A scale development study to measure secondary school teachers’ opinions on coaching behaviours

Abstract

Purpose: Coaching is an approach that enables individuals to realize their own potential and strengths, to increase their awareness, to find themselves, and that encourages and supports the process of fulfilling goals by balancing different spheres of life. Adoption and implementation of coaching philosophy also have great importance in terms of teachers’ relationship with students. In this study, it was aimed to identify the opinions of high school teachers on adoption and implementation of coaching behaviors according to the variables of gender, age, education level, branch, status of participating in coaching training, conferences or seminars, and status of considering the display of coaching behavior significantly. Method: The study was designed as a descriptive survey model study and employed the quantitative research method. The sample of the study composed of 362 teachers in total who worked in high schools located in districts of Ankara, in 2017-2018 academic year. Findings: Teachers adopted all of the sub-dimensions of coaching behaviors, yet they were incompetent in terms of implementation. Female participants demonstrated a significant difference in terms of adoption and implementation of coaching behaviors. Significant differences occurred in the adoption and implementation status of the ones who participated in coaching seminars or conferences and considered the display of coaching behavior significant. In addition, there was a significant difference in vocational education high school teachers’ adoption and implementation levels of the dimension “enabling coachees to make choices according to their core values” in comparison to teachers of other branches. Implications for Research and Practice: The research findings revealed that teachers who participated in coaching training, conferences and seminars provided benefits to their students by implementing coaching skills. Therefore, it is suggested for teachers to get training from leading experts of the field. It is possible to say that new legislative regulations that will be made by the Ministry of National Education by including coaching education to their inservice trainings, and inclusion of coaching implementations in educational institutions will make a positive contribution to teachers’ personal and professional, and students’ academic and individual development.