Enhancing Preservice Special Education Teachers' Reading Fluency Instruction Through Hybrid Coaching: A Single-Case...

Coaching, which integrates structured guidance with systematic performance feedback, is increasingly used to enhance the instructional competencies of preservice teachers. Despite its growing application, limited research has investigated its direct impact on instructional fidelity and student reading outcomes. This study examines the effects of hybrid coaching on preservice special education teachers' instructional accuracy and students' reading fluency.

Using a single-case multiple probe design, four preservice special education teachers and four middle school students with intellectual disabilities participated in an intervention that incorporated structured coaching, systematic feedback, and fluency-based reading instruction. Data were collected through direct observation, implementation checklists, and reading fluency assessments. Visual analysis and Tau-U effect size calculations were used to assess the intervention's effectiveness.

Results indicated a substantial improvement in instructional accuracy among preservice teachers, reaching and sustaining 100% across three consecutive probe sessions. In parallel, students demonstrated significant increases in reading fluency, with correct words per minute (CWPM) scores improving by 20-50%. Social validity data highlighted high levels of satisfaction, with preservice teachers reporting increased confidence and instructional proficiency.

The intervention's effectiveness was most pronounced in structured coaching, while shared variance across all coaching components contributed significantly to both teacher and student outcomes. Findings reinforce the potential of hybrid coaching as a generalizable and sustainable approach for strengthening instructional fidelity and improving reading fluency outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities.