Podium Presentation - 20 minutes International Positive Psychology Association 8th IPPA World Congress 2023

Strengths-based Student Coaching: creating a culture in which students will apply and leverage their strengths (#142)

Kate Wilkie 1 2 , Kasey Lloyd 1 3
  1. The Positivity Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Flourishing Works, Russell Lea, NSW, Australia
  3. Kasey Lloyd Psychologist + Coach, Tweed Heads, NSW, Australia

The application of strengths-based approaches in schools is central to ''Positive Education”. Research tells us that strengths-based approaches enhance wellbeing, resilience, and academic achievement (Lavy, 2020; White & Waters, 2015). But what happens after strengths have been identified? Too often completing the VIA or other strengths assessments is a fun activity that doesn’t translate to meaningful action - strengths knowledge does not translate to strengths use. The question this workshop will answer is “How can we best help students to apply and leverage their strengths?”

The efficacy of evidence-based coaching to support academic achievement and the well-being of students is well established, with research demonstrating increases in cognitive hardiness and hope and a significant decrease in levels of depression (Dulagil, Green & Ahern, 2016; Green, Grant & Ryndsaardt, 2007). We suggest that strengths-based coaching purposefully highlights the application of one’s strengths as the key resource for personal growth and goal achievement. We will outline a model for strengths-based coaching and provide data relating to its positive impact. We will explore the key elements of an evidence-based student coaching program that provides a powerful and practical approach to empower students to both embrace their strengths and use them effectively to meet personally meaningful goals whilst enhancing wellbeing and resilience. We will present these elements in a three-step framework and share some simple templates for immediate application.

Strengths-based coaching approaches can be applied in numerous contexts, and researchers are starting to explore how best to bring together strengths awareness and coaching (Burke & Passmore, 2019). In addition to our work, and the research carried out in schools, we have seen the positive impact of building a strengths-based coaching culture in corporate and not-for-profit organisations and are excited to share examples of this wider application of strengths-based coaching. We seek to inspire and enable all positive psychology practitioners to start building a strengths-based coaching culture in their own contexts.

  1. Burke, J., & Passmore, J. (2019). Strengths based coaching—a positive psychology intervention. In Theoretical approaches to multi-cultural positive psychological interventions (pp. 463-475). Springer, Cham.
  2. Devine, M., Meyers, R., & Houssemand, C. (2013). How can coaching make a positive impact within educational settings?. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 93, 1382-1389.
  3. Dulagil, A., Green, S., & Ahern, M. (2016). Evidence-based coaching to enhance senior students’ wellbeing and academic striving. International Journal of Wellbeing, 6(3).
  4. Green, S., Grant, A., & Rynsaardt, J. (2007). Evidence-based life coaching for senior high school students: Building hardiness and hope. International Coaching Psychology Review, 2(1), 25.
  5. Lavy, S. (2020). A review of character strengths interventions in twenty-first-century schools: Their importance and how they can be fostered. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 15(2), 573-596.
  6. Madden, W., Green, S., & Grant, A. M. (2011). A pilot study evaluating strengths-based coaching for primary school students: enhancing engagement and hope. International Coaching Psychology Review, 71-83.
  7. White, M. A., & Waters, L. E. (2015). A case study of ‘The Good School:’Examples of the use of Peterson’s strengths-based approach with students. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(1), 69-76.
  • Please select up to 3 keywords from the following list to best describe your submission content: Coaching, Education, Strengths
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