Over 20 Years of Research
For more than two decades, Jim Knight and his colleagues at The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning and the Instructional Coaching Group have been studying instructional coaching, communication, and other forms of professional development. “In the early years, our work was about finding our way, finding names for what we did, grabbing what data we could to support what we were doing, and trying to get better at coaching every day. Over time, our instructional coaching model and our methodologies have improved.”
This page has been created to tell the story of instructional coaching through the research we have conducted. On each link, you’ll find (a) a brief description of the research and other publications and how they fit into the evolving story of instructional coaching; (b) a one-page summary of our findings; and (c) whenever possible, the complete text of our paper or a link to the paper so you can read what we did. If you’re especially interested in learning how our understanding evolved, we suggest you start at the bottom of the links and work your way up to the most recent research.
Why teacher autonomy is central to coaching success
Instructional coaching for implementing Visible Learning: A model for translating research into practice
Escape from the zero-learning zone
Evaluation of video-based instructional coaching for middle school teachers: Evidence from a multiple-baseline study.
The Educational Forum. 76(1), 50-51.
Knight, D. S., Hock, M., Skrtic, T., Bradley, B., & Knight, J. (2018)
A coaching model for classroom management
Involving teachers in school-wide behavior policy
Coaching in education
The professional coaches’ desk reference. P. Brownell, S. English, & J. Manzi-Sabatine (Eds.). New York, NY: Springer.
van Nieuwerburgh, C., Knight, J., & Campbell, J. (2018).
Available Soon
The impact cycle: What instructional coaches should do to foster powerful improvements in teaching
Knight, J. (2017). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
Designing instructional coaching
Instructional-design theories and models: A learner-centered paradigm of education, volume IV (pp. 269-286). C. M. Reigeluth, B. J. Beatty, & R. D. Myers (Eds.), New York, NY: Routledge.
Knight, D. S., Hock, M., & Knight, J. (2016).
Better conversations: Coaching ourselves to be more credible, caring, and connected
Knight, J. (2016). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
Three steps to great coaching: A simple but powerful instructional coaching cycle nets results
Teach to win: Seven success factors for instructional coaching programs
Lesson in progress
Coaching at Work, 10(3), 35-37.
van Nieuwerburgh, C., Campbell, J., & Knight, J. (2015).
What you learn when you see yourself teach
Focus on teaching: Using video for high-impact instruction
Knight, J. (2014). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Improving instructional coaching to support middle school teachers in the United States
Educational design research – Part B: Introduction and illustrative cases (pp. 299-318). T. Plomp & N. Nievee (Eds.), Enschede, The Netherlands: SLO.
Bradley, B. A., Harvey, S., Knight, J., Hock, M., Skrtic, T. M., Deshler, D., Knight, D. S., & Brasseur-Hock, I. (2013).
Available Soon
High-impact instruction: A framework for great teaching
Knight, J. (2013). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Instructional coaching: A focus on practice
Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 5(2), 100-112.
Knight, J., & van Nieuwerburgh, C. (2012).
Record, replay, reflect: Videotaped lessons accelerate learning for teachers and coaches
Journal of Staff Development, 33(2), 18-23.
Knight, J., Bradley, B. A., Hock, M., Skrtic, T. A., Knight, D., Brasseur-Hock, I., … Hatton, C. (2012).
Unmistakable impact: A partnership approach for dramatically improving instruction
Technology, coaching, and community: Power partners for improved professional development
Paper presented at the annual conference and expo of the International Society for Technology in Education, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Beglau, M., Hare, J.C., Foltos, L., Gann, K., James, J., Jobe, H., Knight, J., Smith, B. (2011).
Coaches as system leaders
What good coaches do
Understanding attributes of effective coaches
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Denver, Colorado.
Knight, J., Cornett, J., Skrtic, T., Kennedy, M., Novosel, L., & Mitchell, B. (2010, April).
Available Soon
What can we do about teacher resistance?
Studying the impact of instructional coaching
Presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, California.
Cornett, J., & Knight, J. (2009).
Coaching: Approaches and perspectives
Research on coaching: An overview of the literature
In Knight, J. (2008). Coaching: Approaches and perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Cornett, J., & Knight, J. (2008).
Five key points to building a coaching program
Coaching classroom management
Sprick, R., Knight, J., Reinke, W., & McKale, T. (2006). Eugene, OR: Pacific Northwest Publishing.
Instructional coaching: Eight factors for realizing better classroom teaching
A primer on instructional coaches
Instructional coaches make progress through partnership: Intensive support can improve teaching
Michael Fullan: An interview
Stratenotes, 12(3).
Knight, J. (2003).
Available Soon
Crossing boundaries: What constructivists can teach intensive-explicit instructors and vice versa
Another damn thing we’ve got to do: Teacher perceptions of professional development
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Knight, J. (2000).
Partnership learning: Putting conversation at the heart of professional development
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, California.
Knight, J. (1999).
Partnership learning: Putting conversation at the heart of professional development
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montréal, Quebec.
Knight, J. (1999).
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Do schools have learning disabilities?
Learning consulting: Translating research into practice
Stratenotes. 7(1) 1-3.
Knight, J. (1998).
This paper, published in our University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning publication Stratenotes, offers some very preliminary thoughts about the instructional coach as a translator of research. It explores the questions: What is a translator? And, if “learning consultants” translate research into practice, what does that mean for what they do? This is the first document I published, my early notes on what coaching is and what coaches could do.
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Jim Knight
Instructional Coaching Group
Jim Knight, Senior Partner of ICG, is a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.