In this study we present a model for the evaluation of coach trainings, which we observe as prototypical for further education programmes and which leads to “hard facts” of the effects and the quality of such trainings. The business community’s increasing demand for effective and reputable coaches gave rise to an also increasing number of commercial coaching courses. This in turn creates demand for means to identify the high quality and effective programmes from the available pool of courses. Consequently, sound evaluation approaches will become more and more important. However, up to now evaluations of trainings and seminars are mostly based on participants’ self reports following events. In this study we use a multifaceted form of examination and thus we refer to different theoretical concepts, e.g. knowledge and problem solving, personality and emotion theories. We present first results of evaluated coach trainings and give an outlook to the development of appropriate designs and methods.

Using case study, knowledge tests, personality instruments, computer based affect recognition tests and self-report and others rating questionnaires we present a framework for evaluating professional coach training beyond participant’s self reports as a work in progress. These methods will be applied in a pre-post intervention design complemented by continued monitoring on participants of several different coach trainings. The model builds on the evidence base surrounding the knowledge, skills and personality traits that mark a good coach. In order to follow their development during the training we selected psychological methods enabling us to chart individual changes in the course of a professional coach training.

Our generic yet multifaceted model for the evaluation of coach trainings should produce valid findings of the effects and the quality of such trainings and should help to improve educational practice and evaluation methods.