An investigative social research study of selected variables that may be impeding feedback in the peer coaching model

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1990
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Virginia Tech
Abstract

The educational reform movement of the 1980's has called for a restructuring of our nation's public schools. The effective schools research and reform literature, such as the Carnegie Report (1986), suggest that collegiality offers teachers and administrators the opportunity to improve the structure of our nation's schools. Collegiality encourages intellectual sharing which promotes professionalism, consensus and unity among a school staff.

Peer coaching is recognized as one way teachers are provided opportunities to work in a collegial setting. The peer coaching model requires that teachers be provided with (a) theory, (b) practice in observation skills, (c) practice with notetaking as a source of data collection, (d) practice in giving specific feedback from the notes during an observation and (e) practice in observing videotaped teaching episodes. An important contribution of the peer coaching model is that it allows teachers the opportunity to observe and learn from each other. Therefore, if teachers are to benefit from the peer coaching model, they must be able to provide feedback to their peers that is both useful and accurate.

Hall (1988) implied that the peer coaching teachers in her study needed more training in feedback skills in order to provide useful feedback to their peers. However, to date, there is no empirical evidence to support Hall's assumption. Furthermore, if the peer coaching model is to be successfully implemented and positively affect teacher behavior, then staff development personnel need information to address selected variables which may be impeding feedback in the peer coaching model. Therefore, the researcher of this dissertation conducted an investigative social research study in order to provide an objective assessment of peer coaching feedback and then to investigate selected variables that may be impeding that feedback. In order to provide this information, the researcher conducted her study in a large suburban public school system that had implemented peer coaching for a three year period. A select group of 54 teachers, who had been trained in mentoring and peer coaching skills, participated in telephone interviews, "scripting," feedback commentaries and a questionnaire in order to provide the data needed for the study.

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