Exploring models of professional support for teachers and school leaders

Supervisor: Dr Lisa Kim (primary supervisor) & Dr Jeremy Airey (secondary supervisor)

A) Rationale for the project

Receiving regular support and supervision is common in some professions, such as clinical psychologists and social workers. For early career teachers, professional support has often been in the form of mentoring. However, teachers at various levels of seniority (ranging from pre-service teachers to members of school senior leadership team) may also benefit from regular support structures and systems, such as mentoring, coaching, and supervision. The aim of the project is to examine the different support models that exist within and outside of the teaching profession, examine their efficacies in light of their characteristics, and explore how they can be implemented at the individual, school, and/or national level.

B) References that should be read

Kalule, L., & Bouchamma, Y. (2014). Teacher supervision practices and characteristics of in-school supervisors in Uganda. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 26(1), 51–72.

Kemmis, S., Heikkinen, H. L. T., Fransson, G., Aspfors, J., & Edwards-Groves, C. (2014). Mentoring of new teachers as a contested practice: Supervision, support and collaborative self-development. Teaching and Teacher Education, 43, 154–164.

Kraft, M. A., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2018). The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta-analysis of the causal evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547–588.

Marshall, K. (2005). It’s time to rethink teacher supervision and evaluation. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(10), 727–735.

C) Research aims and questions

What are the differences between support models that can be provided to teachers?
Which characteristics within and across the models are essential in providing professional support to teachers?
How can professional support models be implemented at the individual, school, and/or national level?

D) Methods

This project welcomes a variety of methods and approaches, including primary/secondary data analysis of quantitative and/or qualitative data.