TDNet Discover

The purpose of this case study is to explore how teachers at Valley View High School (VVHS), a low-performing rural high school in North Carolina, perceive, resist, or engage with instructional coaching as a mechanism for professional learning and growth. For the utility of this study, teacher reactions to instructional coaching will be defined as the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses educators exhibit toward the coaching process, including levels of trust, collaboration, and professional agency. The theory guiding this study is adult learning theory, which emphasizes self-direction, relevance, and reflective practice as core conditions for adult growth, and the transformational coaching framework, which connects empathy, inquiry, and relational dialogue to teacher development. This case study design will allow for an in-depth exploration of how teachers interpret their coaching experiences within the rural context. The research will take place at VVHS, with six to eight teachers from multiple disciplines participating. Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, and non-participant observations conducted over three four-week coaching cycles. Data will be coded inductively using NVivo, and themes will be developed through iterative comparison and triangulation to ensure credibility and trustworthiness. The findings are expected to provide insight into how instructional coaching practices can be redesigned to foster teacher engagement, enhance professional learning, and strengthen school improvement efforts in rural.