Science Instructional Coaches: Characteristics, Contexts, Beliefs, and Community

Instructional coaching has emerged as a promising form of professional development for teachers. However, little is known about the background, contexts, professional responsibilities, and beliefs of instructional coaches who work with science teachers. This mixed-methods study focused on instructional coaches in secondary schools across the United States to understand the experiences these coaches bring to the role and what activities they participate in that support science teaching. Coaches' goals for their work and tensions with the institution's goals were also explored, as well as their beliefs about science teaching. Results suggest that three types of coaches may support science teaching, depending on the content expertise of the coach (science or not) and the focus of their role (content-specific or general). Teacher support by instructional coaches with science backgrounds is evident through their support of effective science teaching strategies. However, this support may not extend to pushing teachers to develop reform-based science teaching practices, as the results showed that most of these instructional coaches did not hold reform-based views of science teaching. The goal of relationship building and the coaches' work as trust-builders emerged as a critical factor in the coaches' abilities to support teachers' pedagogical development. Implications for the field are discussed.