Having been involved in setting up successful Coaching programmes when back in the UK, it has been an interesting experience for me to apply this model of Professional Development (PD) in an International and Arabic setting in the Middle East over the last eleven years.

During this time, I have been responsible for setting up several innovative programmes including Leadership and development through coaching as an effective tool for improvement across large networks.

In addition, I have applied and adapted this Coaching model in local Arabic culture as a Senior Director whilst adopting a change culture approach to the development of learning in a local context.

All of the research in the West indicates that Coaching is one of the most effective forms of Professional Development.  I have been particularly influenced by three pieces of Research.

Research 1 – Joyce and Showers

The most effective design for staff development is based on the evolutionary model of teacher learning founded on the ideas of B. Joyce and B. Showers. (6 Joyce, B. & Showers, B. (2002) Student achievement through staff development. 3rd ed. London: Longman). Whether we teach ourselves or we learn from a training agent, the outcomes of training can be classified into the following levels of impact.

• Awareness. At the awareness level we realize the importance of an area and begin to focus on it. The road to competence begins with awareness of the nature of a particular teaching strategy, it’s probable uses and how it may fit into the curriculum

• Concepts and organised knowledge. Concepts provide intellectual control over relevant content. Essential to the application of a new teaching strategy I a deeper conceptual understanding – for example, about how the new strategy supports learning. This moves the teacher’s learning beyond simply the acquisition of ‘tips for teachers’.

• Principles and skills. These are tools for action. At this level we learn the skills of implementing the teaching strategy. We also acquire the skills for adapting it for students with varying levels of ability to respond to the new mode of teaching perhaps by teaching them the skills they lack. At this level there is potential for action – we are aware of the area, can think effectively about it and possess the skills to act.

• Application and problem-solving. Finally, we transfer the concepts, principles and skills of the new teaching strategy to the classroom. We begin to use the strategy, combine it with others in our repertoire and integrate it into our style.  Only after this fourth level has been reached can we expect to impact on the student learning.

The matrix that follows relates these phases to the research of Joyce and Showers (1983).

• 5% of learners will transfer a new skill into their practice as a result of theory
• 10% will transfer a new skill into their practice as a result of theory and demonstration
• 20% will transfer a new skill into their practice as a result of theory demonstration and practice
• 25% will transfer a new skill into their practice as a result of theory demonstration, practice and feedback
• 90%will transfer a new skill into their practice as a result of theory demonstration, practice, feedback and coaching

A key element in achieving such effects is the provision of in-classroom support. We have found in our own school improvement work that it is the facilitation of coaching that enables teachers to extend their repertoire of teaching skills and to transfer them from different classroom settings to others.

From our experience, coaching contributes to transfer of training in five ways. In particular, teachers who are coached:

• Generally, practice new strategies more frequently and develop greater skill;
• Use their newly-learned strategies more appropriately than ‘uncoached’ Teachers;
• Exhibit greater long-term knowledge retention and skill regarding those Strategies in which they have been coached;
• Are much more likely than ‘uncoached’ teachers to teach new models of learning to their students;
• Exhibit clearer understanding with regard to the purposes and uses of the new strategies.

Although peer coaching is an essential component of staff development, it also needs to be connected to other elements in order to form an effective Improvement strategy.

Research 2– Curee

www.curee-paccts.com/dynamic/curee40.jsp?m=46

Key findings from Curee

There is a link between Impact on teaching and learning and the Importance of collaborative and sustained PD.

• Collaborative-sustained relationship focused on learning with another professional
• Sustained-evidence that the programme was not a one off (12 weeks at minimum but most 2 terms plus)
• One way of delivering this style of PD is through Coaching and Mentoring

Research 3 – McKinsey Report 2007 -15

The McKinsey Report:  How the World’s Best-Performing Schools Systems Come out on Top

Between May 2006 and March 2007, McKinsey & Company studied the world’s top performing school systems and most successful educational reforms. They researched what made these systems and initiatives work, so spectacularly well, while many others failed.

Their findings showed that the most successful systems and programs were based on the belief that ‘the only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction’. They also shared three key strategies for improving instruction:

1. Individual teachers need to become aware of specific weaknesses in their own practice
2. Individual teachers need to gain understanding of specific best practices. In general, this can only be achieved through the demonstration of such practices in an authentic setting
3. Individual teachers need to be motivated to make the necessary improvements

Despite the evidence, and the fact that almost every other profession conducts most of its development in real-life settings (doctors and nurses in hospitals, clergy in churches, lawyers in courtrooms, consultants with clients) very little teacher training takes place in the teachers own classroom, the place in which it would be precise and relevant enough to be most effective. In concluding, ‘the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers’ and the most effective way to improve the quality (instruction) is through coaching.

My learning experiences

If I was to reflect on some of successes and barriers, I have faced when implementing coaching in and across K-12 schools and learning environments Internationally I would summaries it below;

What have been the impact / successes?

• External validation of the Coaching programme through government and accreditation inspections
• Retention of staff due to access to a coach through raising of self esteem
• Peer coaching and sharing of Expertise across age range and subjects – moving to a collegial institute / development of coaching bulletin boards
• Institutes have developed a good understanding of the coaches’ role within the environment – development of culture and a powerful source of PD
• Coaching has provided good opportunities for advancement within a school, willingness to be coached and contribute to coaching in future
• Existing culture of continuous development with evidence of many teachers benefiting from coaching
• Coaching has led the development of trust and respect ethos amongst peers
• Coaching has developed a willingness and eagerness of new teachers to get involved (recruitment / retention)
• Some institutes have given time for coaches together to reflect
• Professional development of learning coaches’ skills has developed a bank of trained coaches i.e. have built capacity from within
• The use of video has enhanced reflective practice and culture
• Coaching has enhanced networking opportunities across education organisations to share good practice
• Institutes have used ICT to promote coaching culture through the development of collaboration tools set up in schools
• Coaching has led to the development of new development plans where coaching is integrated into improving learning and not just seen as a ‘bolt on’

What have been the issues / barriers?

