The Heart of the Matter: Coaching as a Vehicle for Professional Development

Abstract

N SCHOOLS ACROSS the country, there is increased emphasis on coaching-a process whereby seasoned teachers provide instructional support, professional development opportunities, feedback, and materials to classroom teachers-as a central means to improve instruction and build the capacity of school staff members. Currently, a number of districts with low-performing schools have adopted coaching as a vehicle for the professional development of their teachers, a step that theoretically will translate into improved student performance and achievement. While the rationale for bringing a coach into these schools is rooted in research on creating effective professional development environments for teachers-i.e., providing ongoing supports and forming a community of practice focused on instructional methods, curricular components, and new formats for instructional delivery-there is more to a coaching model than meets the eye. After a year of researching coaching as a vehicle for professional development in the context of a comprehensive school reform model, we found that the coach/teacher relationship is more complicated than expected. We examined coaching as a professional development tool on two fronts: the in-class support that coaches provide to individual teachers and the group-focused professional development activities that coaches lead. Group-focused activities include all-staff meetings, teacher meetings, and study groups. Both the individual and group approaches seek to help teachers effectively implement new instructional formats and practices in their classrooms. In this article, we will share the overarching themes and nuanced insights we identified in

Promoting Language and Literacy Development for Early Childhood Educators: A Mixed-Methods Study of Coursework and Coaching

“…Although there are promising indications that coaching may be an effective approach for improving teachers" language and literacy practices (Poglinco & Bach, 2004), there is little empirical support for its use, especially as an independent professional development strategy. That is, to date, coaching has been in combination with more formal training through coursework, or concentrated workshops (Sheridan, Edwards, Marvin, & Knoche, 2009).…”

Mathematics coaching in high school : the impact of coach and teacher interactions.

“…. This is in contrast to several studies in the research literature describing how coaches are often pulled away from their coaching responsibilities to fulfill noninstructional duties (Campbell, 2007;Campbell & Malkus, 2009;Gibbons et al, 2010;Poglinco & Bach, 2004).…”

“…Coaching is a popular strategy for professional development that increasingly more states and school systems are using to improve classroom instruction and enhance student achievement (Campbell & Malkus, 2011;Grant & Davenport, 2009;Knight, 2006;Poglinco & Bach, 2004). Coaching has been around almost 30 years (Dossey, 1984;National Research Council, 1989) originating from peer coaching where teachers observed and gave feedback to each other as they implemented new practices (Joyce & Showers, 1982).…”

“…Mathematics coaching has become a very popular form of professional development implemented in school districts across the country at an everincreasing rate (Campbell & Malkus, 2011;Grant & Davenport, 2009;Knight, 2006;Poglinco & Bach, 2004). Reasons for hiring coaches include: improving student achievement; closing achievement gaps; supporting teachers in implementing new programs or instructional strategies; supporting teachers' understanding of mathematics content; developing assessments; or a combination of these.…”

Assessment-based instructional coaching provided to reading intervention teachers

“…An increasingly popular strategy for supporting the effectiveness of reading teachers, including those who provide intervention to struggling readers, is the provision of instructional coaching by a reading coach (see Dole, 2004;Poglinco & Bach, 2004). Coaching is usually characterized as a form of professional development that is individualized and sustained over time (International Reading Association, 2004).…”