The impact of literacy coaching on elementary teachers’ beliefs and practice of writing instruction

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Rochester. Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development, 2016.Literacy coaches serve a variety of roles within an elementary school. One of the key roles of the coach is to encourage teacher change at the school wide level. Much like other professions, teachers need to stay current on best practice in the classroom. In doing so, the literacy coach can facilitate the expansion of teacher beliefs and understanding into practice within their own classroom. On going, job-embedded professional learning opportunities, such as the support of the literacy coach, are more likely to impact teachers’ understandings and beliefs, especially if time is given for teachers to follow up with the facilitator. When coaching is embedded in this way to facilitate teacher learning, teachers are more likely to implement more authentic classroom practices. Through the analysis of four elementary classrooms, this multiple case study research examined how literacy coaching contributes to teachers’ beliefs and practices around writing instruction. When teachers do not see themselves as writers they have a difficult time instructing students how to become writers. Through the process of writing workshop coaches can work with teachers to enhance knowledge of writing instruction and, in turn, impact their thinking around writing instruction. Additionally, examined through theoretical frames of sociocultural theory and situated learning theory, the study examined how working with a literacy coach can encourage and support learning for teachers as writing instructors