Mentoring and Coaching as a Learning Technique in Higher Education: The Impact of Learning Context on Student Engagement in Online Learning

Kelum A. A. Gamage,M. A. Dilini N. Wijewardena,D. A. Sharmini Perera

doi:10.3390/educsci11100574

Kelum A. A. Gamage, M. A. Dilini N. Wijewardena + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11100574

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Abstract

Coaching and mentoring has been regarded as one of the key learning techniques in the modern learning environment in the recent past. With the swift shift in the higher education sector to a more digitally driven learning environment, limited research has evaluated the impact of coaching and mentoring on student engagement in online learning. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of coaching and mentoring on enhancing student engagement in the higher education sector. The study applied a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection, where the primary data were collected from 120 respondents via a questionnaire and 20 in-depth interviews, covering undergraduates through a simple random sampling technique. The data analysis showed that the mentor’s ability to facilitate learning and encourage mentees to be focused on their goals were the most significant factors that affected student engagement in online learning. In total, 43% of the respondents extremely agreed that they are willing to recommend their colleagues to receive the service of a mentor to help them reach their optimum potential in an online learning environment. The findings of the study recommend that the higher educational institutes should administer a sound mentoring process that meets the ethical backgrounds to consistently support the continuous improvement of the students in an online learning environment to enhance their engagement in learning activities.

Highlights

The rapid changes in higher education with online delivery and an increase in the use of technology has made it more challenging to ensure student engagement and professorial development
57% of the respondents extremely agreed with the fact that the mentors encouraged them to think beyond their comfort zones and it helped to realize their areas of improvement in an online learning environment while 30% agreed
40% of the respondents extremely agreed that the mentoring session helped them to realize their true potential and self-management techniques to be focused on their learning activities in the online learning environment while 44% agreed

Summary

Introduction

The rapid changes in higher education with online delivery and an increase in the use of technology has made it more challenging to ensure student engagement and professorial development. Skills in selfmanagement through active learning, resilience, stress tolerance, and flexibility are given utmost importance with the impact of COVID 19 and the changes that took place in the environment in the year 2020 [1] These skills must be developed continuously through the higher education system to meet the needs of the local and global industries in an ever-changing environment. Coaching and mentoring helps to encourage, challenge, and motivate coaches/mentees to be focused on their specific goals, setting up action plans, and implementing the plan of actions with more self-discipline This contributes to the development of self-management skills, self-learning, and identifying, as well as reaching one’s own optimum potential

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