Instructional Coaching as a Catalyst for Growth: A Multiple Case Study of the Coaching Relationship

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 3:20 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Research on Teacher Induction Roundtable 2 (Table 8)

Abstract

Novice teachers enter teaching with expectations that may not account for early career challenges they experience, producing feelings of isolation, frustration, and early-career attrition. Federal legislation suggests coaching as a method to improve teacher quality, yielding a viable solution to failing teacher retention efforts for new career teachers.This multiple case study explores two relational cases between an instructional coach and novice teacher in a year-long professional partnership. Findings demonstrated that strong coaching relationships that include qualities like trust, collaborative discourse, and reflection on practice, can lead to novice teachers’ professional growth. Implications from this study suggest that instructional leaders play a pivotal role in empowering teachers in these relationships to develop their practice and sustain them in the field.

Author

• Chrissy Eubank, Texas Tech University