International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education

Jerome, Lee; Brook, Victoria

2020 International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education

doi: 10.1108/ijmce-04-2019-0057

In 2016, the National Standards for School-based Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Mentors were published in England. The purpose of this paper is to critique these standards through a comparison of how others have framed and defined the role of the mentor, drawing on equivalent standards already published in nursing (2008) and social work (2012).Design/methodology/approachAn analysis of three sets of professional standards was conducted by adapting the “constant comparison” approach in which the researchers sought to combine a form of inductive coding with comparison across the texts. This enabled the identification of a number of common themes and omissions across the three sets of standards.FindingsThe analysis revealed the ITT mentor standards provide a comparatively limited account of the role of the mentor, particularly in relation to the process of assessment, the power dynamics between mentors and student teachers, and the school as an institutional site for professional learning.Originality/valueThe study’s originality lies in the inter-professional comparative analysis, which revealed a number of potentially contentious issues not immediately apparent from a close textual analysis of the ITT mentor standards.

Hnasko, Amy

2020 International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education

doi: 10.1108/ijmce-02-2019-0010

This paper discusses the findings of a mixed-methods study of early childhood instructional coaches employed in state-funded preschool (aged three and four years) programs in the state of New Jersey (NJ) in the United States (US), highlighting a case study of one coach that provides an example of individual and organizational factors influencing the work.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was distributed to all coaches (master teachers) in 35 districts' early childhood programs. Two master teachers were then studied for a period of five months. During that time, three structured interviews were conducted, focused observations occurred each month, and coach logs were collected.FindingsThe findings of the data analyses illuminated both individual (i.e., a coach's own professional development) and organizational (i.e., varying interpretations of role) factors that influenced the work of the early childhood coaches.Research limitations/implicationsThe data in this paper is limited to one US state's approach to early childhood coaching. The case study data examined is limited to the contexts of the specific participating districts and master teachers involved. It is suggested that future research be conducted on a nationwide pool of instructional coaches.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study highlight the role of the state in providing more guidance surrounding the primary responsibilities of the master teacher. It is suggested that further attention be placed on creating and sustaining a professional development network for the master teachers serving NJ's early childhood programs.Originality/valueAs one of the few statewide studies of instructional coaching in early childhood, this study provides insights into how policy is translated into practice.

Hunt, Carolyn S.; MacPhee, Deborah

2020 International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education

doi: 10.1108/ijmce-04-2019-0055

This article presents a case study of Kelly, a third-grade teacher enrolled in a literacy leadership course within a Master of Reading program. In this course, practicing teachers completed an assignment in which they implemented a literacy coaching cycle with a colleague, video-recorded their interaction, and conducted critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the interaction. The authors explore how engaging in CDA influenced Kelly's enactment of professional identities as she prepared to be a literacy leader.Design/methodology/approachData presented in this article are taken from a larger study of four white, middle-class teachers enrolled in the course. Data sources included the students' final paper and semistructured interviews. The researchers used qualitative coding methods to analyze all data sources, identify prominent themes, and select Kelly as a focal participant for further analysis.FindingsFindings indicate that Kelly's confidence as a literacy leader grew after participating in the coaching cycle and conducting CDA. Through CDA, Kelly explored how prominent discourses of teaching and learning, particularly those relating to novice and expert status, influenced Kelly in-the-moment coaching interactions.Originality/valuePrevious literacy coaching research suggests that literacy coaches need professional learning opportunities that support a deep understanding of coaching stances and discursive moves to effectively support teachers. The current study suggests that CDA may be one promising method for engaging literacy coaches in such work because it allows coaches to gain understandings about how discourses of teaching and learning function within coaching interactions.

