Coaching as an instructional strategy for special education teachers: Evaluating the rigour and quality of the literature

Abstract Special education teachers receive professional development training that rarely includes the use of coaching. Coaching is essential as it provides teachers with specific strategies and feedback to enhance their skillset. Thus, the aim of this systematic literature review was to identify single‐case research design studies that evaluated coaching of special education teachers. Studies were assessed for rigour and quality using the Single Case Analysis and Review Framework (SCARF), to identify commonly used coaching components, assess coaching effectiveness through improvement rate difference (IRD) calculations, and identify research gaps. Using a multifaceted search procedure, 14 studies were included. Findings indicated that most studies had low SCARF rigour scores, high SCARF quality and breadth of measurement scores (Q‐BM) and high IRD scores. Common coaching components included an initial presentation, practice of the skill and provision of feedback. Practical implications and future research directions are also reported.