Characterizing the work of coaching during design reviews

•Observed four patterns of coaching shared across three disciplinary contexts.•Offer new conceptualizations for the work of coaching as integrated knowing, situated practice, and shared repertoires.•Provide a theory-based language for the work of coaching in design reviews to support sharing of coaching practice.

In this exploratory study we characterize the work of coaching using a pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) framework to make visible coaches' integrated knowledge of the how, what, and why of coaching during design reviews. We observed four patterns of coaching across three design review contexts: choreography, undergraduate industrial design, and mechanical engineering. These include scaffolding articulation, driving for meaning and guidance, breaking the 4th wall to create a teaching moment, and ‘suggest don't tell’ to let the student figure it out. We conclude with identifying new ways to conceptualize the work of coaching in design reviews as integrated knowing, situated practice, and shared repertoires.