International Centre for Coaching and Mentoring Studies

Director(s): Professor Tatiana Bachkirova, Dr Peter Jackson

About us

As a world-class centre for coaching and mentoring, we have a vision of robust, effective, professional coaching and mentoring practice making a real difference to the lives people lead.

Our mission is to expand the knowledge base of coaching and mentoring by promoting cutting-edge research and teaching.

We demonstrate these principles by producing both high-quality research and publications and leading professional development at master's and doctoral level. The same focus underpins our consultancy and evaluation of programmes.

two people in an office

Part of

Oxford Brookes Business School

Related courses

Coaching and Mentoring Practice (MA / PGDip / PGCert)
Doctor of Coaching and Mentoring (DCM)
Human Resource Management (MSc)

Research impact

two people having a conversation at conference table

The International Centre for Coaching and Mentoring Studies supports diversity and innovation in research.

We believe that excellence in research underpins the effectiveness of all our practice, teaching and consultancy. All members of the team are active researchers producing highly regarded outputs across the spectrum of coaching and mentoring questions and contexts.

We host collaborations with associates from across the University’s schools and departments, building knowledge across disciplines. Our faculty and students research internationally in areas such as social change, health and wellbeing, diversity, education, leadership and global business.

Our network is constantly growing as we maintain strong links with our alumni. We actively develop our relationships with organisations in both public and private sectors to explore research and its application in coaching and mentoring.

Contribute to the International Journal of Evidence-Based Coaching and Mentoring

Membership

Staff

Name	Role	Email
Professor Tatiana Bachkirova	Co-Director of the International Centre for Coaching & Mentoring Studies	tbachkirova@brookes.ac.uk
Dr Christian Ehrlich	Reader in Organisational Behaviour	cehrlich@brookes.ac.uk
Dr Judie Gannon	Subject Coordinator of the Doctorate of Coaching & Mentoring, Deputy Head of OBBS Doctoral Programmes	jmgannon@brookes.ac.uk
Dr Ioanna Iordanou	Reader in Human Resource Management	Ioanna.iordanou@brookes.ac.uk
Dr Peter Jackson	Senior Lecturer in Adult, Professional and Lifelong Learning	peter.jackson@brookes.ac.uk
Dr Adrian Myers	Senior Lecturer	amyers@brookes.ac.uk

Collaborators

Name	Role	Organisation
Mr Simon Borrington	Honorary research associate
Dr Elaine Cox	Honorary research associate
Dr Paul Lawrence	Honorary research associate	The Centre for Coaching in Organisations
Dr Hany Shoukry	Honorary research associate	Sky

Our research

Team members' research

Research about the individual

Coaching and Resilience - Carmelina Lawton Smith

The aim of this research was to investigate how leaders experience the concept of resilience and what effect coaching might have. This study interviewed both leaders and coaches using a grounded theory methodology. The findings are published in the International Coaching Psychology Review.

Self-deception in Coaches - Tatiana Bachkirova

Tatiana explored investigating factors contributing to the phenomenon of self-deception in coaches. The analysis allowed developing a model of self-deception in coaches and explored implications of the findings for coaches, coaching supervisors and other practitioners engaged in the development of individuals in organisations. The article is published in Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice.

Coaching and Identity Work - Liam Moore and Juliette Koning

This is a study about intersubjective identity work and sensemaking of adult learners on a postgraduate coaching course. It explores the process of finding the balance in a world of dynamic complexity. The study is published in Management Learning.

Research about the coaching relationship

Values and Ethics in Coaching - Ioanna Iordanou

Ioanna conducted a critical analysis of the role of personal, professional, and cultural values in the development of an ethical coaching practice. Grounded on a critical comparison with the ethics literature in other relevant ‘helping’ professions, this study provides the first systematic, evidence-based enquiry into some of the most fundamental issues concerning the ethical practice of coaching.

How an Evolution View of Workplace Mentoring Relationships Helps Avoid Negative Experiences: The Developmental Relationship Mentoring Model in Action - Elaine Cox and Rhianon Washington

This study explores how the use of a specific mentoring model focusing on the evolution of the relationship between mentor and mentee may influence the incidence of failure. The study has implications for the enhancement of mentor training and scheme coordination as well as contributing to the understanding of negative mentoring relationships.

Physicality in Coaching - Peter Jackson

Peter’s research looks at individual coaches in action in their natural working environment to discover the many ways in which the coach's practice is inseparable from the experience of 'being-in-the-world', in Heidegger's term. There are implications of findings for coaching practice, human communications, and the investigation of complex practices in general.

Research about the process

Exploring the Coaching Process - Adrian Myers

Adrian’s research is about making sense of the interaction between coach and coachee in a breadth of different types of coaching session. His findings suggest that coach and client construct together a sense of meaningful engagement that external coaches acting as observers might struggle to understand or consider helpful for the client.

Microanalysis of the Coaching Process - Tatiana Bachkirova, Jonathan Sibley and Adrian Myers

This study aimed at the development and application of an instrument designed to identify differences and similarities across coaching approaches at the level of a specific coaching session. This tool makes possible a number of research projects, allows a clearer understanding of services typically provided by contracted coaches and assists in self-evaluation of professional and ‘on-the-job’ types of coaching. The article is published in the Human Resources Quarterly.

