Delany, J.C., & Arredondo, D.E. (1998). Using collegial coaching and reflection as mechanisms for changing school culture. Proceedings of the Annual meeting of the university council for educational administration (pp. 1-16). St. Louis: EDRS. www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED430903.pdf
In this research study, the authors explored the potential of a reflective conversations and a collegial coaching model as mechanisms for school leaders to institute significant cultural change in a school. The goal was to discover if such reflection, dialogue and conversations among colleagues could create an environment that would lead to meaningful change in the school. Using a middle school with grades 4-7, an administrator and six teachers paired into three collegial partnerships, they looked at how this model could provide an alternative to the traditional supervisory methods often used in schools. The participating teachers received training on how to have meaningful dialogue, how to use reflection in conversation and writing and how to coach one another. They sought data on whether or not this model would impact the participant's classroom practices, attitudes and perception towards professional growth. They ultimately wanted to know if these interactions would impact the culture of the middle school. When compared against outside professional developers, this model certainly impacted the teaching and learning of the adults in this specific school. In several of the partnerships, they found that the participants changed their teaching as a result of the conversations and reflection. They each believed that the collegial coaching had indeed impacted their teaching practices. One teacher realized that it helped and encouraged her to have her own students be more reflective and do more learning from one another in the same way she was with her collegial partner. It also helped the teachers to have a more positive view of professional development and growth in general. And the researchers made some assumptions based on evidence that this indeed led to changes in the overall school culture. The study is helpful but was conducted over only four weeks and with only six teachers.
Quotes:
"While more recent research has shown that reform strategies aimed at changing the core technology of schools-- i.e. the teaching and learning process-- show promises in affecting the quality of student learning, it seems clear that permanent changes in school practices will be realized only when the professional practices of teachers and administrators have been transformed into and/or by new school cultures." (p.3)
"Collegial coaching, dialogue, and reflection may result in teachers acquiring positive attitudes and perceptions about ongoing professional growth." (p.4)
"Three data sources were used to determine the effects of collegial coaching in combination with reflection on participant teachers' classroom practices and about their attitudes and perceptions towards professional growth. Interview questions and reflective journal prompts were designed to assist the researcher in discovering insights that teachers may have gleaned from reflection, and to determine how these insights may have impacted teachers' solving of problems that had been uncovered during their reflective conversations about their teaching practices. Insights about teacher development of educative theory and about institutional or cultural change were also sought. Videotapes of teaching and of pre-and post observation conferences, journals, and interviews were used to collect data. A major purpose of videotaping was to provide teacher participants with immediate feedback about their use of the dialogue skills of pausing, paraphrasing, and probing during planning and reflective conferences." (p. 6)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Collegial Coaching: Teacher Acceptance of A Model
Chapman, K.L. (2008). Collegial coaching: teacher acceptance of a model. Informally published manuscript, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved from http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-04222008-114354/unrestricted/KChapman_ETD08_final.pdf
Summary:
In Kathleen Chapman's Dissertation at the University of Pittsburgh, she studied whether a Collegial Coaching Model would be a "viable means to change and enhance classroom teaching and practices of teachers for development of students." Kathleen starts with the assumption that all schools and teachers are thinking more than ever about improving the type of instruction they deliver to students. Much of this, she argues, is happening in light of the NCLB mandates and the need for schools to make significant improvements. She realized that "teachers had to become empowered as teacher leaders gain confidence in their own abilities to meet the needs of
the students and to deliver lessons utilizing new and different formats." She studied a middle school in Pittsburgh, called Steel Town Middle School, that began experimenting with the use of content and collegial coaches to improve teacher performance. Chapman collected both qualitative and quantitative data to gain an understanding of how willing the staff was willing to change their approach to instructional delivery based on collegial conversations and coaching.
Chapman looked at different factors during her research including issues around accountability, professional development offered, school improvement plans and the district in which the school existed. Steel Town Middle School was an interesting choice in that it was the result of a recent merger between two very different middle schools-- one with wealthier and white students and one with a higher percentage of students receiving free and reduced lunch and mostly minority. Chapman's research wholeheartedly supports using a collegial coaching model to improve instructional practices but it has to happen alongside other factors. In addition, the model she researched, is very different from the one at HTH. It involves mid- level coaches or content coaches who meet regularly as a group and then work with individual teachers. Thus the coaches are getting professional development as a group. It creates more of a hierarchy between teachers and as a result appears to provide the coaches with more tools to support their peers.