Mena, Juanjo; Faikhamta, Chatree; Clarke, Anthony

2020 International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education

doi: 10.1108/ijmce-08-2019-0079

The purpose of this study was to better understand the work of mentors or cooperating teachers (CTs) in Spain and Thailand, by comparing how mentors in both contexts conceive of their work in teacher education.Design/methodology/approachA comparative study based on a crossnational research (CNR) approach was used. An internationally validated instrument, the Mentoring Profile Inventory (MPI), was given to 171 Spanish and 170 Thai CTs, and an analysis using t tests and constant comparative methods was conducted.FindingsThe main results indicate that the Spanish cohort reported being significantly more challenged than their Thai counterparts in working with preservice teachers (PSTs). Both groups indicated a similar degree of motivation. The comparative analysis revealed that the Thai CTs emphasized the importance of ethics in teaching and being a role model for PSTs, whereas the Spanish CTs emphasized the need for strong interpersonal relationships as being central to successful mentoring.Research limitations/implicationsUnderstanding mentors' challenges and motivations can form the basis for reflecting upon the essential components of teacher preparation in both contexts. Furthermore, comparative cross-context analyses, as demonstrated in this paper, are vital for the identification of important differences that might otherwise remain invisible or unrecognized from a single-context perspective.Originality/valueThe study is original in its focus in that it offers insights that help better understand attitudes and performance within and across contexts – in this case, a European and an Asian country – using a common metric, the MPI. This study serves as an exemplar for other comparison studies for countries of mentors.

Kappler-Hewitt, Kimberly; Von Dohlen, Heidi; Weiler, Jess; Fusarelli, Bonnie; Zwadyk, Barbara

2020 International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education

doi: 10.1108/ijmce-04-2019-0049

The purpose of this study was to examine the architecture of internship coaching models from five innovative principal preparation programs in the Southeastern region of the USA. The researchers used coaching architecture in this context to include the assignment of coaches to interns, dosages, and enactment of evaluation and confidentiality.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers used a qualitative, collective case study research design that included semi-structured interviews of program directors and coaches from each of five programs, totaling 19 interviews that lasted from 30 min to an hour and 15 min each.FindingsCommonalities among architectures of principal intern coaching designs included coaching assignment by geography, frequency and format of coaching sessions and length of the internship. All five programs recommend continuing coaching into initial years of administration. Points of distinction pertained to the utilization of external versus internal coaches, confidentiality and evaluation by coaches.Research limitations/implicationsThis study may inform coaching models for principal preparation programs within similar contexts. Because all five programs are grant-funded within one US state, generalizability and transferability cannot be assumed.Practical implicationsThe authors provide design considerations for coaching programs, as well as policy considerations and directions for future research.Originality/valueWhile coaching is increasingly used in leadership preparation programs, there is a paucity of research regarding the nature of coaching models, especially in terms of their architecture. The researchers examine, compare, and contrast coaching model architecture, raising important considerations for coaching designs.

Jones, Luke; Tones, Steven; Foulkes, Gethin

2020 International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education

doi: 10.1108/IJMCE-09-2019-0088

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to use the lens of figurational sociology to analyse the learning networks of physical education (PE) associate teachers (ATs) in England. More specifically, it aims to develop a more adequate understanding of who is involved in the learning networks and how they influence ATs during their one-year postgraduate initial teacher education (ITE) programme.Design/methodology/approachA total of 35 ATs within a university ITE partnership took part in the study during the final phase of their postgraduate programme. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to examine the nature and impact of the interdependent relationships that they had developed with other individuals and groups. A process of content analysis was used to identify and analyse patterns in the data.FindingsMentors have the most influence over ATs. They support the inclusion of the ATs within the PE department, but elements of the mentors' role are contradictory and can unintentionally hinder the ATs' teaching. Mentors, teachers and tutors also share a common social habitus that ensures a degree of conformity within the PE community. New experiences tend to reinforce ATs' existing beliefs about the nature and practice of teaching PE.Practical implicationsThese findings have implications for providers of ITE in deciding who is involved in mentor training and how it is approached. If ATs are to be introduced to more innovative teaching approaches that promote change, then tutors need to collaborate with mentors and teachers to develop awareness of their often-unplanned influence.Originality/valueApplying the distinctive, and more generally sociological, concepts that make up the figurational perspective helped to develop a more adequate understanding of the ATs' learning networks. It provided an insight into the changing relationships that ATs have with their mentors and other individuals who work within the school and university context.