Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Clarifying Coaching: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of A Math Content-Focused Model And Its Impact On Teachers' Practice, Content Knowledge, And Dispositions, Lauren A. Solarski

Dissertations

Coaching is increasingly becoming required or recommended as a form of teacher professional development, but the education field has only begun to define the practice and understand its features, especially in regard to its potential to improve math teaching in early childhood contexts. Using mixed methods and a Whole Teacher Approach theoretical framework, this study examined a math content-focused coaching model and its impact on teachers' math content knowledge, teaching practice, and dispositions including attitudes, beliefs, and confidence. Participants included 141 lead and assistant teachers and 5 coaches working in 27 Head Start centers in Chicago. Teachers at centers randomly …