Pedagogical coaches in childcare: opening the black box between input and output

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lately, pedagogical coaches have been deployed in childcare as a form of continuous professional development (CPD) with the aim of improving the quality of childcare. While we have a clear understanding of what coaching should involve to be effective and how it improves the learning outcomes of young children, research has failed to capture the perspectives of the actors involved, such as pedagogical coaches, childcare managers and practitioners. These perspectives are important as policies alone are insufficient to bring about changes in practice. This paper captures the lifeworld of these actors of change by means of qualitative research in Flanders. Our results show that (i) a clear pedagogical framework within which pedagogical coaches work and within which the relationships between the different professional roles are defined is of crucial importance, (ii) to be effective in practice, pedagogical coaches need to value and respect childcare workers in what they do. In that sense, it is important to create horizontal relationships, rather than vertical ones and (iii) that systemic conditions impact the effectivity of the coaching. The deployment of pedagogical coaches should therefore be embedded in a systemic educational culture where the best interest of children is paramount.