Date of Award
2026
Degree Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education
Committee Chair
David G. Title, Ed.D.
2nd Reader
Darcy Ronan, Ph.D.
3rd Reader
Shalyn Kastanis, Ed.D.
Abstract
This mixed-methods Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice examined the impact of a six-week mathematics-focused instructional coaching intervention on student achievement, teacher practice, and teacher mindset in the middle schools of a small urban district. Guided by the Tennessee Coaching Project and Institute for Learning (TN-IFL) coaching model and the Mathematical Quality of Instruction (MQI) rubric, the intervention supported three mathematics teachers across six cycles, including pre-lesson planning, classroom observation, and postintervention feedback conferences. The researcher compared student achievement and instructional practices of coached teachers with those of eight non-coached peers across Grades 6–8. Quantitative data included weekly district quizzes, mindset survey scores, and MQI ratings across four indicators aligned with student-centered instruction and growth-mindset principles. Qualitative data included classroom transcripts, coaching notes, and teacher interviews. Findings showed statistically significant growth among coached teachers in student-centered instructional practices, including attending to and remediating student difficulties, facilitating mathematical discourse, and leveraging student thinking to advance learning. Mindset surveys indicated meaningful growth in the mathematical mindsets of coached teachers. Qualitative evidence
highlighted how instructional coaching strengthened teacher confidence and expanded instructional capacity for conceptual, student-centered lessons. Student achievement trends showed overall improvement for students of coached teachers, with those taught by two of the three coached teachers outperforming students taught by comparable non-coached teachers. Teachers credited the coaching cycles for driving meaningful instructional shifts. Study findings informed recommendations to strengthen mathematics-specific coaching structures and to broaden student-centered instructional practices across the district, ensuring consistent, equitable access to high-quality mathematics learning. The results offer a clear, actionable path to sustain improvement, expand coaching structures, and cultivate a districtwide culture in which students’ mathematical thinking informs teaching and learning.
Recommended Citation
LaFreniere, O. T. (2026). Developing teacher leaders: The impact of instructional coaching on middle school math teachers’ mindsets, instructional strategies, and student outcomes [Doctoral dissertation, Sacred Heart University]. https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/edd/75/
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Comments
Presented to the Faculty of Sacred Heart University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education