Instructional coaching as a predictor of collective efficacy

This study examined the relationship between the effectiveness of a school’s instructional coaching program and collective teacher efficacy. Instructional coaching is the concept of providing ongoing, on-site support for teachers on how to use best practice teaching methods and how to assess the effect these methods have on instruction (Knight, 2005; Showers, 1996). Collective efficacy is the belief or expectation of a group (Bandura, 1997; Ross, Gray, & Gray 2003; Goddard, Hoy, & Hoy 2000). Tschannen-Moran and Barr (2004) add that collective efficacy is the shared perception that teachers in a given school have in making an educational difference in their students over and above the educational influence of their homes and communities. This quantitative study involved a sample of 80 pre-kindergarten through sixth grade teachers within 59 Alabama public elementary schools. The measurement tools used in this study were the Instructional Coaching Evaluation Survey (Florida PS/RtI Project, 2013) and the Collective Efficacy Scale (Goddard & Hoy, 2003). The independent variable for this study was the perceived effectiveness of the instructional coaching program at a given school, while the dependent variable for this study was the school’s level of collective efficacy. A correlational analysis and a regression analysis were both conducted to determine the relationships among the variables. Findings from this study suggest a positive relationship between the perceived effectiveness of a school’s instructional coaching program and its collective efficacy. This study adds to the existing research regarding the influence of teacher learning, professional development, and efficacy.