Volume 1 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal for K-12 Educational Leadership - Page 13

Journal for K-12 Educational Leadership 11 1. How do elementary instructional coaches describe their experiences working with elementary teach - ers? a. What activities do elementary instructional coaches engage in as part of an instructional coaching program? b. How do elementary instructional coaches perceive instructional coaching as a profes- sional development model? 2. How do elementary teachers describe their experiences working with elementary instructional coaches? a. What activities do elementary teachers en- gage in with an elementary instructional coach? b. How do elementary teachers perceive in - structional coaching as a professional de- velopment model? Procedures and Data Analysis The study concentrated on participants’ experiences and perceptions in response to open-ended interview ques - tions involving a purposeful sample of 15 elementary teach- ers and 15 elementary instructional coaches. All instruc- tional coach and teacher interview data was transcribed and an analysis of each interview content was conducted. This analysis included coding and examining emerging themes and patterns based on a QSR NVivo 10 analysis. Additional data collected and included in the study in- volved a review of existing District documents related to elementary instructional coaching, including the District Elementary Instructional Coaching Program (EICP) Handbook. Findings in the study were increased in accura - cy by interviewing participants one-on-one and triangulat - ing data through accurate record keeping, member checks, and an expert panel review of the identified themes. Identified Themes As a part of the data analysis, a number of themes emerged throughout the interviews with instructional coaches and teachers. The major themes and coordinating sub-themes identified included: (1) collaboration, including collabora - tive planning; (2) professional development; (3) relationship building including offering support and trust; and (4) cur - riculum, including serving as an instructional resource. Collaboration Elementary instructional coach participants and elementary teacher participants reported substantial amounts of collab- oration in their interactions. Collaboration efforts consisted of collaborative planning, coaching cycles, partnering to- gether, and collaboration on instructional strategies in the classroom. All 30 participants in the study specifically set forth that they collaborated together for planning purposes. Professional Development Instructional coach participants in the current study engaged in various professional development experiences as a part of their coaching training and ongoing development. Profes- sional learning experiences were often guided by training and professional development provided by the District as a part of the elementary instructional coaching program. Instructional coaches also reported facilitating profes- sional development, both job-embedded and workshop style experiences, on their campuses for teachers. Both in- structional coaches and teachers repeatedly mentioned in- structional coaching as a form of job-embedded professional development and all 30 participants had an overall approval for the elementary instructional coaching program in the District as a professional development model. Relationship Building Elementary instructional coaches and elementary teachers both reported that relationship building was an important component of the instructional coaching program and it was valued by all 30 participants in the study. Elements of rela- tionship building mentioned as a part of the interviews in - cluded not only working together to establish relationships to support continued growth, but also the importance of sustaining relationships over time. Establishing trust was also an element of relationships that frequently appeared in the interviews by both the instructional coach and teacher participants. Curriculum In each of the 30 interviews, there was a belief in and strong