Reframing Professional Learning Through Peer Coaching: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Teachers’ Experiences in a Schools-Based Pilot

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Advanced Research in Education, Teaching and Learning

Year: 2026

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Reframing Professional Learning Through Peer Coaching: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Teachers’ Experiences in a Schools-Based Pilot

Dr. Joseph Moynihan, Coran Swayne

ABSTRACT:

This research reports on an innovative pilot project introducing peer coaching for educators in Irish primary and post-primary schools. International research suggests that peer coaching can nurture professional learning communities (PLC), support professional development, and strengthen collaborative practice. Building on these principles, the study examines peer coaching as a structured approach to deepening professional interconnectedness among teachers within the Irish education system. Participating teachers in the pilot phase received training in core coaching competencies and subsequently engaged in cycles of collaborative practice, including classroom observation, pre- and post-lesson professional dialogue using a coaching approach, and structured reflection on learning and teaching. The project adopted a qualitative action research design, collecting data over an 18-month period through surveys, in-depth semi-structured interviews, and focus groups at multiple stages of implementation. Findings revealed key themes including: the reframing of teacher professional identity; the importance of coaching as both a pedagogical and professional skillset; the role of trust, collegiality, and the emotional texture of the coaching relationship; impact on teacher performance and, in turn, student learning; and the importance of key conditions for sustainability, most notably time, leadership, and culture. The project informed the construction of a culturally responsive, scalable model of peer coaching entitled PairED Coaching™, tailored to the Irish context while offering transferability to other systems. The study surfaced longstanding teacher reticence toward collaboration, examining how sustained school-based professional learning supports individual growth, organisational development, and student outcomes. Ultimately, the research positions peer coaching as a sustainable mechanism for re-imagining professional learning and advancing school effectiveness.

Keywords: Coaching; Culture; Collaboration; Sustainability; Professional-Learning