The comments of the impact of peer coaching made by educators who have been involved in the program are supported by studies conducted by a number of educational researchers.

Over the last fifteen years a growing number of educators have come to the conclusion that the workshop and conference format that make up most staff development is ineffective. Teachers say that traditional professional development doesn’t offer the sustained opportunities for collaboration, feedback, and reflection they need to change their classroom practice. At the same time a different methodology for professional learning has emerged. Richard (2003) notes that more and more schools across the country are replacing traditional staff development with school-based staff developers. Boston and San Diego School Districts are pioneers of this method of preparing teachers, but they are just two examples of the dozens of school districts that have adopted peer coaching as a model for school-based staff development. The reasons for this shift are clear; research on effective staff development shows that a peer coaching methodology meets teachers’ needs and is effective at shaping classroom practice. (More)

Further Reading

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2003, July). What professional development structures best affect classroom instruction? Research Brief, 1(15). Retrieved July 23, 2003, from http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.
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Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Guiney, E. (2001, June). Coaching isn’t just for athletes: The role of teacher leaders. Phi Delta Kappan, 82(10), 740-743. Retrieved October 11, 2001 from http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k0106gui.htm

National Center for Research on Teacher Learning. (1995). Learning to walk the reform talk: A framework for professional development for teachers. Retrieved January 6, 2004, from Michigan State University, NCRTL Web site: http://ncrtl.msu.edu/http/walk.pdf

Neufeld, B., & Roper, D. (2003). Coaching: A strategy for developing instructional capacity. Providence, RI: The Annenberg Institute for School Reform. Retrieved July 9, 2003, from http://www.annenberginstitute.org/images/Coaching.pdf

Richard, A. (2003, September). The emergence of school-based staff developers. Results. Retrieved January 9, 2004, from http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/results/res9-03richard.cfm

Roy, P., & Hord, S. (2003). Moving NSDC’s staff development standards into practice: Innovation configurations. Oxford: OH. National Staff Development Council.

Sparks, D. (2002). Designing powerful professional development for teachers and principals. Oxford, OH: National Staff Development Council.