How Can We Foster A Successful Coaching Culture In Education?
Maz Foucher
An exploration of what a genuine coaching culture in schools could look like, and what needs to change to make it work.
In my recent article about coaching in UK schools, I argued that, in education, the term ‘coaching’ can mean a variety of different things and that this confusion has potentially led to coaching having less of a positive impact on wellbeing and retention of staff than it has the potential to do. I am still of the belief that coaching can have this positive impact but, in order to do so, there are some aspects of the education sector which would need to change. This article will take a closer look at those changes.
Firstly, when we talk about coaching as a profession, we need to be clear what we mean when we use this term. Are we talking about instructional/pedagogical coaching, where we are seeking to implement a set way of teaching according to a pre-determined ‘good practice’ guidelines? Or, we do we in fact mean 1:1/group coaching conversations which focus on the individual/s and their own needs, goals and aspirations, using the model more akin to that of John Whitmore (1) and Julie Starr (2).
While instructional/pedagogical coaching does have a valuable place in education, I would argue that this is more beneficial for newer teachers. From the research and my own experiences, this style of coaching can in fact have a negative impact on staff retention when used with more-experienced teachers as a way of bringing their practice in line with a pre-determined set of rules and guidelines. Additionally, its widespread introduction and the lack of distinction between this and the more person-centred coaching approach has muddied the waters and potentially put people off engaging with other coaching models which may have more of a positive impact on their wellbeing. Perhaps instructional coaching should be given a different name to differentiate it from person-centred coaching and indeed maybe it should only be undertaken with experienced teachers if they have identified issues for themselves within their own pedagogical practice or when they have requested support to embed a new teaching strategy.
Furthermore, for any coaching approach to be successful, it requires training. It needs a clear model where goals and objectives are set and followed, to ensure that the sessions are focused. Sessions which lack purpose and focus, where coaches are simply having a go at following a process with very little understanding of the theory underpinning this, can not only be ineffective but also potentially detrimental. Ineffective coaching can in fact have the opposite effect and serve to undermine coachees’ self-esteem and self-confidence. For this reason, where the coaching feels ineffective, coachees should have the option of stopping the sessions or of choosing a different coach to find a relationship which feels positive to them. Where coaching is closely linked to performance management or sits within a rigid staff coaching structure, this flexibility is unlikely to exist.
Following on from this, there needs to be a willingness for the coachee to undertake the coaching, rather than for it to be imposed on them. The open-mindedness and growth mindset required for coaching to work is unlikely to be present if staff are pushed into a coaching scenario which they haven’t requested and don’t understand the purpose of or need for. Similarly, if the coaching process is unclear or the aim is not articulated, these sessions can have a negative impact and lead to frustration, disappointment and in some cases, distress. Where a teacher is dealing with a traumatic career or personal event, as is often the case in the current teaching climate, they require more of a counselling approach and in this case, coaching is not appropriate. Similarly, where a teacher is newer in their career, a coaching approach can be frustrating if they don’t have the knowledge and skills to answer coaching questions. In which case, an approach that blends mentoring with coaching can be more effective. However, if we continue to lose so many of the experienced teaching staff from across the sector, then finding a knowledgeable and experienced mentor for these newer teachers is likely to become increasingly difficult.
A genuine coaching culture may also require a new CPD structure for schools. To allow genuine coaching to take place, staff would need the autonomy and agency to develop their own goals and potentially their own pedagogical approach. Where decisions about coaching, particularly instructional coaching, are made at a leadership or executive level, teachers often find that they lack the freedom to experiment with their own approaches and to try out new ideas. Reductionist policies that lead to tick lists for teaching can be incredibly stifling, especially for experienced and expert teachers who have developed their own effective approaches which work for them. This culture also directly contradicts the principles of coaching. For genuine coaching to occur, teachers to feel trusted and respected as professionals; they need to be able to research and experiment with their own chosen approaches and to thereby adapt their teaching to their own strengths and indeed to different groups of children.