Exploring mentoring and coaching approaches, practices and skills - Tina Salter and Judie Gannon

This topic is based upon Tina Salter’s DCaM studies with the team now examining mentees and coachees‘ shared experiences of these developmental interventions. The original study is published in the European Journal of Industrial Training.

Research about the context

Mapping Mentoring in the Creative Industries

We are delighted to announce the launch of our cross research centre study, with the Creative Industries Research and Innovation Network and ICCAMS (CIRIN). Our project involves developing an understanding of mentoring in the Creative industries. We are partnering with Creative UK. If you would like to get involved please click here >>

Contact the team: creativeindsmentoringmap@brookes.ac.uk

Evaluating a Coaching and Mentoring Programme: Challenges and Solutions - Tatiana Bachkirova, Linet Arthur and Emma Reading

This study aimed to develop appropriate measures and evaluate the long-term coaching programme run by London Deanery. The results of quantitative and qualitative analysis showed improvement in all chosen scales with a claim that coaching was a major contributor to these changes. The authors argued for a methodological approach to outcome research on coaching programmes that is aligned with the main principles and philosophy of coaching as a practice. The article is published in the International Coaching Psychology Review.

Coaching in Higher Education: The Impact on People-Oriented Leadership Development - Ioanna Iordanou

In this longitudinal research project, Ioanna explored the educational role of coaching in the formative training of managers and leaders in the Business School. Coaching, as a developmental management and leadership tool, has been eschewed by undergraduate Business Education in the UK. This study looks at how incorporating the study and practice of coaching in undergraduate Business School curricula can contribute towards the development of more people-oriented and, by extension, socially responsible managers and leaders.

Mentoring as Developmental Networks across Borders – Judie Gannon

This topic is based upon Judie’s doctoral studies and explores the role of formal and informal mentoring and other developmental relationships in the socialisation of expatriates, inpatriates and local managers.

Study opportunities

Oxford Brookes is well known for its range of high-quality postgraduate programmes for the development of coaches and mentors at master's level 7 and at doctoral level 8.

Our long established MA in Coaching and Mentoring Practice offers the opportunity to gain a master's degree part-time over 2 to 5 years. It has a flexible format and encompasses a shorter Postgraduate Certificate (6 months) and Postgraduate Diploma (15 months).

The Doctor of Coaching and Mentoring Programme (DCM) is unique in the world. Each year, 8 experienced coaches and mentors are challenged to augment their existing expertise and push the boundaries of knowledge and understanding so that they may operate at the highest level. We also offer ILM accredited qualifications at level 5 and 7 and an advanced study programme in coaching supervision.

Taught courses

Coaching and Mentoring Practice (MA or PGDip or PGCert)

MSc in Human Resource Management

Professional Certificate of Advanced Study in Coaching Supervision

ILM level 7 Certificate for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors

ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring

Supervising Groups and Team Coaches

By research

Doctor of Coaching and Mentoring (DCM)

PhD opportunities

Consultancy

Using the extensive and diverse expertise of our team, we are able to support organisations with a range of tailored services. We adopt a partnership approach to evaluate specific client needs and design bespoke programmes that support both individual and organisational objectives. With leading authors, practitioners and academics across a variety of fields, we draw on the latest research ideas to deliver leading edge coaching and mentoring based services. Our clients choose us for the flexibility and credibility of our programmes that offer customised solutions.

Services that we provide

Evaluation of coaching programmes

Many organisations that introduce coaching programmes wish to ascertain the value these programmes provide for the organisation. Our team is experienced in small and large scale methodologies designed to establish the extent of the contribution coaching programmes provide.

An example of such an evaluation is the project that we led at the London Deanery: Bachkirova, T., Arthur, L. and Reading, E. (2015). Evaluating a coaching and mentoring programme: Challenges and solutions, International Coaching Psychology Review, 10(2), pp. 175-189.

Coaching supervision for organisations

Coaching supervision is an important area of expertise of the International Centre for Coaching and Mentoring Studies. We had the first MA programme in coaching practice to provide coaching supervision for our students. We teach and accredit coaching supervisors.This expertise allows us to offer supervision services for coaches engaged in the coaching programmes within organisations of the private and public sector.

Bespoke services such as tailored courses for organisations and executive coaching

Programmes are always designed to the individual client specification but may be based on one-off events such as training courses through to end-to-end consultancy for the implementation of coaching or mentoring schemes.

We are able to offer initial coach training, such as coaching skills for managers, specific CPD sessions to enhance the skills of practicing coaches and development for experienced coaches plus full scheme evaluation.

In addition, our extensive pool of qualified executive coaches are available for one-to-one interactions. This pool of coaches are based across the country, with a broad variety of industry experience.

Assessment and validation of coaches

Ensuring the quality of coaching provision can prove challenging for an organisation. We are able to offer assessment centres that follow a unique system that we developed at the International Centre for Coaching and Mentoring Studies.

This system aims to avoid shortfalls of the traditional competences-based approaches to coach assessment which have been recently extensively critiqued. Our assessment system aims at evaluating more holistic capabilities of coaches rather than only skills-focused competences.