Academic coaching benefits students by enabling them to achieve their full potential through the teaching of revision, study and exam techniques, that work to their strengths and learning styles. These can then be put into practice to make for effective revision and optimising outcomes in exams.
John Dunlosky, a professor of psychology and expert on self-regulated learning writes that, “teaching students how to learn is as important as teaching them content, because acquiring both the right learning strategies and background knowledge is important – if not essential – for promoting lifelong learning.”
How academic coaching benefits students depends on their individual needs. Lockdown affected students differently. Not all students suffered as a result of it. Some students thrived during lockdown. This is because they responded well to the work that was set in remote learning. Lockdown work consisted mainly of powerpoints, reading and lots of screen work. You had to be able to remain focused for large chunks of time and be self motivated and disciplined. Some students blossomed because they didn’t have any distractions: no discipline issues, no peer group and no pecking order in the class, telling or reminding them of what they can or cannot do.
However, other students found lockdown incredibly difficult. Often these are students who thrive on interaction, either with their peers or with their teachers. They like to discuss their work, ask questions, seek explanations and reassurance. Unless you were very fortunate, homeschooling didn’t provide much opportunity for interaction. The constant diet of powerpoints, video explainers, passages to read, and self teaching and regulation often resulted in loss of motivation and self doubt.
Students have returned to school with varying degrees of confidence in their own ability. They have also returned to tests and exams and in many cases lots of them as the schools feel a need to get some evidence of where the students are at. Students also want to know where they are, because they want to know where all that home learning has left them.
How academic coaching benefits students.
Academic coaching covers:
Organisational skills – the key to keeping on top of the work and not the other way round. These include time management, organising of notes, prioritising tasks, working to deadlines, making an effective and focused timetable.
Study techniques – exploring different study techniques and finding techniques that work for you.
Recall techniques – whether it’s key words, formulae, equations, dates or quotes, GCSEs and A levels require you to commit to memory a lot of information. How each of us remember is different and it is finding a method that suits you.
Subject requirements – each subject requires different skills and knowledge in order to achieve success.
Exam techniques that will help you approach exams more confidently and calmly.
Coping with pressure – the GCSE and A level years are highly are very stressful for young people in the most normal of years but this has multiplied manifold this year. Academic coaching teaches coping strategies to help build confidence and put fears to the side.
Exams
Whether GCSEs or A level exams go ahead this year, there will be some kind of moderated evidence and formal assessment. This is why schools are setting mock exams, and in some cases more than one set, as a means of collating evidence. Academic coaching helps prepare students for upcoming exams, whether they are mock exams or the real thing and will help them to keep on top of their study.
At www.studentnavigator.co.uk we provide academic coaching to teach study skills and help prepare for exams. We also provide academic mentoring to support students throughout their GCSE or A level years. Please contact us today see how we can assist you.