Focusing on Teacher Learning Opportunities to Identify Potentially Productive Coaching Activities. (September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gibbons, Lynsey K.; Cobb, Paul
• Is Part Of: Journal of teacher education. Volume 68:Number 4(2017:Sep./Oct.)
• Page Start: 411
• Page End: 425
• Publication Date: 2017-09
• Subjects: professional development -- teacher learning -- content-focused coaching -- teacher leadership; Teachers -- Training of -- Periodicals; 370.71105
• DOI: 10.1177/0022487117702579
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-4871

Abstract

Instructional improvement initiatives in many districts include instructional coaching as a primary form of job-embedded support for teachers. However, the coaching literature provides little guidance about what activities coaches should engage in with teachers to improve instruction. When researchers do propose activities, they rarely justify why those activities might support teacher learning. Drawing on the preservice and inservice teacher education literatures, we present a conceptual analysis of learning activities that have the potential to support mathematics and science teachers to improve practice. We argue that our analysis can inform research on mathematics and science coaching, coaching policies, and the design of professional learning for coaches.