TDNet Discover

The purpose of this study was to examine how instructional coaching supported newly credentialed special education teachers working in self-contained classrooms for students with significant cognitive disabilities in implementing evidence-based practices with consistency and fidelity. Newly credentialed teachers in these settings often entered complex instructional environments with limited preparation, which impacted both confidence and instructional effectiveness. This study was grounded in situated learning theory, which emphasizes learning through participation in authentic contexts and aligns with instructional coaching as a job-embedded professional learning model. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used in a medium-sized public school district in Northern California serving approximately 10,000 students. Participants included six newly credentialed special education teachers in self-contained programs. Data were collected through a Likert-scale survey measuring teacher confidence and implementation of evidence-based practices, followed by semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings indicated that instructional coaching supported increased teacher confidence and more consistent implementation of evidence-based practices, particularly when coaching was structured and collaborative.