Reducing inequality in student learning through teacher coaching: Evidence for effective coaching practices in reading instruction for early grade primary teachers

Session Submission Type: Group Panel

Description of Session

Quality education is a powerful transformative force in society, one that can significantly contribute to a better future for all members of society when founded on equal rights for all, respect for cultural diversity, and shared responsibility (I. Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO). In the poorest countries, quality education includes transforming methods of teaching as well as content. With a new stand-alone education goal established in the 2030 sustainable development goals, a future with equitable high quality education is closer to a reality. Still, a transformation in teaching, in particular teaching young children how to read, is necessary in many countries in order to meet the challenge of providing quality education for all children.

As teachers learn new approaches to instruction that introduce evidence-based methodologies and content in basic skills in teaching reading in the primary grades, there can be a wide variation in how well these programs are implemented in the classroom. In many countries, projects have incorporated teacher mentoring/coaching to support teachers as they learn new teaching content and strategies. To meet the goal of reducing inequality in students’ opportunity to learn and to increase retention in school as well as levels of literacy and education achievement, teacher support/coaching models must be cost effective while demonstrating efficacy by increasing student learning outcomes. This panel will address quality models of teacher coaching/mentoring that have contributed to increasing the degree to which evidence-based reading programs are implemented in primary grade classrooms. Data from these models of teacher support provide insights into the features of teacher coaching that contribute to stronger fidelity of implementation of early grade reading programs.

The first panelist, Karon Harden from RTI International, provides evidence from an RCT that included an instructional intervention in reading conducted in Northern Nigeria in Hausa with coaching support for teachers implementing the intervention. The presentation includes findings on the relationships between changes in teachers’ instructional practices and the degree and nature of support they received from their coaches. The objective of the presentation is to add to the body of knowledge about effective ways to use and improve pedagogical coaching to influence teacher instructional practices in similar low-resource contexts.

Sub Unit

• SIG: Global Literacy

Individual Presentations

• Relationships between coach support and teacher instructional practices: Findings from the Nigeria Reading and Access Research Activity - Karon Harden, RTI International

• The power of instructional support: using existing systems to change teacher behavior in Kenya - Evelyn Jepkemei, RTI International - Tusome Early Grade Reading Activity

Discussant

• Marcia R Davidson, Reading Team, U.S. Agency for International Development