Do Better Teachers Make Better Instructional Coaches?

• In Event: How Cooperating Teachers Matter: Investigating Their Modeling and Coaching Functions

Abstract

Background
Innovative experiments in teacher education (Authors, conditionally accepted; Authors, 2018b) as well as large-scale observational studies (Goldhaber et al., 2020; Authors, 2018a; Authors, 2020) have, across many labor market contexts, shown positive associations between cooperating teachers’ (CTs) instructional effectiveness and pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) clinical experiences and instructional practices once hired, and that these associations are likely to be causal. This begs the question: How do more instructionally effective CTs cause PSTs to become more instructionally effective?

One likely mechanism is that more instructionally effective CTs are able to model their practice, and thus, PSTs can learn high-quality teaching vicariously. This explanation is consistent with prior research suggesting that PSTs tend to reproduce specific practices used by their CTs whether or not they are functional (Hoy, 1969; Rozelle & Wilson, 2012). Another possible mechanism, though, is that CTs can leverage the effective pedagogical skills they have developed in their work with P12 students in also effectively coaching their PSTs.

To explore these two hypotheses, we ask: Do PSTs working with CTs known to be instructionally effective and experienced teachers of P12 students report higher quality coaching than PSTs working with less instructionally effective/experienced CTs?

Data and Sample
To examine this question, we draw upon a rich dataset of eight programs, 815 PSTs, and 909 CTs across three years. We administered an online survey to all PSTs asking about the kinds, frequency, and quality of coaching that they received from their CTs. We then link these PSTs reports about the coaching they received to measures for the instructional effectiveness (observation ratings [ORs] and value-added to student achievement measures [VAMs] from district evaluation scores) and experience of their CTs.

Analysis
We use pairwise correlations and ordinary least squares regression models to examine associations between measures of instructional effectiveness and experience of CTs (ORs, VAMs, years of experience) and factors measuring PSTs’ perceptions of the kinds and frequency of coaching provided by their CTs, of their own preparedness to engage in various instructional skills, and of their satisfaction with the autonomy and encouragement offered by their CTs.

Results
Correlation and regression analyses indicate mostly insignificant associations between how instructionally effective and experienced CTs are and PSTs’ reports about the frequency or quality of coaching they received or about their readiness to teach. That said, holding measures of instructional effectiveness constant, regression results indicate that PSTs with more experienced CTs reported feeling less satisfied with their clinical experience and reported receiving less frequent coaching. Moreover, all else equal, PSTs whose CTs scored higher in instruction reported feeling less satisfied with their clinical placements, while PSTs whose CTs scored higher on environment reported feeling more satisfied. Finally, PSTs reported feeling more prepared when their CTs scored higher on the professionalism domain, after controlling for CTs’ scores in other domains.

Authors

• Matthew Ronfeldt, University of Michigan

• Kailyn Stahl, University of Michigan

• Emanuele Bardelli, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Matthew Truwit, University of Michigan

• Foram Pravin Gathia

• Courtney Gough

• Jonathan Alpert, University of Michigan