Dissertation

Teachers' perceptions of instructional coaching

Expectations for student achievement are at an all time high, as is the scrutiny over teacher effectiveness (Maskit, 2011). School districts are tasked with the job of determining best practices for improving teacher quality (Britton & Anderson, 2010). Instructional coaching is considered an effective best practice for the professional development of teachers (Denton & Hasbrouck, 2009). Primarily instructional coaches are to build capacity among teachers and support teachers in improving their instruction (Knight, 2007). Unfortunately, many teachers are against the idea of receiving feedback from a coach (Britton & Anderson, 2010). This sequential mixed methods study was designed to engage both new and veteran teachers in a deep examination of their acceptance of and experiences with instructional coaching. Most teachers in the study reported their support for Instructional Coaching. Additionally, this study also aimed to better understand factors in the educational environment that contribute to teachers’ views of instructional coaching. Themes that emerged from the interviews with regard to factors contributing to teachers’ views towards coaching were: support, relationships, and willingness to change. Moreover, teachers with 16- 25 years of experience reported more support for Instructional Coaching than any other group of teachers.

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