PeerCoaching

Peer coaching is a collaborative professional development approach in which colleagues support each other's learning and performance through structured conversations and practice-based feedback. It is typically voluntary, reciprocal, and non-evaluative, focusing on growth rather than appraisal.

Programs commonly pair participants or form small groups and establish a coaching agreement, cadence, and ground rules. A typical cycle includes goal setting, observation or data collection of practice, guided reflection, feedback, and action planning.

Coaching conversations rely on active listening, open-ended questions, and a focus on observable behaviors and skills. Tools such as checklists, rubrics, reflective journals, or video recordings may be used to provide evidence and guide discussion.

Peer coaching is used in workplaces, schools, higher education, healthcare, and sports to develop leadership, teaching, clinical skills, and teamwork. Benefits reported include improved performance, greater knowledge transfer, increased self-awareness, stronger collaboration, and a supportive learning culture.

Challenges include maintaining confidentiality, avoiding judgment or evaluative pressure, time demands, and potential power imbalances between participants. Effective implementation requires clear guidelines, training for coaches, explicit objectives, leadership support, and safe, structured processes.

Evidence on outcomes is mixed and depends on design and fidelity of the program; when well-structured, peer coaching can complement formal training and contribute to sustained behavioral change.