Date of Award

5-2021

Type

Dissertation

Major

Doctor of Education

Degree Type

EdD

Department

Counseling, Foundations & Leadership

First Advisor

Jan Burcham

Second Advisor

Tugce Gul

Third Advisor

Anna Hart

Abstract

The role of an instructional coach varies slightly from location to location, but the commonalities of instructional coaching include job-embedded professional development that supports classroom-based, individualized partnerships of collaboration. In an effort to further investigate implications for instructional coaching using the multiplier model and mindset theory, a qualitative multicase study was conducted in an effort to answer the following questions: 1) How does receiving multiplier traits feedback when having an overall multiplier factor of greater than zero affect instructional coaches' perspectives of their influence? 2) What commonalities and differences do the cases studied share within their responses to their Multipliers Self-Assessment results? 3) How does the mindset language the instructional coaches use within their preliminary question responses relate to their follow-up structured responses? 4) What is the relationship between how instructional coaches perceive feedback given to others and how they receive feedback themselves? This study took place in three phases. Phase 1 included preliminary open-response questions, the Multipliers Self-Assessment, and a follow-up reflection questionnaire. Within phase 2, any participant with an overall multiplier factor of greater than zero according to the results from the Multipliers Self-Assessment, were invited to participate in a focus group discussion. The seven participants involved with the focus group discussion became the focus of this study. From this population of seven, the instructional coaches with the highest, lowest, and median overall multiplier factor were asked to participate in one-on-one interviews. The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to explore instructional coaches’ experiences as they gained insight on their multiplier traits and shared their perspectives. The findings of this research revealed all seven of the instructional coaches studied were categorized as a talent magnet and/or a liberator. Secondly, throughout this study the instructional coaches’ focus shifted from how they could build capacity in the teachers they support to strengthening their leadership tendencies to foster the potential of the teachers. Next, this research revealed conflict within the participants’ perceptions of personal leadership tendencies or indications of their perceived expectations of the instructional coach role. Finally, this research revealed a strong desire from some of the instructional coaches studied for clear and precise feedback from their administrators.

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