In relation to this, there also needs to be a differentiated approach to these CPD models in schools. For some teachers, more guidance might be required, but for others, where practice is already competent, they need space and time to reflect on their own needs and to direct their own development depending on areas of interest. CPD models which require all teachers to follow the same “one size fits all” programme can be detrimental to experienced teachers’ autonomy, and these also ignore the reality of what these teachers need in comparison to the direction necessary for those newer in their career. A genuine coaching approach would allow variation and self-direction in CPD programmes and save valuable time and money in the delivery of development to staff members who do not require it.
For a true coaching culture to exist, it is also vital for school leaders to develop mutually trusting and respectful relationships amongst their staff because coaches who can show respect, empathy and authenticity are the most effective (3). Coaching should always focus on the personal and professional development of the coachees and not relate to high-stakes performativity or performance management. Therefore, the relationship and power dynamics between the coach and the coachee always need to be considered from the outset. Coaching should ideally not be conducted by direct line managers and if, as mentioned previously, coachees are given the freedom to choose the coach they think they would work best with, time would need to be set aside to build the trusting, respectful relationships required for this. This may become tricky for those working in small schools so the creation of supportive staff networks with other local schools or academies within the same trust might facilitate this to happen
Another big factor which needs to be considered is the impact of the heavy workload faced by teachers. 72% of teachers in English schools have stated that they struggle with an unacceptable workload. (4). From my own experience, I know that teachers can be reluctant to engage in coaching if they do not feel they have the time for it or do not believe that it will be beneficial. Where the purpose of the coaching meets the school’s or SLT’s agenda, rather than the coachee’s own, this already undermines the coaching process. To be prepared to invest their own time and energy in it, teachers need to believe in the process and the positive impact it will have on them as individuals. One suggestion would be to give directed time to it or for it to replace some of the traditional staff/professional development meetings (5). In this scenario, coaching would also not have as much of a financial impact in schools where budgets are already overstretches.
It is also fundamental to the implementation of a true coaching culture that coaches view their coachees as individuals with their own views, needs and goals. As we know from teaching, those who are well and happy learn best, so this must be true of any CPD programme: it will only have the fullest success if those receiving it do so in a state of positive mental and physical wellbeing. Because we know that effective whole-school and staffing policies put in place by school leaders can make a bigger difference to staff wellbeing than tokenistic gestures, giving teachers the freedom to direct their own CPD is a good example of how this can be done. Being treated as an individual, with the trust and autonomy to direct your own learning, can be very powerful as a tool to combat the pressures of a system with such high-stakes accountability. I have rarely met a teacher who does not want to do a good job, or is not capable of doing so, so we need to ensure that we demonstrate trust in them to do so and ensure that they have the conditions they need as individuals in which to thrive.
While these suggestions may sound difficult, they all are achievable, and examples already exist of where they have been proven to work, particularly in successful education sectors outside of the UK. There are many aspects of education that we do not have the power to control, e.g. government policy and assessment and inspection structures, yet we do have the freedom to decide how staff are managed and developed. It is therefore within the power of school leaders to improve on the working conditions – and therefore the wellbeing – of their staff to reduce the number of experienced teachers who are leaving the profession. Introducing a genuine coaching culture, free from hidden agendas and complex power dynamics, and where staff are given the freedom to choose their own coach and coaching goals, would be an excellent step if our aim is truly to increase staff retention.
References
- Starr, J. (2017). Brilliant coaching: how to be a brilliant coach in your workplace. Pearson Education Limited.
- Whitmore, J. (2009). Coaching for performance : growing people, performance and purpose. Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
- Goleman, D. (2006). Working with emotional intelligence. Bloomsbury.
- Adams, L., Coburn-Crane, S., Sanders-Earley, A., Keeble, R., Harris, H., Taylor, J. and Taylor, B. (2023). Working lives of teachers and leaders – wave 1 Research report. April 2023. Department for Education – Government Social Research.
- Atwal, K. (2019). Thinking school: developing a dynamic learning community. John Catt. Educational Ltd.
