The Voices of Instructional Coaches: How Six Instructional Coaches View Their Work

• In Event: Transformative Practices and Frameworks in Preservice and In-Service Supervision

Abstract

As schools have faced increasing pressure to improve, instructional coaching has emerged as a strategy to enhance instructional practice and, in turn, increase student achievement. The work of instructional coaches has been theorized and conceptualized, but the voices of the instructional coaches doing the work have not been heard. This paper reports the findings of a study exploring the work of six instructional coaches and how they work to influence change within schools. The findings suggest instructional coaches have the ability to facilitate change within a school, but may not believe it is within their scope of duties to do so; suggesting the role of instructional coach within school improvement efforts needs to be more clearly defined.

Author

• Lyn Crowell, Texas State University