The Influence of Instructional Coaching on Teacher Efficacy and Student Achievement

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the influence instructional coaching has on teacher efficacy and student achievement in reading. Survey, interview, and demographic data were collected from a purposeful sample of third and fourth grade reading teachers within a large suburban school district located in southeast Texas. The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) survey was used to determine teacher self-efficacy both pre- and post- instructional coaching. The Developmental Reading Assessment – Second Edition (DRA2) was used to determine student reading achievement both pre- and post-instructional coaching. One-on-one interviews of teachers and instructional coaches further explored the challenges and perceptions of influential factors associated with instructional coaching. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, paired t-test, and Pearson r, while grounded theory utilizing an open and continuous coding process analyzed the collected qualitative data. Quantitative analysis demonstrated teacher self-efficacy and student achievement in reading were not significantly influenced by instructional coaching despite the fact that there was an increase in both areas measured. The qualitative analysis provided supporting evidence of the importance of experience and knowledge, training, and communication skills of the instructional coaches as necessary to influence teacher self-efficacy and student achievement. Teachers described the greatest influence of instructional coaching was on their classroom management skills and positive reinforcement of their improved instructional practices which resulted in increased student achievement.