. Through empowering students this way, a sense of belonging is triggered, which is known to impact retention and success (Thomas, 2012; Thomas et al., 2017).

ACs contact their allocated students before they join the University, to introduce themselves and familiarise students with support offered. This builds rapport and the relationship at the outset. During their first week of study, students are encouraged to complete a specifically designed Independent Learner Profile (ILP) that encourages them to focus on their strengths and areas of development. This helps ACs better understand students’ personal needs and circumstances.

ACs engage in a minimum of three planned focused meetings with students, which are strategically placed in the academic year. The first meeting centres on the ILP where ACs and students negotiate a personalised plan of group-based development or targeted one to one support. Uptake of the ILP is high with 90% of students completing and submitting. ACs and students work collaboratively to set personal short- and long-term goals to achieve over the year.

The second is a progress meeting which takes place in early semester two. This meeting encourages students to reflect on their experience of semester one, and the feedback they have received from their first assessments to identify further areas of development going forward.

The third meeting is an end of year academic review, where students reflect on the year and plan for the next year. Additional meetings are conducted if needed, for example if a student experiences challenges with settling in, faces difficult circumstances, or requires resit support. The worked examples of the students below, Sandra and Faith, show how students with different needs are supported.

Connecting into theory

This one-to-one and group coaching AC approach draws on active learning theory, coaching models and the application of nudge theory to an educational setting. Active learning encourages engagement by focusing on how students learn (HEA, 2018). It positively impacts student’s self-confidence and self-reliance in how to study. Engaging with the Academic Coaches meetings facilitates students’ understanding of how to study and thus provides them with the skills and knowledge to thrive in Higher Education.

The ILP, for example, gives ACs the opportunity to use the coaching model GROW (Whitmore, 2024); with the Goal of encouraging the students to share their Realities and potential barriers they may have in being successful at university. Considering Opportunities to navigate these barriers is the first step in working collaboratively with students to ensure motivation and Will levels remain high, towards agreeing short and long-term goals (Watsjold & Zhong, 2020) to mitigate and overcome them. As ACs engage in coaching students, active learning is central, as they work in partnership to encourage students to reflect on their own practice, and to set goals together to best navigate their journey within Higher Education. Over time, the directive/non-directive coaching spectrum (Downey, 2024) comes into play whereby ACs hand the responsibility for goal setting and action taking to the students, with the ACs spending more time on nudging them from dependence to independence in readiness to move to the next level without them.

Moreover, interactions between ACs and students deliver informational or reminder nudges that reduce the cognitive burden related to students’ understanding of what is required to participate and succeed. Through the discussion of relevant information and setting of tasks that encourage students to act immediately, they are more likely to commit and undertake the task (Plak et al., 2023). In the Fogg Behaviour Model (FBM: Fogg, 2009), Fogg explains why nudging students is so successful. The FBM argues that students need to believe that they have the ability to academically perform as well as possessing the motivations to act in order to respond to reminders. If one of these elements is missing, they are unlikely to respond. AC meetings provide both motivation and information which leads to a greater chance of students acting and achieving deadlines.

Below are some ‘composite student’ examples of how active learning and nudge theory are utilised in academic coaching.

How the organisation responded

Initially, there was a mixed reception from staff when the AC role was introduced. Whilst some welcomed the innovative new approach to supporting their students, others were reluctant without any evidence it would have impact. This perception quickly changed when student engagement increased through personalised support and ACs’ proactive and preventative approaches, which led to earlier identification of student issues, both on an individual and cohort level. The ACs’ willingness to adapt their approach based on the needs of the course and department led to staff seeing this as offering students enhanced support whilst also giving time back to academics who no longer had personal tutoring responsibilities for these levels of study. Recent metrics indicate that the progression rate of students who have one or more engagement with or nudge from their coach is 80% (compared to 73% who have not engaged), rising to 82% where one of the engagements is to complete an ILP.

Advice and lessons learned

Our recommendation is to review your personal tutoring offer and consider whether your levels 3, 4 and level 7 international students need more tailored support.

• If you implement academic coaching, we suggest that:
• you initially consider recruiting recent alumni as ACs to ensure they represent the backgrounds and lived experiences of your students.
• all level 3 and 4 and level 7 international students are offered an AC, who offer three planned meetings over an academic year.
• ACs are trained and supervised regularly to ensure their support is high quality and consistent.
• ACs receive training in coaching and mentoring. Our ACs complete the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring.
• there are clear role distinctions between ACs and academics.
• an early dialogue between academics and ACs is encouraged to discuss their roles and responsibilities.
• ACs target specific students who need more support and offer additional tailored support as needed.
• you should consider the offer at level 5 and 6 too, and ensure a robust handover from AC to Personal Tutor.

And remember, one size does not fit all. Always tailor academic coaching to the needs of the learner. This ensures that the AC focus is on providing an equitable experience for all students.

Key takeaways

• Align the AC offer with the university strategic activities e.g. retention, APP
• Train your ACs to ensure a high quality, consistent approach for all students
• Ensure ACs are nudging rather than doing for the student – be mindful of the coaching spectrum and the need to develop independence.

References

Brown, A., Lawrence, J., Basson, M., Axelsen, M., Redmond, P., Turner, J., Maloney, S., & Galligan, L. (2023). The creation of a nudging protocol to support online student engagement in higher education. Active Learning in Higher Education, 24(3), 257-271. https://doi.org/10.1177/14697874211039077

Downey, M. (2024) Effective Modern Coaching: the principles and art of effective business coaching UK: LID Business Media

EMCC (2024) Glossary definitions. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from https://emccdrive.emccglobal.org/api/file/download/uKy7MLlofV6NoR4grJpySLZNGpbYoGntuZSeu9zf

Fogg, B. J. (2009). A behavior model for persuasive design. In Proceedings of the 4th international conference on persuasive technology. Article No: 40, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1145/1541948.1541999

HEA (2018) Active Learning. Retrieved August 24, 2025, from https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/active-learning

ILM (2024) Coaching and Mentoring Qualifications. Retrieved March 6, 2025, from https://www.i-l-m.com/learning-and-development/coaching-and-mentoring-qualifications

Plak, S., Klaveren, C., & Cornelisz, I. (2023). Raising student engagement using digital nudges tailored to students’ motivation and perceived ability levels. British Journal of Educational Technology, 54, 554–580. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13261

Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C.R. (2008) Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Penguin

Watsjold, B., & Zhong, D. (2020). Clinical Coaching Cards: A Game of Active Learning Theory and Teaching Techniques The AAMC Journal of Teaching and Learning Resources, 16, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11042

Whitmore, J., & Gaskell, T. (2024). Coaching for Performance (6^th ed.). John Murray Business

About the authors

Matt and Harvey are Heads of Student Success, leading large teams of Student Success Coaches who are directly supporting our new students with their transition to university. Julie, Debra and Jenni have student experience roles that directly feed into and support them. All strive for enhanced student outcomes for all.

Corresponding author: Julie Hughes, j.hughes2@wlv.ac.uk