Abstract

Background/purpose – Coaching supports teachers to varying degrees, and the same coach may engage different teachers in distinct ways. This study explores this variation in coaches’ interactions with different teachers over 2 years to identify supports for coaches to develop positive coaching dynamics with teachers.

Materials/methods – The study presents a comparative case study of two coaches who each oversaw two different teachers. Drawing on interviews with teachers and coaches over 2 years and videorecorded observations of coaching sessions, coach-teacher interactions were examined as well as individual’s perceptions to understand how and why coaches interact differentially with teachers.

Results – While the coaches did not differentiate their coaching process for teachers, they met teachers at different frequencies. Rather than determining their coaching frequency on teachers’ instructional skills, the coaches met more regularly with teachers who had stronger relationships with the coach.

Conclusion – The study illustrates that coaches’ dynamics with individual teachers vary, which can lead to some teachers being more receptive to the same coach than others. This study’s results underscore the need to support coaches in learning how to systematically differentiate their coaching based on individual teacher’s needs.

Keywords: coaching, coaching dosage, coaching perceptions, teacher differentiation

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