Exploring Coaching Relationships, Teacher Self-Efficacy, and Motivation: Psychological Associations with Teachers’ Acceptability of Coaching and Stress

Teacher coaching is a widely used approach to support teacher professional development, yet the relational and psychological factors that influence coaching outcomes remain underexplored. Guided by the Expectancy-Value Theory and prior literature, this study examined the role of coaching relationships, teacher self-efficacy, and teachers’ motivation for coaching in the coaching process, with two key outcomes: teachers’ acceptability of coaching and perceived stress. A sample of 308 K-12 teachers from the United States completed relevant measures. Structural equation modeling revealed that high-quality coaching relationships were significantly associated with greater acceptability, self-efficacy, and motivation, particularly increased perceived benefits and reduced reservations. Coaching relationships and coaching acceptability were indirectly associated via self-efficacy and perceived benefits. The indirect association between coaching relationships and stress was fully explained through self-efficacy. These findings underscore the importance of fostering strong relationships with teachers and addressing motivational components to enhance the effectiveness of coaching interventions.