{"id":{"repo_id":"oxford-brookes","oai_identifier":"tle:75f03c22-cd5b-4e71-9954-7af987af7789:d6bd9758-527a-46cd-bfe2-c433766e8fca:1"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/oxford-brookes/tle:75f03c22-cd5b-4e71-9954-7af987af7789:d6bd9758-527a-46cd-bfe2-c433766e8fca:1","repository":{"repo_id":"oxford-brookes","name":"Oxford Brookes University","base_url":"https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/oai"},"display":{"title":"How do coaches and clients create and experience a critical thinking environment?","abstract":"Inspired by my own personal experience and the limited literature regarding critical thinking environments in coaching, this constructivist grounded theory research study aims for the coach to facilitate clients to become critical in their coaching environment and consider what enables that to happen. Critical thinking has been described as a core competency and skill that is needed in today’s leaders in organisations where there is constant and rapid change. A deficiency in critical thinking skills in coaches, in turn creates consequences for individuals as well as organisations themselves, as a deficiency of critical thinking skills transforms into a lack of ability to lead others. In answering this challenge both educators and employers are appealing for the development of critical thinking skills. To survive in the current age, people need to ask questions as well as challenge assumptions and find innovative ways to solve problems. Constructivist grounded theory methodology for this research offers a systematic and rigorous method for the data collection and analysis, allowing for the construction of a theory that is grounded in participants' views and experiences. Two sources of data were identified for this study, coaches and clients through a total of 40 interviews. The narratives of these experiences were used to develop a theoretical framework which conceptualised their experiences, and applied constructivist grounded theory coding cycles and strategies which identified, compared and connected different categories. The findings from this empirical research show a framework that is original and will guide coaches and business leaders to experience and create a critical thinking environment in coaching. The framework shows three elements that come together to create a critical thinking environment between the coach and client. Contracting – Establishing the relationship, Thinking space – Deepening the relationship and Physical environment – Situating the relationship. This framework can be used to raise awareness, deepen learning, and generate responsibility and building self-belief in the client by considering how to create a critical thinking environment in a coaching relationship.","abstract_html":"Inspired by my own personal experience and the limited literature regarding critical thinking environments in coaching, this constructivist grounded theory research study aims for the coach to facilitate clients to become critical in their coaching environment and consider what enables that to happen. Critical thinking has been described as a core competency and skill that is needed in today’s leaders in organisations where there is constant and rapid change. A deficiency in critical thinking skills in coaches, in turn creates consequences for individuals as well as organisations themselves, as a deficiency of critical thinking skills transforms into a lack of ability to lead others. In answering this challenge both educators and employers are appealing for the development of critical thinking skills. To survive in the current age, people need to ask questions as well as challenge assumptions and find innovative ways to solve problems. Constructivist grounded theory methodology for this research offers a systematic and rigorous method for the data collection and analysis, allowing for the construction of a theory that is grounded in participants' views and experiences. Two sources of data were identified for this study, coaches and clients through a total of 40 interviews. The narratives of these experiences were used to develop a theoretical framework which conceptualised their experiences, and applied constructivist grounded theory coding cycles and strategies which identified, compared and connected different categories. The findings from this empirical research show a framework that is original and will guide coaches and business leaders to experience and create a critical thinking environment in coaching. The framework shows three elements that come together to create a critical thinking environment between the coach and client. Contracting – Establishing the relationship, Thinking space – Deepening the relationship and Physical environment – Situating the relationship. This framework can be used to raise awareness, deepen learning, and generate responsibility and building self-belief in the client by considering how to create a critical thinking environment in a coaching relationship.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Johnston, Donna"],"institution":"Oxford Brookes University","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Cox, Elaine","Jackson, Peter"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021","date_published":"2021","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:43:18Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":["All rights reserved"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.24384/4936-5028","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Johnston, Donna","Cox, Elaine","Jackson, Peter"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Johnston, Donna"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2021"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Oxford Brookes University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["thesis"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["All rights reserved"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://doi.org/10.24384/4936-5028","https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/75f03c22-cd5b-4e71-9954-7af987af7789/1/Johnston2021CriticalThinking.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Inspired by my own personal experience and the limited literature regarding critical thinking environments in coaching, this constructivist grounded theory research study aims for the coach to facilitate clients to become critical in their coaching environment and consider what enables that to happen. Critical thinking has been described as a core competency and skill that is needed in today’s leaders in organisations where there is constant and rapid change. A deficiency in critical thinking skills in coaches, in turn creates consequences for individuals as well as organisations themselves, as a deficiency of critical thinking skills transforms into a lack of ability to lead others. In answering this challenge both educators and employers are appealing for the development of critical thinking skills. To survive in the current age, people need to ask questions as well as challenge assumptions and find innovative ways to solve problems. Constructivist grounded theory methodology for this research offers a systematic and rigorous method for the data collection and analysis, allowing for the construction of a theory that is grounded in participants' views and experiences. Two sources of data were identified for this study, coaches and clients through a total of 40 interviews. The narratives of these experiences were used to develop a theoretical framework which conceptualised their experiences, and applied constructivist grounded theory coding cycles and strategies which identified, compared and connected different categories. The findings from this empirical research show a framework that is original and will guide coaches and business leaders to experience and create a critical thinking environment in coaching. The framework shows three elements that come together to create a critical thinking environment between the coach and client. Contracting – Establishing the relationship, Thinking space – Deepening the relationship and Physical environment – Situating the relationship. This framework can be used to raise awareness, deepen learning, and generate responsibility and building self-belief in the client by considering how to create a critical thinking environment in a coaching relationship."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["How do coaches and clients create and experience a critical thinking environment?"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Johnston, Donna","Cox, Elaine","Jackson, Peter"],"dc:creator":["Johnston, Donna"],"dc:date":["2021"],"dc:description":["Inspired by my own personal experience and the limited literature regarding critical thinking environments in coaching, this constructivist grounded theory research study aims for the coach to facilitate clients to become critical in their coaching environment and consider what enables that to happen. Critical thinking has been described as a core competency and skill that is needed in today’s leaders in organisations where there is constant and rapid change. A deficiency in critical thinking skills in coaches, in turn creates consequences for individuals as well as organisations themselves, as a deficiency of critical thinking skills transforms into a lack of ability to lead others. In answering this challenge both educators and employers are appealing for the development of critical thinking skills. To survive in the current age, people need to ask questions as well as challenge assumptions and find innovative ways to solve problems. Constructivist grounded theory methodology for this research offers a systematic and rigorous method for the data collection and analysis, allowing for the construction of a theory that is grounded in participants' views and experiences. Two sources of data were identified for this study, coaches and clients through a total of 40 interviews. The narratives of these experiences were used to develop a theoretical framework which conceptualised their experiences, and applied constructivist grounded theory coding cycles and strategies which identified, compared and connected different categories. The findings from this empirical research show a framework that is original and will guide coaches and business leaders to experience and create a critical thinking environment in coaching. The framework shows three elements that come together to create a critical thinking environment between the coach and client. Contracting – Establishing the relationship, Thinking space – Deepening the relationship and Physical environment – Situating the relationship. This framework can be used to raise awareness, deepen learning, and generate responsibility and building self-belief in the client by considering how to create a critical thinking environment in a coaching relationship."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://doi.org/10.24384/4936-5028","https://radar.brookes.ac.uk/radar/file/75f03c22-cd5b-4e71-9954-7af987af7789/1/Johnston2021CriticalThinking.pdf"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Oxford Brookes University"],"dc:rights":["All rights reserved"],"dc:title":["How do coaches and clients create and experience a critical thinking environment?"],"dc:type":["thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:43:18Z"}