Reframing course tutoring through coaching and mentoring: implications for learner development in higher Education

This perspective paper examines coaching and mentoring practices of course tutors within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK. Course tutors’ roles vary across institutions under different titles, including personal tutors and academic mentors. HEIs recognise the value of these roles due to awareness of the multi-faceted pressures confronting learners. However, limited empirical research and professional practice highlight complexities in the design, development, and implementation of effective policies and strategies. Although coaching and mentoring are established as a learning and development initiative in commercial contexts, such practices in HEIs are limited. This imbalance is partly attributable to incentives associated with workplace coaching, compared to HEIs where such practices are embedded within academic workloads. Moreover, academics may see these practices as a burden, undertaken without formal training. Readiness to engage with coaching and mentoring is also uneven, among undergraduates compared to postgraduate learners. These challenges lead to a knowledge and practice gap that warrants critical reflection and collaborative inquiry involving multiple stakeholders. Drawing on theoretical links between coaching and learning, alongside our practices at Nottingham Business School, we offer insights into how coaching and mentoring-informed course tutoring enhance learner development, academic practice, and institutional approaches to personalised learning within HEIs. This perspective paper examines coaching and mentoring practices of course tutors within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK. Course tutors’ roles vary across institutions under different titles, including personal tutors and academic mentors. HEIs recognise the value of these roles due to awareness of the multi-faceted pressures confronting learners. However, limited empirical research and professional practice highlight complexities in the design, development, and implementation of effective policies and strategies. Although coaching and mentoring are established as a learning and development initiative in commercial contexts, such practices in HEIs are limited. This imbalance is partly attributable to incentives associated with workplace coaching, compared to HEIs where such practices are embedded within academic workloads. Moreover, academics may see these practices as a burden, undertaken without formal training. Readiness to engage with coaching and mentoring is also uneven, among undergraduates compared to postgraduate learners. These challenges lead to a knowledge and practice gap that warrants critical reflection and collaborative inquiry involving multiple stakeholders. Drawing on theoretical links between coaching and learning, alongside our practices at Nottingham Business School, we offer insights into how coaching and mentoring-informed course tutoring enhance learner development, academic practice, and institutional approaches to personalised learning within HEIs.