Online group coaching: the experience of postgraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the use of online platforms across different sectors and industries. Coaching has been no different, with clients and coaches swapping face-to-face for online sessions. The existing literature concerning online and group coaching remains scarce and there is no existing research into online group coaching used as a pastoral intervention for students in higher education. As the need for online support arose during the Covid-19 pandemic, this qualitative research was set up to explore the experience of postgraduate students taking part in such a programme. The study was conducted using interpretative phenomenological analysis to further the understanding of how postgraduate students experience, and potentially benefit from, online group coaching. Four group coaching sessions were delivered weekly, with the first session lasting one hour and the remaining three lasting one and a half hours. The analysis identified four main themes: experiencing a safe environment, connection with the group, self-awareness, and considering different perspectives. Coachees reported that the online group coaching was useful as it provided a supportive and safe environment for them to share and work through the challenges they were facing. Participants also noted that the emotional connection with the group allowed them to feel heard and able to express their individual (and sometimes difficult) experiences, which they found beneficial. This study expands the existing body of knowledge on group coaching, specifically adding to the understanding of how online group coaching can be a useful intervention to support postgraduate students.