Partnership Instructional Coaching and Biography-driven Instruction: Enhancing EFL Teacher Effectiveness

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of Partnership Instructional Coaching (PIC) combined with Biography-Driven Instruction (BDI) on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ practices and third-grade emergent bilinguals’ language proficiency in Ecuador. Involving six EFL teachers and 178 students across four private schools, the study used pre- and post-tests (Pre-A1 Starters) to measure proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The coached group (PIC+BDI) showed a 20% greater improvement in speaking and 15% in vocabulary compared to the BDI-only group, with a significant interaction effect (F(1,80)=39.22, p<.001, ηp²=0.33). BDI, leveraging teachers’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds, proved effective, with coaching amplifying outcomes through targeted feedback. This suggests PIC+BDI is a robust approach for EFL contexts, particularly when tailored to teachers’ biographies.