Conditions Influencing Teacher Sense-Making During One-on-One Coaching

• In Event: 21.051 - Mathematics Coaching for Sense-Making: Shifting the Lens to Teachers in the Coaching Relationship

Abstract

Purpose
Given the rapid rise of coaching in U.S. schools, it is critical that we understand how contextual factors shape teachers’ learning opportunities during one-on-one coaching. While prior studies explore competing demands imposed on coaches by administrators (Camburn et al., 2008; Chval et al., 2010), they do not shed light on how such conditions trickle down and impact teachers during professional development. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate how external factors supported or inhibited elementary teachers’ sensemaking during one-on-one coaching.
Theoretical Framework
Following Greeno (2006), a situative approach guided this investigation in two ways. First, at the macro-level, we investigated the affordances and constraints of school or district policies on the teachers and coaches as they engaged in one-on-one coaching. Second, at the micro-level, we used “records of conversation” (Greeno, 2006, p. 84) to explore teachers’ conversational learning opportunities (Author, 2015) during modeling and co-teaching. Our goal was to connect these macro-level factors to teachers’ micro-level learning opportunities.
Methodology
This study focused on two coaches and five teachers in one mid-sized, urban district. We observed 11 planning meetings, 23 modeled or co-taught lessons, and four reflection conversations; and conducted 27 semi-structured interviews with teachers, coaches, and administrators during fall 2016. All observations and interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, and field notes were generated during observations. Data analysis progressed through two phases. First, we used open coding to identify external factors that impacted the coaches and teachers, and coded all data for the affordances and constraints of each factor. Second, we applied Coburn and Russell’s (2008) concept of depth to code all coach-teacher talk according to their low-, medium- and high-depth categories.
Results
At the macro-level, three external factors impacted the coaches and teachers: (1) the Evaluation Tool (ET); (2) Teacher’s Choice coaching structure; and (3) competing demands made by administrators. The ET was a new evaluation system for coaches and teachers that rewarded coaches for making strong student, instead of teacher, growth. Teacher’s Choice – the coaching structure adopted by this district – stipulated that coaches could not initiate professional development with teachers, and instead had to wait to be approached for support. Last, the coaches were spread thin by their administrators as they were asked to lead professional development at the building and district-levels, and also substitute teach.
At the micro-level, our analysis of teachers’ conversational learning opportunities revealed that the teachers and coaches primarily engaged in low-depth discussions about the curriculum, materials, and pacing, while high-depth discussions about these or other topics (e.g., mathematics, pedagogy) seldom occurred. We hypothesize that the three external factors created conditions that limited teachers’ learning opportunities as the coaches were primarily concerned with the immediate, urgent focus of planning and getting through the modeled and co-taught lessons.
Significance
Our findings point to specific dangers of some districts’ policies related to coaching. The results highlight the importance of both supporting coaches through appropriate evaluation mechanisms tailored to their multi-faceted roles, and instituting policies that foster and effectively leverage coaches’ professional development expertise.

Authors

• Evthokia Stephanie Saclarides, The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa

• Sarah Theule Lubienski, Indiana University