• Understanding of Coaching at a leadership level and its benefits to whole organisational reform
• Timetable constraints and lack of time for learning coaches to develop the culture in schools and undergo coaching
• Unsystematic approach to coaching. Where does it fit?
• Poor work culture / resistance to coaching as a development tool
• Curriculum restraints are not enabling coaching to spread across schools
• The Learning Coach is not a recognised position in schools
• Finding strategies and time to build momentum
• Volunteers for coaching and roll out of programme has been difficult
• Agreeing what effective coaches do within institutes and their role
• Resources to support coaching. Budget is limited in some large schools for coaching to have an impact
• Clash of roles, Year Coordinator, Learning Coach, Teacher
• Lack of supply teachers to aid planning and coaching cycle

Analyzing this further, so what do I see have been the factors that are establishing and inhibiting progression?

Factors which are establishing progression?

• Identifying cultural and systemic barriers to developing coaching behaviours.
• Development of leadership and language of coaching through regular internal PD
• Coaching is central to Improvement plans (e.g. it is built into 3-year cycle)
• Teachers given opportunities to work across departments / phases / schools
• Lead coaches established in school with effective organisational structures for development
• Coaching is developed as a skill in students
• Coaching is a key means of support for new staff and recruitment of new teachers/leaders
• Building in impact measures and ensure regular monitoring takes place
• Positive links to Performance Management and clear lines of communication between coach, coachee and leader/administrator
• Staff are aware of the effectiveness of coaching as PD and is seen as development for all
• Coaching programmes result in clear improvements in teaching and learning and have a measurable impact on student attainment and behaviour

Factors which are inhibiting progression?

• When it is given a low priority in an institute and not fully understood at a leadership level or there is no ‘buy in’ so a positive culture is not developed
• When it is linked to Performance Management in a negative way e.g. coaches are directed to work with weak or failing teachers
• When none of the PD time is dedicated for it e.g. PD to raise awareness, develop coaching skills in staff etc.
• When insufficient time is provided for coaches
• Other external initiatives and pressures make it a low priority

So, in concluding below are my recommendations for education and learning institutions

• Ensure that Coaching programmes are focused on the priorities in the Improvement Plan, make effective use of the resources, have clear timescales and are well evaluated
• Budget and structure accordingly if Coaching is a priority for the next financial year to sustain improvements and build capacity
• Ensure sufficient time has been provided for all coaching activities through effective timetabling for teachers’ learning as well as pupils’ learning
• Development of leadership of Coaching through PD opportunities
• If linked to PM, ensure vision and direction is communicated for staff and allow opportunities for development of the programme at a whole school staff level
• Develop use of technology (video) to promote a collegial culture within the school
• Continue to use and build external links and networks to support coaching across schools.
• Continue to constantly seek new knowledge and expertise to enhance their coaching programmes
• Continue actively to build capacity by training leaders in coaching and others to act as coaches within and across schools
• Continue to monitor the effectiveness of coaching programmes which are continually evaluated and improved
• Continue to promote to school staff, clarity about the benefits of coaching and show a willingness to be involved in coaching programmes
• Focus on coaching as having a clear impact on students learning – by focusing on student behaviours and backwards planning
• Begin to develop Coaching partnerships between schools regularly gathering evidence to inform school self-evaluation
• Continue to review Coaching programmes and reward good practice
• Look at changing traditional organizational structures of the school and use coaching to develop a more collaborative structure that rewards and incentivizes.

Next steps

All of this reflection and experience is now informing my own leadership and support I am providing, future work and support at a local ministry and consortia level for both the education and corporate world.

Coaching is particularly relevant now as we focus on the leap of faith into the digital world and its implications for learning. It can be a powerful tool for change if implemented effectively at a whole school / government reform level.

What I have learnt is that the western model of coaching can only be used as hypothesis for improvement in other cultures context especially where generally people are used to order and hierarchy. Developing coaching skills such as listening, questioning and trust in this climate is challenging but can be done. Gaining acceptance that everything isn’t ten out of ten and breaking down those barriers are key to change and true reform.

Adapting models on Coaching for change using the work of Marshall Goldsmith (2000) has proved successful in my work. Overcoming the ‘the success delusion’ when culturally there is a respect and fear to not offend through comments that may infer things are not as good as we really think they are. I think it was Samuel Johnson who said ‘he who praises everyone, praises nobody. Any human, in fact, any animal will tend to repeat behaviour that is followed by positive reinforcement. The more successful we become, the more positive reinforcement we get – and the more likely we are to experience the success delusion’.

Building trust and respect that develops relationships and leads to an acceptance of a true picture of where we really are key for any institute.  Notice I say ‘we’ because coaching works much better in my experience, when its considered as an ‘in it together’process. Coaching conversations begin to develop the behavioural changes of individuals which will lead to collaborative organizational improvement.

I first met Stephen Barkley at an ECIS conference in Nice several years ago. He was leading a session on Coaching and as this was something I was leading on and developing across international schools I was keen to discuss his views on this. I was very interested coming from a UK background and Stephen being from the US to discuss the language around coaching, which can become a barrier and is an eclectic mix of terms often meaning the same thing but also with subtle differences (this led me to the idea of writing an international education dictionary but that’s another blog).

What resonates with me which has been my philosophy around PD development is this notion of ‘backwards planning’. By focusing on students behaviours in relation to learning and looking at what changes we want to see occurring, we can evaluate far better the PD needs of teachers, leaders and institutes in order to develop those behaviours best.

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