The Future of Education

The Scots School Albury, Australia, recently introduced a peer coaching program designed to encourage staff collaboration, critical reflection and improved teacher efficacy to enhance teaching practices and student outcomes. Essentially, the school was keen to go “back to basics” and to encourage more professional conversations and a supportive staff to address various learning issues. The school’s existing new-teacher coaching program was modified and innovated to meet the needs of all staff. Similarly, numerous positive studies that highlight the effectiveness of coaching programs helped form the program’s development. Specifically, Becker (2000) and Fullan’s (2011) findings that teachers learn best from other teachers and Hattie’s Visible Learning (2008) that draws attention to the importance of observing the impact of teachers on learning in the classroom were consulted. Backed by a school-developed teaching and learning framework, individual teachers set and implemented individual learning goals with the support of a peer group made up of three teachers. Peers visit each other’s classes to observe student learning in order to provide feedback based on teacher-identified measures of success. The feedback generated allowed teachers to critically reflect on their teaching practice and student learning, and to refine and enhance learning opportunities. Sarah Spiteri, the School’s Coaching Consultant and senior teacher discusses the experience and the most significant and practical teaching strategies she discovered during the process.

Keywords: peer coaching, critical reflection, effective teaching;