Coaching as a method to support a high ability student in learning mathematics

Abstract

The modern school is increasingly moving away from the Herbartian, Prussian model of teaching the student has been given subjectivity. Increasingly, there is also a tendency to move away from rows and rows of desks with a special place for the teacher-master, who disciplines the lower-ranked pupils in a commanding manner, as well as the omnipresent ringing of bells and even grades. One such method that is spreading in schools is coaching, first adapted from the world of sport and then business. In this article, I describe research carried out to answer the question: how, through coaching, can we support a high-ability student in developing mathematical competence and how the applied coaching techniques support the motivation of a high-ability student. To gain an in-depth understanding of this method, which is still rarely used in mathematics teaching, an individual case study method used an open-ended in-depth interview supplemented by the 'lifeline' and 'unfinished sentences’ tools. The method was highly effective in helping students develop their mathematical competence and inspiring and motivating them to develop autonomously. The use of this method in individual work with students inspired this article.