Research School Network: The Perceived Benefits to Teachers of Instructional Coaching By Jennifer Warnock, as featured in the International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education

Jennifer Warnock’s article, ​“The Perceived Benefits to Teachers of Instructional Coaching” has been published by Emerald Publishing in the International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education and is based on research undertaken at The Blue School in 2018/19.

The article is published with the co-authors: Monica Gibson-Sweet, and Christian van Nieuwerburgh. 

Purpose of this paper:

Coaching for teachers has evolved as a form of professional development. However, regarding the benefits of such interventions, the focus is traditionally on the outcomes for student or organisation (Allan, 2007; Blackman, 2010; Bennett, 2019). The purpose of this paper is to present an investigation relating to the benefits of instructional coaching (Knight, 2006) to teachers themselves.

Design/​methodology/​approach:

The study utilises a subjectivist approach with a constructivist paradigmatic stance (Morgan and Burrell, 1985). Eleven semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with teachers at a Church led Secondary (High) School in the UK. The data was interpreted and analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clark, 2006).

Findings:

Primary research suggested the following benefits to the teachers who participated in the study: improved relationships, awareness, reflectiveness and enhanced practice which aligned well with literature review. The fifth perceived benefit reported by the participants was positive attitude. This captured a sense of increased confidence, motivation and positivity.

Research limitations/​implications (optional):

Findings were based on the self-reported data of a small sample. Therefore it is not possible to generalise the findings but Thematic Analysis was used to understand perceptions and insights in a wider context (Ritchie and Lewis, 2003). This research builds on the literature focusing on perceived benefits to teachers. Findings generally support current theoretical understanding. The results of this exploration of the teacher perception of benefits of instructional coaching in one UK school contributes to the emerging literature about the benefits of coaching. The teacher perceived benefit of positive attitude does not appear to be identified in the literature.

Practical implications (optional):

In practice, this study has raised awareness of the possible perceived benefits of coaching to educators. It is recommended that educators, policymakers and educational leaders should explore the potential benefits of coaching in education settings. Coaching might be a useful way of supporting educators to enhance their practice and positivity.

What is original/​value of paper:

This paper fulfils an identified need to gain a better understanding of the teacher perceived benefits of coaching for teachers. This research does suggest there might be a case for emphasising the value of coaching in education particularly in that it suggests the benefits of improved relationships, enhanced practice and positive outcome all of which will have ongoing benefits to students and school.

The authors acknowledged the Blue School at the end of the article:

​“We are grateful for the kind cooperation of the headteacher, governors and teachers at the Blue School, Wells, England. This research project would not have been possible without their involvement”.

Those who took part have remained anonymised.

You can access the full article at Emerald Publishing here