Instructional coaching

HomeSchool resourcesInstructional coaching
type here...
School
Thought leadership
Early childhood

Instructional coaching

HomeSchool resourcesInstructional coaching

Topic summary

A one-to-one form of teacher professional development that research has demonstrated to be highly effective.

Coaching is an alternative to traditional professional development. Instructional coaches work one-to-one with teachers to provide timely, relevant feedback and suggestions for improvement based on classroom observations. Coaching is differentiated to each teacher’s needs and focused on improving specific skills over the course of a term or school year. Coaching programs can take different forms, but they tend to follow a cycle of learning, observation and data collection, reflection, and goal-setting. 

Effective coaching purposefully targets each individual teacher’s needs and it is flexible. Unlike traditional one-size-fits-all professional development, coaching can specifically build individual teachers’ capacity for using discrete instructional practices that have been identified as priorities. As teachers identify new areas of concern, coaches can provide feedback addressing those areas.

Research shows that, not only is instructional coaching more effective than alternative forms of professional development, it is also one of the most effective of all educational interventions. Reviews of rigorous research show that only high-dosage tutoring for students achieves larger effects. Notably, the logic underlying tutoring and coaching is similar: provide targeted feedback to support individuals’ needs.

There are a number of important considerations when introducing an instructional coaching model, not least of which is the relatively high cost of coaching, which includes both the financial cost and the significant investment of time and resourcing that is required. The high cost of coaching means that achieving buy-in from participating teachers is essential. It is also important to find the right personnel to act as coaches and to ensure they have the appropriate knowledge, skills and training. 

  • How might an instructional coaching model work in your school?
  • Are there teachers in your school who would benefit from the targeted classroom-based approach of instructional coaching?
  • Are there teachers within your school who might act as instructional coaches for their colleagues? What training and support would they need?

Research reviews

An introduction to instructional coaching

The benefits of instructional coaching as form of teacher professional development and some key considerations when implementing an instructional coaching programme.

Webinars

Introducing instructional coaching in schools

Assistant Professor David Blazar from the US explains how instructional coaching is one of the most effective educational interventions

Infographics

Instructional coaching infographic

The key elements of instructional coaching at a glance

Snapshots

“Thanks for the opportunity. This was without doubt amongst the best professional development I have done in many years.”
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching

Get unlimited access to all our webinars

Buy a webinar subscription for yourself, your school or centre and enjoy savings of up to 25%

The Education Hub webinars provide high-quality research-based content for teachers. A webinar subscription costs just NZ$60+GST per person (with discounts of up to 25% available for groups) and provides access to all our live webinars for 12 months, plus all the recordings in our archive.
Find out more

12-MONTH WEBINAR SUBSCRIPTION

NZ$ 60 per person +GST
  • All live webinars for 12 months
  • Access to our library of over 100 webinars
  • Personalised certificates
  • Group savings of up to 25%
Buy now

About The Education Hub

The Education Hub’s mission is to bridge the gap between research and practice in education. We want to empower educators to find, use and share research to improve their teaching practice, and then share their innovations. We are building the online and offline infrastructure to support this to improve opportunities and outcomes for students.

New Zealand registered charity number: CC54471

Find out more

We’ll keep you updated

Follow us on social media

Like what we do? Please support us

Donate now to show your appreciation

© The Education Hub 2025 All rights reserved | Site design: KOPARA

Close popup
Message from The Education Hub Choose how you stay up to date

Early childhood education
School

Your details:

Already have an account? Login here

* Required fields

By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. The data you provide on this form will be used to keep you informed about our latest news, updates, and promotional offers. Rest assured, your information will be handled in strict accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your data will be stored securely, and you have the right to access, correct, or delete your information at any time. For more details, please review our Privacy Policy or Terms of Service.