Research on Cognitive CoachingSM has been conducted since 1988. Training Associate Jenny Edwards, PhD, has synthesized over 80 studies and has offered 10 outcomes as a result of the research. This annotated bibliography can be downloaded at http://www.thinkingcollaborative.com/cognitive-coachingsm-synthesis-research/. During the month of November, we will look at studies behind several of the 10 outcomes.

Outcome #1 – Cognitive CoachingSM was linked with increased student test scores and other benefits for students.

Irons (2014) explored the impact of training in asking mediative questions (Costa & Garmston, 2002) and coaching with a trained Cognitive Coach for 10 weeks on the questions that one middle school teacher and five mentors asked their students. Irons found that the participants valued receiving coaching on how they were applying what they learned in the seminar; moved from asking closed-ended questions to asking open-ended questions; indicated that the structure of Cognitive CoachingSM gave both students and the teachers more “space” to think of an answer and slowed down the pace of classroom interactions; talked about how they had learned and grown as a result of the seminar; and indicated that their students were learning in the same areas that they were learning. In addition, they had implemented the elements of mediative questions into their practice.

Outcome #2 – Teachers grew in efficacy.

Student teachers who received mentoring during a semester from Clinical Faculty who were trained in Cognitive CoachingSM grew more in teaching efficacy than did teachers who received mentoring from Clinical Teachers who were not trained in Cognitive CoachingSM. Formative assessment and the language of support were most important in helping them grow in efficacy. Mutual trust, positive relationships, and formal feedback were also important in their growth (Maginnis, 2009).