IMPACT OF REFLECTİVE COACHİNG ON DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHİNG SKİLLS OF THE TEACHER CANDİDATES

Abstract

Both the inadequate number of supervisors and the demands on supervisors presented by the latest learner-based conceptions both in and out of educational contexts have directed many to doubt about the quality of the supervision, actual time spent for the professional development of teachers and collaboration for better teaching and better learning. This research study attempts to explore the impact of the reflective coaching model developed by the researcher based on the principles of reflective teaching on the actual teaching performance of the would-be teachers. As the research design, one-shot case study design with one-group post-test only model was used. 30 student teachers from the primary school teaching department of a Faculty of Education at a university in Turkey were included. Student teachers were trained through a 15-h orientation on reflective coaching program developed by the researcher on how to be a reflective coach and give formative feedback before the 10-week research study. Participants were split into five reflective learning groups, each with six students. Every group was required to conduct a lesson led by a teaching representative. The researcher acted as a teacher trainer and coached them during the preparation of the lesson. Each lesson was videotaped for reflective conference sessions. Later participants were instructed to fill out a questionnaire with 26 open-ended questions including their opinions and ideas on the reflective approach (instrument1). As the second instrument, evaluation checklists prepared by the researcher to assess their teaching were employed. Data were collected in both quantitive and qualitative methods including: (a) conducting and evaluating a sample lesson based on the principles of reflective teaching, (b) discussing based on videotaped lessons during reflective conference sessions, (c) expressing results with statistical data obtained from the pre/post-test application and, (d) employing open-ended surveys and sample dialogues, interviews, and anecdotal data. Findings showed significant differences in favor of the reflective coaching program implemented. The would-be teachers developed in their skills targeted after the reflective coaching program as compared with their performance before the implementation of the program. The findings also revealed that majority of respondents were satisfied with their progress. They stated that this model helped them identify their weaknesses in their teaching. Findings gained offer essential principles on how reflective coaching can be a implemented both in school-based contexts and teacher education.

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