Across Malaysia, teachers and school leaders face growing pressures: managing heavy workloads, supporting diverse classrooms, and balancing student outcomes with their own well-being. For many, coaching has become a vital support system — helping educators unlock their potential, build resilience, and bring greater confidence and positivity into the classroom.
Connecting Stakeholders for Systemic Change
The Malaysian Collective Impact Initiative (MCII), an education-based non-government organization (NGO), acts as a connector and facilitator between various stakeholders within the country’s education system, including schools, other NGOs, corporations, and local communities across Malaysia. Its mission is simple but ambitious: improve student outcomes by uniting diverse players under a collective impact model.
Since the beginning of its collaboration with the Malaysia Chapter of ICF, MCII has partnered with volunteer coaches to strengthen leadership within schools. Guided by ICF Malaysia Board Member and Social Impact Director, Barry Ong, and a team of volunteer coaches, this collaboration built on earlier efforts with Pemimpin GSL, laying a strong foundation for long-term impact. With this groundwork in place, they launched their most ambitious initiative yet.
Ignite 2.0: Building Coaching Capacity in Education
The latest iteration in this partnership is the Ignite 2.0: Be A Coach, an ICF Foundation program designed to give educators practical tools to integrate coaching into daily practice. Over six months, participants embarked on a journey of learning and practice, which included three pillars:
Workshop: Introducing Coaching Fundamentals to Educators
Educators began with a “Be a Coach” workshop, observing coaching demonstrations and discussing their roles as future coaches.
Practice: Applying the GROW Coaching Models
Participants completed at least three coaching sessions using the GROW model (a four-step framework for structuring coaching conversations).
Reflection Insights from the Coaching Journey
The program concluded with a group reflection led by the ICF Malaysia Charter Chapter, where participants shared experiences and insights from their learning journey.
Alongside these activities, educators also received tailored one-to-one coaching sessions from ICF-credentialed coaches. These sessions fostered teamwork, self-discovery, and creative problem solvers — helping educators grow both personally and professionally.
“This is one of the best things that ever happened to me in my career. I have received support in many forms of development: to be an emphatic teacher and how to use effective communication. The most important thing I learned is self-awareness,” said Yu Pool Kuen, Ignite 2.0 participant.
Transformation in Action
For many participants, this program was more than professional development — it was transformative. Educators reported tangible benefits such as stronger teamwork, greater confidence, and improved work processes. These changes didn’t just lighten workloads; they rippled outward, enabling teachers to deliver richer learning experiences for students and communities.
Impact in Numbers
The program’s results speak clearly, participants reported:
- 88% were satisfied with the coaching sessions.
- 87% said coaching directly contributed to their achievements.
- 94% reported positive impacts on self-efficacy and motivation.
- 82% found coaching aligned with their overall goals.
These numbers reveal a ripple effect in motion and prove that investing in educators pays dividends for entire school communities.
Looking Ahead
For MCII and ICF, Ignite 2.0 is only the beginning. The collaboration has already demonstrated the value of coaching in strengthening education, and the next step is to scale its impact.
“Moving forward, we would like to create greater impact and assist in integrating coaching at a higher level within the educational system — mainly, prior to the deployment of teachers to their respective schools, to continue creating further meaningful impact together,” said Alia Wahidin, Project Director, MCII.
Waves of Change
MCII’s journey shows how investing in educators translates directly into classroom impact. When teachers feel confident, supported, and empowered, students benefit from more engaging and resilient learning environments.
Coaching is more than a professional tool — it is a wave of change, unlocking the full potential of educators and, in turn, the students whose futures they shape.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in guest posts featured on this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the International Coach Federation (ICF). The publication of a guest post on the ICF Blog does not equate to an ICF endorsement or guarantee of the products or services provided by the author.
Additionally, for the purpose of full disclosure and as a disclaimer of liability, this content was possibly generated using the assistance of an AI program. Its contents, either in whole or in part, have been reviewed and revised by a human. Nevertheless, the reader/user is responsible for verifying the information presented and should not rely upon this article or post as providing any specific professional advice or counsel. Its contents are provided “as is,” and ICF makes no representations or warranties as to its accuracy or completeness and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law specifically disclaims any and all liability for any damages or injuries resulting from use of or reliance thereupon.
Authors
Post Type
Blog
Audience Type
Experienced Coaches, External Coaches, HR & Organizational Leaders, Internal Coaches, Managers/Leaders Using Coaching Skills, New Coaches, Professional Coaches, Team and Group Coaches
Topic
Experience Coaching
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