Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Dissertation (UNI Access Only)

Keywords

Education--Research; Teachers--Education (Continuing education); Teachers--Social networks;

Abstract

Teachers’ limited use of published educational research has been well documented, demonstrating that they do not regularly draw on research as a source of knowledge for their practice, in addition to their own craft knowledge (Cain, 2016; Dagenais et al., 2012; Joram, et al., 2020). Although instructional coaches are uniquely positioned to curate and disseminate research, few studies could be located examining the role of instructional coaches in facilitating the use of educational research by teachers for their practice. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature.

This qualitative study investigated instructional coaches' roles and responsibilities with respect to sharing research with teachers, and the translational processes and strategies they employ to do so. Four elementary-level instructional coaches were each interviewed twice by the researcher, and responded to a series of open-ended questions. Using thematic analysis (Clarke & Braun, 2013), the data were coded and organized into three themes which included instructional coaches’ roles and responsibilities, knowledge brokering processes, and craft knowledge. These themes suggest that instructional coaches are skilled knowledge translators, engaging in sophisticated knowledge tailoring to target individual teacher’s needs. Moreover, their strategic knowledge includes focusing on influential teachers to help them better connect with teachers’ more extensive social networks and move initiatives to school-wide application.

This study sheds light on the research translation and social networking strategies that characterize instructional coaches’ work with teachers, highlighting the critical role that they may play in teachers’ use of research for their practice. Moreover, the findings provide a window into the specific ways that knowledge brokering occurs in school contexts by instructional coaches. The results of this study have theoretical implications, suggesting that instructional coaches may serve as boundary-crossers who navigate the needs and visions of both administration and practitioners and, in addition, practical implications for enhancing teachers’ receptivity to research as one source of knowledge for their practice.

Year of Submission

2022

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Department of Educational Psychology, Foundations, and Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Elana Joram, Chair

Date Original

12-2022

Object Description

1 PDF file (xii, 146 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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