Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Roslyn Doctorow

Committee Member

Ronnie Hunter

Committee Member

Kimberly Durham

Keywords

administrators, elementary schools, general education teachers, instructional expertise, instructional practices, interpersonal relationships, interpersonal skills, interpretive phenomenological analysis, kindergarten, literacy coaches, literacy instruction, literacy support schools, professional development, professional growth, professional learning, qualitative dissertation, state-level literacy coaches, teacher collaboration, teacher confidence, third-grade

Abstract

This phenomenological qualitative applied dissertation was designed to provide insight into the experiences of kindergarten through third-grade general education teachers when supported by state-level literacy coaches. State-level literacy coaches are assigned to specific elementary schools and offer embedded professional development and professional learning opportunities to enhance literacy instruction and promote professional growth among elementary teachers. Although many kindergarten through third-grade general education teachers in literacy support schools see state-level coaching support as beneficial, some teachers deem this support as punitive and are reluctant to collaborate with coaches.

Teachers' experiences with literacy coaches have been viewed as a component in the successful transformation of literacy instruction. Teachers and administrators who collaborate with coaches value positive interpersonal relationships that support the development of instructional expertise, thereby enhancing teacher and student learning. The phenomenological qualitative study was designed to explore teachers' experiences with state-level literacy coaches. Exploring the experiences of kindergarten through third-grade general education teachers when working with state-level literacy coaches is vital for determining coaching approaches that support effective instructional practices.

The interpretive phenomenological analysis indicated that teachers were more likely to collaborate with state-level coaches when coaching conversations were positive, and coaches were attentive to the needs of the teachers being coached and the school being supported. These results provided detailed insight into how factors such as trust and interpersonal skills impact teacher confidence and instructional practices.

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