The impact of peer-to-peer coaching on self-esteem, test anxiety and perceived stress in adolescents

Schools are increasingly using peer support programmes to support students. This study will explore the effectiveness of peer-to-peer coaching on increasing self-esteem and reducing test anxiety and perceived stress in sixth form students. Fifty-five participants took part in the study. IGROW, a variation of the GROW coaching model, was used to structure a coaching intervention for 27 students, with 28 students receiving no coaching intervention. There was a significant improvement in self-esteem post-intervention for males regardless of group. The coaching group significantly reduced in test anxiety. There was no significant impact of coaching on perceived stress. Further research may determine whether peer coaching may be a beneficial low-cost method to support students during stressful periods.