Coaching in Schools
Over the last few months I have been exploring the potential links between the development of coaching practices, coaching cultures and the emergence of ecological agency in schools. I have been speaking with teachers across the United Kingdom and the world about their experiences of being coached and using coaching skills in their schools as part of my research for my Masters in Educational Research at Stirling University.
This study focused on the experiences of nineteen teachers (including three who have left teaching to become professional coaches), using a phenomenological approach through semi-structured interviews to discover how participants explain and conceptualise their experiences of using coaching in their practice. These experiences were analysed thematically using Thematic Analysis and through the theoretical lens of ecological agency.
The findings of this study shares insights into how teachers experience coaching practices, coaching culture and the emergence of ecological agency. These experiences are reported on in five key themes;
Fear of the unknown
Empowerment
Time to think
Equality of relationships
Transferable skills
This research highlights the importance of coaching practices in school to enable teacher ecological agency and includes implications for schools who wish to introduce coaching practices and cultures.
The extent to which this can be achieved is dependent on a number of different factors however based on the reported experiences of the participants in this study, it is recommended teachers act as agents of change when introducing and developing coaching cultures in schools.
