Perceptions of Early Head Start teachers of instructional coaching.

Abstract

Recent Early Head Start standards require instructional coaching be utilized as a form of teacher development. (Head Start: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, 2018). This research provides an insight into Early Head Start teachers' experiences and perceptions of instructional coaching. Instructional coaching has been utilized in educational settings to enhance teaching practices and to increase professional development (Knight, 2009). Thus far, most of the research has focused on coaching in K-12 programs (Gentry, Manning, Wolf, Hernez-Broome, & Allen, 2013). This study builds upon this body of research by developing an understanding of the teacher's perceptions from those in an early head start setting. The overarching question of this study is: How do Early Head Start teachers perceive instructional coaching methods? Instructional coaching encompasses various learning theories that define effective professional development strategies. Within each theory, specific coaching insight is highlighted and expanded on to showcase the different strengths each philosophy embodies. The three categories discussed include Transformative Learning Theory, Facilitation Theory, and Experiential Learning Theory (ELT). Seven Early Head Start teachers volunteered to participate in individual semi structured interviews. Data was analyzed using open coding and thematic analysis. The findings revealed four themes: (a) coaching provides support, (b) coaching supports feedback, (c) relationships support change, (d) consistency provides stability. Within each theme, participants identified benefits, challenges, and their personal experiences. Findings from this study will contribute to refining instructional coaching practices, support, and how to enhance overall teaching practices for infant/toddler teachers. This study could help further research practice for early childhood programs serving infants and toddlers and provide insights of high quality practices through instructional coaching.