An Exploratory Study of the Process of Coaching Early Head Start Home Visitors
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An Exploratory Study of the Process of Coaching Early Head Start Home Visitors Bridget A. Walsh1 · Rose Steffen1 · Patricia H. Manz2 · Mark S. Innocenti3 Accepted: 1 October 2020 © Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract The Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) have mandated that Early Head Start (EHS) programs implement coaching experiences for education staff (§ 1302.93, ACF 2016). Therefore, coaching in EHS with the home visitor-ascoachee warrants further attention. Despite multiple calls for coaching home visitors, there remains a lack of research on the delivery of coaching. In this study, five home visitors from one Early Head Start-Home-Based Option (EHS-HBO) site participated in coaching. All participants each completed seven (and one participant completed eight) individualized coaching sessions across 4 months for a total of 36 coaching sessions. Of these, 15 sessions were analyzed (beginning, middle, and end sessions for each home visitor). Guided by transformative learning theory and coaching phases in the extant literature, the aim of this study was to examine the processes that took place within individual sessions and across time. Results show that home visitors accomplished their goals and that there were variations within processes, including reflective thinking, questioning, and supportive talk. Keywords Early Head Start · Coaching · Home visitors · Delivery
Introduction The Early Head Start Home-Based Option (EHS-HBO) serves low-income pregnant women and families with children from birth to 3 years old by providing weekly home visits and bi-monthly group socialization (HomVEE 2018). Home visiting links parents and expectant parents with a professional who can help provide tailored support of parenting and family well-being (Roggman et al. 2016) without financial cost to families (National Home Visiting Resource Center 2018). EHS home visitors need ongoing professional development to support myriad families’ strengths and needs and help evidence-based programs achieve outcomes (West et al. 2018). Home visitors’ work can be rewarding as well as physically and emotionally demanding (West et al. 2018).
* Bridget A. Walsh [email protected] 1
Human Development and Family Science, University of Nevada, Reno, 0140, Reno, NV 89557‑0140, USA
2
School Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
3
Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
Home visitors need job support to promote their own well-being (Nathans et al. 2019; West et al. 2018). Individualized support like coaching can promote high quality practice (Innocenti and Roggman 2018; Maxwell and Supplee 2018; Peterson et al. 2018; Walsh et al. 2020a, b). Coaching home visitors is a form of individualized professional development intended to foster home visitors’ goal setting abilities (Walsh et al. 2020b). Coaching is thought to contribute to home visiting outcomes (see Sandstrom et al. 2020), yet little is known about coaching processes and quality (Schultz et al. 2018). The coaching of ho
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