Teachers’ Perceptions of Instructional Coaching at the Elementary School Level

TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING AT THE

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL

A Prospectus

In partial fulfillment of

the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Education

Lesley University

February 2016

TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING AT THE

ELEMENTARY LEVEL

The Problem Statement

The challenge of enriching the quality of instruction in schools may be greater in the 21st century than at any other time in the history of education. To respond to this urgent demand, many schools have reacted by hiring instructional coaches (ICs). There is a lack of published research that details the effectiveness of instructional coaching. This lack of information about instructional coaching puts schools and districts at risk (Knight, 2004.)

This study will explore the benefits of instructional coaching in the elementary school setting. The study will examine instructional coaching from the perspective of teachers in 1st-5th grades and its affect on student achievement.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which teachers value the work of instructional coaching in the elementary school setting.

Problem Background

Interest in using instructional coaching to facilitate professional learning has become a growing trend. Schools across the United States have employed literacy coaches, math coaches, and inclusion coaches. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB) allocated federal funds for professional development, and many school districts used the funds to hire instructional coaches.

One of the many roles of an instructional coach is to provide on-site professional learning to teachers. What teachers understand, believe, and execute have a major influence on what students learn. In order to improve the quality of teaching and learning an increasing number of schools systems have decided to invest in the learning of teachers. This learning must support the growth of the individual teachers as well as contribute to the realization of goals of the school and the system (Knight,

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