The implementation of pedagogical coaching: a study of school improvement specialist coaches

Pedagogical coaching is a new practice in the Malaysian education system. Under the Malaysian Education Blueprint, it has been placed under the responsibility of the School Improvement Specialist Coaches. Previous studies in this area had been on coaching practices in general, correlating to the process of mentoring and not specifically on pedagogical coaching. The study delves into the perceptions of teachers, coaches and school administrators regarding pedagogical coaching. This study aims to gain an insight into the experiences of individuals involved in pedagogical coaching practices. The researcher has studied the knowledge, understanding, and views of participants on the implementation of pedagogical coaching, which are closely related to their professional practices. This qualitative study employs purposive sampling involving six participants consisting of three school coaches, two teachers, and a school administrator. Data were obtained through interviews, observations, and journal reflection, and analyzed based on thematic analysis using ATLAS-ti software. Trustworthiness of the study was done through member checking, triangulation of methods, audit trail and thick description. The findings of the study showed that participants have similar perceptions on the coaching practices in schools, which were related to their understanding and actions to be taken on the coaching practices. The sub-themes were formed based on the data analysis. The three emerging themes were identified as: The methods of coaching; Impact of coaching; and Coaching readiness. A framework for best practices in pedagogical coaching (PeCof) has been proposed to guide on how affective pedagogical practice can be implemented in schools. It supports the New Narrative Practice of Education 2019, which promotes the capacity building of teachers as to change the trend of self-professional development to the professional support. In addition it also encourages Professional Learning Community among education practitioners.
This practice will give positive impact in the professional development for teachers and schools as intended by the Ministry of Education Malaysia.