Material for reading "Analysing the needs and desires of female learners"

1.1 The importance of analysing the needs and desires of women learners in the coaching process - good motivation as the key to success

 

Many elements influence the effectiveness of the coaching process. Coaches often have developed methods and their ideas for coaching. However, they should remember that every learner has got different needs. So every coach should start the process by finding out who his/her learner is and what her needs are. A very important role is played here by skill: Analysing the needs and desires of female learners.

It is very important to know the motivation of a woman who wants to retrain and enter the digital market. Motivation is a key success factor and shows a lot of information about a person, their situation, desires, needs, problems and gives guidance to the coach to carry out the coaching process. There are 2 types of motivation: internal, which results from the desire/need to develop oneself in order to feel satisfied, and external, caused by some external factor (e. g. the desire for better earnings, sometimes people are forced to take concrete actions). Motivation influences the course, whether it is a duty or a pleasure. There is also a certain correlation - the greater the motivation, the greater the learner's involvement.



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1.2  Ways to learn about women learners’ needs

There are several ways to learn about learner's needs. A common solution is to take an aptitude gap test, before starting the course. However, despite the fact that it is quite convenient, these tests very often do not give the full picture of needs. They don't show what a female learners really wants. And taking into account the individual needs of the learner, including his or her expectations and desires, in addition to the gaps in skills, makes the course more learner-oriented and more effective. It is therefore worth extending the knowledge and skills test to include a needs analysis questionnaire. Understanding what drives the learner, what influences her is essential for creating the right content and choosing the right technique for the course. Although the analysis of training needs may take some time, it is worth it.

1.3  Step by step - how to conduct a needs analysis and what to pay attention to?

Paying attention to the learner – her needs and desires – is crucial. Getting to know more about her aspirations does not have to be difficult: a properly prepared analysis of a learner’s needs is the starting point. This tool helps to know the learner better and so achieving goals that are important for her should be easier.

The analysis of your learner's educational needs should be carried out in the following way: first, you need to determine what information you need as a coach. What do you want to know about your learners? For ease of reference, make a list of all the areas you need to understand. Then you should proceed to the collection of key data about the person. This information may include the time they are able to devote to studying after work, the way they like and dislike to study, what are their expectations of the course, but also setting goals that are important for the learner. It is worthwhile to make such a questionnaire as varied as possible. That is to say, to contain both closed and open questions. This will give a fuller picture of the learner's knowledge. Another interesting solution is questions such as “how much you agree with the given answers on a scale such as 1-5?". This is for attitude evaluation.

The analysis of the female learner's needs and the process of understanding and getting to know her by the coach makes the learner feel, from the very beginning, that she has an influence on her education. This makes her additionally motivated to act and starts believing in success. There is also an important issue of trust built on knowledge and understanding.

1.4.  Asking the right questions

In order for the coach to communicate effectively with the learner and get to know her and her needs it is important to ask questions – coaches should know how to ask questions since only the right question will help them understand the goals and expectations of the learner.  

The very first step is asking open questions. Such questions help the learner open up since they provoke a more elaborative answer. Such questions will encourage the learner to reflect and tell the coach more. For instance instead of asking questions like: “Do you like this situation and the current stage of life?” the coach should be free to ask: “What do you like about your life?” and “What is it that you don’t like about your life?”.  In order to provide an answer the learner will need to think of a short utterance rather than answering with one question – like “Yes” and “No”. That would be useful for the coach since there is a greater chance of getting to know the learner.

Moreover, the questions asked by the coach should be effective – that would mean that the learner is at the core of the coaching session; the coach should ask such questions which would encourage the learner to speak. It is worth remembering that the session belongs to the learner in a way.  The coach should ask questions which provoke alternative thinking; explore options; involve different points of view; and explore thoughts and feelings. The important bit is that these questions will help the coach get to know the learner better. An example of such questions could be: What would you like to achieve during the session? Can you tell me something about your experience? What would you prefer? Can you tell me about your problem? Can you please explain…?

Another useful technique is asking reflective questions. That would mean that the coach tries to reflect back to the words and opinion of the learner. An example of this would be: “You say you are worried about the change, tell me more…”. Such a question does not only encourage the learner to speak but it shows that the coach is listening actively to each and every word of the learner. It helps to build an atmosphere of trust. However, the coach should remember to provide the learner with an adequate amount of time needed to reflect.

 


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