Promoting Instructional Improvement: Promising Evidence of Coaching That Benefits Teachers' Practice

Abstract

Existing experimental literature provides evidence that coaching paired with additional supports facilitates teachers’ instructional improvement, but we cannot discern whether the coaching or other supports (e.g., professional development workshops, video resources) spurred the observed change. Other research isolating the effect of coaching suggests it leads to instructional improvement, but it does not provide a clear understanding about whether different features of coaching demonstrate promise for improving instruction more than others, despite evidence suggesting variation exists in the coaching teachers receive. Given the prevalence of coaching as form of professional development, it is critical to understand whether different features of coaching are more promising than others.

This experimental, mixed methods study designed a professional development intervention employing two features of coaching – teachers choosing the content of coaching and focusing coaching on a single instructional practice – within a teacher preparation program. I investigate whether coaches trained in the intervention use this type of coaching and whether the intervention demonstrates promise for improving teachers’ instruction and perceptions of preparedness and coaching quality. Additionally, I explore whether certain coaching practices influence teachers’ receptivity to coaching and why these practices matter.

Results suggest the intervention demonstrates promise for improving teachers’ instruction. While not statistically significant, results indicate intervention teachers scored, on average, between 24 to 36 percent of a standard deviation better than control teachers. Additionally, results suggest the intervention can be implemented in an authentic educational setting and has promise for strengthening teachers’ perceptions of preparedness and post-observation conference quality. Lastly, this study also indicates that certain pedagogical coaching practices – including concrete feedback, creating a welcoming environment, limiting the focus, and modeling practice – might influence teachers’ receptivity to coaching.

These findings have implications for the practice of teacher coaching. Evidence of the intervention’s promise suggest pre-service and in-service teacher preparation programs might consider developing a coaching model where teachers choose certain competencies to address and coaches focus their support on the selected competencies. Finally, identifying four potentially influential coaching practices indicates that teacher preparation programs might consider supporting coaches in learning more about these practices.