From teacher to teacher educator: Supporting the development of schools-based physics coaches

Thesis

The Institute of Physics (IOP) employ, on a secondment basis, teachers (school-based coaches or SPCs) for half a day or a day each week to work with science departments in other local schools.

The aims of this investigation are to explore:

1. What knowledge the SPC comes to the role with and what knowledge they have to develop during the first year in role.

2. a) How they develop that knowledge, and b) to what extent, mentoring and community interventions facilitate the development of that knowledge

I have followed four coaches over the course of their first year in the role, collecting data on their views on their developing knowledge bases through interviews and through reflective diaries as well as recording field notes on their interactions with their mentors and their community of practice.

Different areas of knowledge, discussed in interviews and reflective diaries, have been categorized and ordered to show their connections to one another, resulting in a framework (shown below in figure 1) that highlights the typical knowledge base of a coach (aim 1). I have then re-analyzed the interview data, using this framework, to highlight how coaches currently develop this knowledge (aim 2a) and the extent to which mentoring and community interventions, which I put in place, support that development (aim 2b). Analysis of the data shows SPCs typically come with a well-developed knowledge for teaching, and this is further developed through peer networking within the community, comparing approaches with other teachers and gaining new ideas.

Knowledge around coaching pedagogy, teacher learners and engagement is typically less developed, and SPCs develop this through both experience and discussing specific problems with their mentors. Case studies are used to illuminate specific examples of how mentoring and community interventions have supported knowledge development.

The investigation has hopefully provided a useful tool in terms of a framework that will help conversations around the knowledge and development of coaches. It has also highlighted the need to discuss coaching pedagogy more explicitly in the coaches’ development programme and the need to make some aspects of the programme compulsory (e.g. regular mentor meetings).

Authors: Rowson, J

• Type of award: MSc taught course
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: MTED2020; MTED
• Subjects: Education