Research

Over 25 Years of Research

For more than two decades, Jim Knight and his colleagues at The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning and the Instructional Coaching Group have been studying instructional coaching, communication, and other forms of professional development.

“In the early years, our work was about finding our way, finding names for what we did, grabbing what data we could to support what we were doing, and trying to get better at coaching every day. Over time, our instructional coaching model and our methodologies have improved.”

This page has been created to tell the story of instructional coaching through the research we have conducted.

Statement of Conflict of Interest

All Published Research

01 Why teacher autonomy is central to coaching success
To foster improvement and responsible accountability, instructional coaches must honor teachers' choices and discretion.

Educational Leadership. 77(3), 14-20. Knight, J. (2019).
02 Instructional coaching for implementing Visible Learning: A model for translating research into practice
Education Sciences. 9(2), 101. Knight, J. (2019).
03 Escape from the zero-learning zone
Educational Leadership. 76(3), 20-26. Knight, J. (2018).
04 Evaluation of video-based instructional coaching for middle school teachers: Evidence from a multiple-baseline study.
The Educational Forum. 76(1), 50-51. Knight, D. S., Hock, M., Skrtic, T., Bradley, B., & Knight, J. (2018).
05 A coaching model for classroom management
Educational Leadership, 76: 50-51. Knight, J. (2018).
06 Involving teachers in school-wide behavior policy
Educational Leadership, 76(1), 48-53. Sprick, R., & Knight, J. (2018).
07 The impact cycle: What instructional coaches should do to foster powerful improvements in teaching
Knight, J. (2017). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
08 Designing instructional coaching
Instructional-design theories and models: A learner-centered paradigm of education, volume IV (pp. 269-286). C. M. Reigeluth, B. J. Beatty, & R. D. Myers (Eds.), New York, NY: Routledge. Knight, D. S., Hock, M., & Knight, J. (2016).
09 Better conversations: Coaching ourselves to be more credible, caring, and connected
Knight, J. (2016). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
10 Three steps to great coaching: A simple but powerful instructional coaching cycle nets results
Journal of Staff Development, 36(1), 10-18. Knight, J. (2015).
11 Teach to win: Seven success factors for instructional coaching programs
Principal Leadership, 15(7), 24-27. Knight, J. (2015).
12 Lesson in progress
Coaching at Work, 10(3), 35-37. van Nieuwerburgh, C., Campbell, J., & Knight, J. (2015).
13 What you learn when you see yourself teach
Educational Leadership, 71(8), 18-23. Knight, J. (2014).
14 Focus on teaching: Using video for high-impact instruction
Knight, J. (2014). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
15 High-impact instruction: A framework for great teaching
Knight, J. (2013). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
16 Instructional coaching: A focus on practice
Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 5(2), 100-112. Knight, J., & van Nieuwerburgh, C. (2012).
17 Record, replay, reflect: Videotaped lessons accelerate learning for teachers and coaches
Journal of Staff Development, 33(2), 18-23. Knight, J., Bradley, B. A., Hock, M., Skrtic, T. A., Knight, D., Brasseur-Hock, I., … Hatton, C. (2012).
18 Unmistakable impact: A partnership approach for dramatically improving instruction
Knight, J. (2011). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
19 Technology, coaching, and community: Power partners for improved professional development
Paper presented at the annual conference and expo of the International Society for Technology in Education, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Beglau, M., Hare, J.C., Foltos, L., Gann, K., James, J., Jobe, H., Knight, J., Smith, B. (2011).
20 Coaches as system leaders
Educational Leadership, 69(2),18-22. Fullan, M., & Jim Knight, J. (2011).
21 What good coaches do
Educational Leadership, 69(2), 18-22. Knight, J. (2011).
22 What can we do about teacher resistance?
Phi Delta Kappan, 7(90), 508-513. Knight, J. (2009).
23 Studying the impact of instructional coaching
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, California. Cornett, J., & Knight, J. (2009).
24 Coaching: Approaches and perspectives
Knight, J. (2008). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
25 Research on coaching: An overview of the literature
In Knight, J. (2008). Coaching: Approaches and perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Cornett, J., & Knight, J. (2008).
26 Five key points to building a coaching program
Journal of Staff Development, 28(1), 26-31. Knight, J. (2007).
27 Coaching classroom management
Sprick, R., Knight, J., Reinke, W., & McKale, T. (2006). Eugene, OR: Pacific Northwest Publishing.
28 Instructional coaching: Eight factors for realizing better classroom teaching
The School Administrator, 63(4), 36-40. Knight, J. (2006).
29 A primer on instructional coaches
Principal Leadership, 5(9), 16- 21. Knight, J. (2005).
30 Instructional coaches make progress through partnership: Intensive support can improve teaching
Journal of Staff Development, 25(2), 32-37. Knight, J. (2004).
31 Crossing boundaries: What constructivists can teach intensive-explicit instructors and vice versa
Knight, J. (2002).
32 Another damn thing we’ve got to do: Teacher perceptions of professional development
Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, Louisiana. Knight, J. (2000).
33 Partnership learning: Putting conversation at the heart of professional development
In this study, presented at The American Educational Research Association, and also the research for his dissertation, Jim Knight proposed seven principles that together represent a partnership approach to interaction.

Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montréal, Quebec. Knight, J. (1999).
34 Do schools have learning disabilities?
Knight, J. (1998).
35 Learning consulting: Translating research into practice
This paper offers some very preliminary thoughts about the instructional coach as a translator of research.

Stratenotes. 7(1) 1-3. Knight, J. (1998).