According to Richardson (1990), teachers change their practices continuously; however, those changes are often irrational and unfocused. Teacher change is complex, looks different from teacher to teacher, and may not be easily identified or reported by those who observe teachers‚ practices. During this interpretive qualitative study, the researchers are using interviews, observations, and document analysis to create and iteratively refine a survey that consistently produces detailed descriptions of teachers‚ changes.
 
The goals of this study include understanding how a small group of mathematics coaches describe teachers‚ changes, categorize the changes identified, and generate a common approach for describing these changes. Thick descriptions of mathematics teachers‚ practical changes are needed to articulate the effectiveness of coaching. In this time of limited funding, evidence is required to justify coaching as an effective professional learning practice, and the results of this study may be helpful to that end.

Richardson, V. (1990). Significant and worthwhile change in teaching practice. Educational Researcher, 19(7), 10-18.