Coaching as a means for enhancing English‐language teachers’ professional development: a case study

Abstract

This paper describes the use of coaching as a means to enhance professional development of English‐language teachers in a school involved in a partnership project in Hong Kong, which is characterised in terms of three phases. While the rationale for bringing in coaches into the school is on creating effective professional development environments for teachers—that is, providing ongoing supports and forming a community of practice focused on instructional methods, curriculum innovation, and new formats for instructional delivery—after 18 months of the partnership project it was found that the teacher/coach relationship is more complicated than expected. The paper will end with suggestions on how the three key stakeholders, namely the teachers, principal and teacher educators, can co‐construct effective professional development environments.

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Professor Andy Kirkpatrick of The Hong Kong Institute of Education for his insightful comments on earlier drafts of this article. His valuable suggestions have improved it in many aspects. All remaining errors, however, are the authors’ own.