ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the importance of questions in coaching, characteristics of good questions, powerful questioning techniques and solution-focused questioning. Thought-provoking questions are a hallmark of coaching. Coaching involves setting goals, identifying obstacles, devising solutions, planning action and measuring progress. Good coaching questions provoke thought. Coaching encourages students to take responsibility for their own progress. The powerful techniques include scaling, standard approach, and so on. Good coaching questions are short, open, thought-provoking, genuine and put the onus on the student to act or find a solution. They also stand alone and are followed by silence. Scaling questions enable coaches and students to measure important variables, for example the student's commitment, or sense of self-efficacy. Solution-focused questions have been shown to be more effective than problem-focused questions in enhancing students' perceived self-efficacy, enabling students to generate action-steps and helping them feel closer to achieving their goals.