Quotes:
"'Involving teachers in their schools, supporting and valuing what they do, and helping them to work more closely as colleagues are not just worthwhile humanitarian things to do for their own sake. They also have impact on the quality of teaching and learning in
our classrooms.' These statements made by Fullan and Hargreaves (1996, p. 2) supported a change
process teachers must experience to move from isolationism toward collegiality, and
subsequently student improvement." (p. 60)
"Permitting teachers to make decisions about their training and on-going professional growth influenced a viable and sustainable change in the workplace as ownership of the change effort internalized. A site-based management perspective empowered employees and transformed schools into communities of learners, utilizing knowledge to construct decisions for systemic change." (p. 72)
"The guiding purpose behind any peer coaching model is to motivate teachers to improve instructional delivery by becoming more reflective about their teaching skills and strategies. ìResearch has indicated that professional growth can be a worthwhile endeavor when it is viewed as a collective enterprise, where teachers share successes and learn from each otherís mistakes, and stifled without continual interactions,î (Glazer & Hannafin, p. 180). An administratorís teaching skills and experiences serve an important role, but, more importantly, administrators need to be willing to move a staff forward and support building and individual efforts. Benefits derived from collegial coaching are teachers and administrators who share ideas, brainstorm solutions to common teaching challenges, and learn from one another." (p.87)
"Research has shown that to elicit change in the performance of a child, it is important that teachers possess the necessary skills and tools to teach students and challenge their academic achievement. The need for urgent and high-quality staff development and training was essential to accomplish this." (p. 103)
"Teacher leaders as recognized credible leaders in the classroom provide the knowledge and basis for change in local situations. Factors may still prohibit demonstrated activities from making their way into the classroom, but continuing on-site evaluation of the process must be conducted to ensure success. The evolution of professional development has shown the empowering teachers moves a building from one of isolation to one of collaboration." (p. 104)
Summary:
In Kathleen Chapman's Dissertation at the University of Pittsburgh, she studied whether a Collegial Coaching Model would be a "viable means to change and enhance classroom teaching and practices of teachers for development of students." Kathleen starts with the assumption that all schools and teachers are thinking more than ever about improving the type of instruction they deliver to students. Much of this, she argues, is happening in light of the NCLB mandates and the need for schools to make significant improvements. She realized that "teachers had to become empowered as teacher leaders gain confidence in their own abilities to meet the needs of
the students and to deliver lessons utilizing new and different formats." She studied a middle school in Pittsburgh, called Steel Town Middle School, that began experimenting with the use of content and collegial coaches to improve teacher performance. Chapman collected both qualitative and quantitative data to gain an understanding of how willing the staff was willing to change their approach to instructional delivery based on collegial conversations and coaching.
Chapman looked at different factors during her research including issues around accountability, professional development offered, school improvement plans and the district in which the school existed. Steel Town Middle School was an interesting choice in that it was the result of a recent merger between two very different middle schools-- one with wealthier and white students and one with a higher percentage of students receiving free and reduced lunch and mostly minority. Chapman's research wholeheartedly supports using a collegial coaching model to improve instructional practices but it has to happen alongside other factors. In addition, the model she researched, is very different from the one at HTH. It involves mid- level coaches or content coaches who meet regularly as a group and then work with individual teachers. Thus the coaches are getting professional development as a group. It creates more of a hierarchy between teachers and as a result appears to provide the coaches with more tools to support their peers.
Quotes:
"'Involving teachers in their schools, supporting and valuing what they do, and helping them to work more closely as colleagues are not just worthwhile humanitarian things to do for their own sake. They also have impact on the quality of teaching and learning in
our classrooms.' These statements made by Fullan and Hargreaves (1996, p. 2) supported a change
process teachers must experience to move from isolationism toward collegiality, and
subsequently student improvement." (p. 60)
"Permitting teachers to make decisions about their training and on-going professional growth influenced a viable and sustainable change in the workplace as ownership of the change effort internalized. A site-based management perspective empowered employees and transformed schools into communities of learners, utilizing knowledge to construct decisions for systemic change." (p. 72)
"The guiding purpose behind any peer coaching model is to motivate teachers to improve instructional delivery by becoming more reflective about their teaching skills and strategies. ìResearch has indicated that professional growth can be a worthwhile endeavor when it is viewed as a collective enterprise, where teachers share successes and learn from each otherís mistakes, and stifled without continual interactions,î (Glazer & Hannafin, p. 180). An administratorís teaching skills and experiences serve an important role, but, more importantly, administrators need to be willing to move a staff forward and support building and individual efforts. Benefits derived from collegial coaching are teachers and administrators who share ideas, brainstorm solutions to common teaching challenges, and learn from one another." (p.87)
"Research has shown that to elicit change in the performance of a child, it is important that teachers possess the necessary skills and tools to teach students and challenge their academic achievement. The need for urgent and high-quality staff development and training was essential to accomplish this." (p. 103)
"Teacher leaders as recognized credible leaders in the classroom provide the knowledge and basis for change in local situations. Factors may still prohibit demonstrated activities from making their way into the classroom, but continuing on-site evaluation of the process must be conducted to ensure success. The evolution of professional development has shown the empowering teachers moves a building from one of isolation to one of collaboration." (p. 104)