Teachers’ Perceptions of Instructional Coaches’ Practices in Professional Learning Communities

Abstract

In this study, we investigated Texas teachers’ perceptions of instructional coaches’ (ICs) practices that improve professional learning communities (PLCs) to enhance teachers’ instructional capacities. The study’s participants included 67 teachers from rural, urban, and suburban school districts across the state of Texas. They enrolled in a virtual professional development (VPD) module related to improving instruction in high needs schools. Data were collected from participants via an open-ended survey. To answer the study research question, we employed a qualitative phenomenological research approach. Findings indicated that teachers perceived ICs can perform two main types of practices that contribute to enhancing PLC meetings: (a) practices for creating a safe PLC learning environment and (b) practices in PLCs for enhancing teachers’ instructional capacities. Our findings add to the literature providing the first empirical study in which researchers investigated teachers’ perceptions about ICs’ practices within PLCs.