Professional learning opportunities for postgraduate specialist teachers

Type of content
Reports
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
Ako Aotearoa
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2020
Authors
Swit, Cara
Teschers, Christoph
Houghton, Julie
Abstract

This project developed a coaching resource that reflects the insights and hindsights of what Field Advisors (qualified Early Intervention Teachers) and postgraduate Early Intervention students find critical in their coaching relationship during students’ practicum. The coaching resource gives voice to their experiential-based knowledge and understanding. Experiential based postgraduate programmes have an important and increasing role in New Zealand in the post-compulsory education sector, which includes adult and community education, workplace education, and formal tertiary institutions such as University and Polytechnics. Coaching is seen as an important strategy for supporting co-enquiry and professional learning of undergraduate students participating in experiential-based degrees such as psychology and education (Smith et al., 2012). However, to our knowledge, no empirical evidence of the effectiveness of this approach with postgraduate students, at least in New Zealand if not internationally, is available. For this study, we collected data on Field Advisor (i.e. experienced early intervention teacher) and coachee (i.e. postgraduate student learning to become an early intervention teacher) perceptions of the critical attributes that contribute to a successful coaching relationship. These insights and hindsights were then used to develop a coaching resource that can be used by Field Advisors and students during their practicum to build the key attributes and characteristics necessary for a successful coaching relationship. This coaching resource can be used in other educational and professional contexts where coaching relationships exist. Eleven postgraduate students and seven of their Field Advisors took part in the project. The Field Advisors were experienced Early Intervention Teachers (EITs) working in early intervention services such as the Ministry of Education, CCS Disability Action, Conductive Education, and the Champion Centre. Students were qualified and experienced early childhood educators working as teachers or EITs. Field Advisors and students were paired based on the region they worked in. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with Field Advisors and students. Transcript data were imported into the qualitative research software, NVivo version 12, and a thematic analysis was used to identify key themes that represent attributes of a successful coaching relationship. An important aspect of the coaching relationship was that it was reciprocal and non-judgemental. Field Advisors and students stated that key attributes of a good coach include reciprocity, invites input and reflection, relational behaviours, provides constructive feedback and feedforward, suggests and models a range of strategies and approaches, extends and challenges, and promotes joint planning. Key attributes of a good coachee include being open-minded, flexible and adaptable, engages in the learning process, respectful and professional etiquette and engages in inquiry and reflection.

Description
Citation
Swit C, Teschers C, Houghton J (2020). Professional learning opportunities for postgraduate specialist teachers. Ako Aotearoa. Ako Aotearoa. Ako Aotearoa.
Keywords
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Field of Research::13 - Education::1303 - Specialist Studies in Education::130313 - Teacher Education and Professional Development of Educators
Fields of Research::39 - Education::3903 - Education systems::390308 - Technical, further and workplace education
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All rights reserved unless otherwise stated
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