Coaching for independence, self-regulation, and transfer: A qualitative journey of an elementary literacy coach\u27s practice

Stakes for educational literacy achievement have been raised in America due to state and federal mandates. Teachers are held accountable for the implementation of required mandates as well as high levels of literacy achievement for all of their students. In order to support elementary classroom teachers in their aim for all of their students to become proficient in literacy, many districts have hired elementary literacy coaches. Bean (2004) notes that many buildings are assuming that by choosing to hire literacy coaches this will increase reading achievement and close the achievement gap by supporting the teachers to learn more about literacy instruction at the individual school level. In this qualitative study the researcher, as a literacy coach in an elementary school, examined the process of her coaching. The researcher also studied the changes in a teacher as a result of literacy coaching, particularly in the teacher’s development of self-regulation and transfer of the new learning. The data, consisting of interviews, videotapes, reflective logs, critical friend, and observations of the teacher, were analyzed using grounded theory and the constant comparison methodology (Glaser \u26 Strauss, 1967, 2008) in search for common themes regarding the teacher’s self-reflection, self-regulation, and transfer. Results of this study provided insight into how an elementary literacy coach engaged in coaching with a first grade classroom teacher within the context of a Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy (PCL) framework. The results of this study also described the lived experiences of self-regulation and transfer by a first grade classroom teacher receiving coaching within the Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy (PCL) framework. The results have the potential to impact future elementary literacy coaching