Making Coach Learning Active

Learning and integrating the ICF competencies into your coaching is not easy.

The old saying, ‘Don’t worry. It’s just like riding a bike,’ doesn’t apply.

Once you learn to ride a bike, you are not likely to forget. This article I came across recently in Scientific American briefly explains that phenomenon.

The ICF coach competency model is a core body of knowledge that is integral to the credentialing process, and to credentialing success.

What is a Core Body of Knowledge?

It is a set of fundamental concepts, principles, and skills essential for understanding a particular field or discipline. In coaching, a core body of knowledge typically refers to a set of fundamental concepts and skills taught in various coaching schools that coaches should acquire to coach their clients.

For those seeking ICF credentials, the ICF competencies also represent a core body of knowledge that serves as a foundation for further learning and provides a common framework for teaching and assessment. It also helps to ensure that coaches understand the fundamentals and can apply them in real-world situations.

A core body of knowledge can guide curriculum development, instructional design, and assessment practices in educational settings.

How Can You Learn a Core Body of Knowledge?

You must make learning active to learn and anchor the ICF competencies.

The concept of active learning has been around for centuries, but during the 20th century, it gained recognition as a distinct learning approach. While no single individual is credited with discovering active learning theory, several prominent educators have contributed to its development.

You may recognize the name, John Dewey. He was the philosopher and educator who emphasized the importance of experiential learning, which involves learning by doing.

Another name familiar to many coaches is Carl Rogers, a psychologist and educator who developed the concept of learner-centered education, emphasizing the importance of engaging learners in the learning process.

Lev Vygotsky, a psychologist, developed the zone of proximal development concept, which emphasizes the importance of providing learners with challenging tasks that are just beyond their current level of ability.

These and other educators contributed to developing active learning theory, emphasizing the importance of engaging learners in the learning process, and providing them with opportunities to apply their knowledge in real-world situations.

Why Active Learning is Key

Active learning plays a crucial role in adult education as it effectively allows learners to engage with and internalize new knowledge.

Unlike passive learning, which focuses on delivering information, active learning encourages learners to take an active role in the learning process by participating in problem-solving and experiential activities.

One of the main benefits of active learning in adult education is that it promotes more excellent retention of information. When learners are actively engaged in the learning process, they are more likely to internalize and remember the information they are being taught. This recall is because active learning requires learners to actively process and engage with the material, which helps create stronger connections in the brain.

Overall, the role of active learning in adult education is to create a more dynamic and engaging learning experience that promotes a more profound understanding and retention of new knowledge.

How to Make Learning the ICF Competencies Active

If you have been following my posts for a while, you will know that I am always working on new ways to make learning the ICF competencies active, not just in my mentor coaching groups but also using online tools like Quizlet.

Over the next few weeks, I will launch another resource that you can use to make learning the ICF competencies active and fun. If you are preparing to write the new ICF Credentialing Exam, it will be an excellent way to kick-start your learning. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, I encourage you to often return to the ICF competencies to understand, learn, and integrate them into your work.