The science of coaching

The coaching industry appears to be experiencing an exponential rise in popularity, with one global survey of coaches estimating that the coaching industry is worth over $2 billion annually.¹ Although academic research has slowly begun to build a case for the effectiveness of coaching,² the credibility of coaching remains partially stifled by its widespread lack of evaluation and the dramatically varying approaches taken by coaches.³

It’s for this reason that it’s critical to identify whether there’s a science underlying coaching and, if so, what this looks like. Perhaps unsurprisingly, psychological research and theory together show that coaching is in fact underpinned by solid foundations. Here, I’ll discuss just five evidence-based components of coaching that underpin its effectiveness. 

1. Andragogy

Andragogy refers to ‘adult-led’ learning and can be compared with pedagogy, or ‘child-led’ learning. Whilst pedagogy assumes that education comes from above, such as from a teacher or adult, andragogy is more self-directed. Self-directed and intrinsically motivated learning generally leads to greater learning outcomes,⁴ suggesting that the andragogic approach taken by coaching should be particularly effective in facilitating learning and development.