Shared and Divergent Experiences of Mathematics Teachers and Instructional Coaches

Instructional coaching entails more than faithful enactment of productive coaching activities. Rather, coaching is influenced by how teachers and coaches negotiate their shared work. We adapted the instructional triangle to center perspectives of mathematics teachers and coaches as they engaged in curriculum-embedded professional learning. Findings indicated the importance of interpersonal trust, the value of targeted coaching toward incremental instructional change rather than wholesale shifting of teacher mindsets, and concerns with generalist or district-based coaching models. These results suggest the value of targeted and responsive coaching models and the value of engaging with both coach and teacher perspectives.