Teacher and coach, side by side: Specifying the coaching structures and moves that support the learning of elementary mathematics teachers during instruction

This study aims to specify a new coaching activity, side-by-side coaching, that can leverage learning opportunities for improvisation in the mathematics classroom while preserving an inquiry-stance. This innovative structure has been shown to support teacher learning of ambitious teaching practice (Munson, 2018). By decomposing the coaching moves and structures used within side-by-side coaching, this study will make this coaching activity learnable by other coaches and add to our empirical understanding of how to effectively support the complex interaction changes called for in mathematics classrooms. Further, this study can contribute more broadly to the field’s understanding of teacher learning of ambitious practice, with side-by-side coaching as a site for examining the design of responsive PD.