Understanding Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Instructional Coaching During Student Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand how preservice teachers perceived instructional coaching during their semester of student teaching as they completed their teacher training and their secondary education license requirements at a 4-year university in the Western U.S. In this study, I worked within Dr. Jim Knight’s instructional coaching principles in the unique setting of student teaching. Through numerous personal interactions with my participants via informal meetings and electronic communications I arrive at the conclusion that each participant uniquely valued the instructional coaching in the areas of access, advice, feedback, support, and a lack of evaluative responsibility. Additionally, my participants offered suggestions that would improve instructional coaching in the areas of content knowledge and clearer understanding of instructional coaching at the outset of the semester.