June 17, 2026
Contributing Author: Allyson Apsey, Director of Client Relations, Creative Leadership Solutions
Schools invest significant time and resources in professional learning, yet many educators still report that workshops and training sessions have limited impact on their daily practice. Coaching provides a research-supported approach for helping educators translate learning into action and sustain growth over time. According to a meta-analysis conducted by Wang, Lai, Xu, and McDowall (2022), coaching is one of the most effective ways to support professional growth and performance.
The researchers analyzed numerous workplace coaching studies and found that coaching positively impacts performance, goal attainment, self-efficacy, resilience, and overall well-being. Participants who engaged in coaching were more likely to achieve their goals, believe in their ability to succeed, and sustain growth over time.
One of the most important findings is that effective coaching is not about giving advice or providing answers. The strongest coaching approaches help individuals reflect on their practice, identify challenges, develop solutions, and take ownership of their growth. Coaching works because it develops the thinking of the learner rather than creating dependence on the coach.
The researchers also highlight the importance of psychological safety in coaching relationships. Coaching is most effective when individuals feel safe enough to acknowledge challenges, examine mistakes, and engage in honest reflection. Growth requires vulnerability, and vulnerability requires trust. When educators believe coaching conversations are designed to support rather than evaluate them, they are more likely to take risks and persist through the discomfort that often accompanies meaningful improvement.
For school leaders, these findings reinforce several key coaching practices:
- Focus on clear and meaningful goals.
- Use questioning and reflection to deepen thinking.
- Create trust and psychological safety while maintaining high expectations.
- Build self-efficacy and confidence.
- Promote ownership, accountability, and problem-solving.
The most impactful coaching conversations are not focused on evaluation. They are focused on growth. Skilled leaders create a balance of support and challenge, using evidence, questioning, reflection, and feedback to help educators discover their own next steps.
As schools seek to improve outcomes for students, coaching offers a research-based pathway for helping educators reflect, grow, and achieve meaningful results. When we shift from directing to developing, we create the conditions for lasting improvement.
Link to research article: https://www.emerald.com/jwam/article/14/1/77/254662
Reference:
Wang, Q., Lai, Y. L., Xu, X., & McDowall, A. (2022). The effectiveness of workplace coaching: A meta-analysis of contemporary psychologically informed coaching approaches. Journal of Work-Applied Management, 14(1), 77–101.
