When Coaching Crosses Cultures

As we move into yet another new year, instructional coaching remains a key area of research and study pertinent to international schools. This series, which began with an exploration of the question, Who Are Instructional Coaches?, aimed to build upon the Association for the Advancement of Instructional Coaching in International Schools’ (AAICIS) inaugural landscape survey, released in 2025, which shed light on the potential and challenges of instructional coaching in international settings. Results of the survey urged deeper study, which AAICIS engaged in through various focus groups of both administrators and instructional coaches in international school settings where instructional coaching is taking place. Part 1, linked earlier, revealed the highly variable roles coaches embrace with Part 2, Barriers and Bridges: Navigating Coaching Challenges, sharing more about what helps instructional coaches succeed and what hinders their work.

In Part 3 of this series, we will look at the inherent diversity of international schools as well as the unique multicultural environments in which instructional coaches function. We address two specific questions asked of our focus group participants: 

1. How does the diversity within your international school influence the approach to instructional coaching? 
2. What unique challenges do the coaches at your school face when implementing coaching practices in a multicultural environment?

Diversity Shapes Approach

Across both instructional coaches and administrator focus group participants, persistent themes surfaced around the diversity inherent in international schools and how it shapes the approach to instructional coaching. To best support the growth of all educators within a school, our focus group members consistently reflected that instructional coaching required highly personalized, adaptable, and culturally sensitive strategies. 

This need for cultural sensitivity aligns closely with established definitions of global competence. The PISA 2018 Global Competence Assessment, created by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), defines global competence for students as “a multi-dimensional construct that requires a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values successfully applied to global issues or intercultural situations…Intercultural situations refer to face-to-face, virtual or mediated encounters with people who are perceived to be from a different cultural background.” While the assessment is designed for students, one cannot ignore that these are essential skills for adults, too. 

Coaching in a multicultural environment, such as an international school, would fall into the category of an “intercultural situation.” Building on this definition, the core elements of trust and relationship-building become even more essential in diverse contexts where coaches acknowledge teachers' past coaching experiences and avoid rigid models. This level of awareness works to allow coaches to position themselves as supportive partners rather than evaluative figures. One participant noted, "Finding out where a person's been before here can help me look out for things that might come their way or things that they might face as a result of being in a new environment." In acknowledgement of the differing faculty types, it was evident that culturally responsive practices extend beyond foreign hires, as coaches must recognize diversity within all differentiated groups. Another participant shared that, "Often diversity is flattened to foreign hires and local hires, but in fact, our local hires are culturally diverse in a very significant way." This further illuminates the fact that diversity extends beyond nationality or expatriate status.  Avoiding binary categories is essential, allowing for greater development of trust and tailored support.

Moreover, tailored strategies prove essential, since what works for one teacher may not suit another. Another instructional coach participant shared, "I do a lot of cultural code switching ... switching languages, switching mannerisms, switching body language." This level of awareness that coaches must maintain is both significant and important to consider.

Multicultural Environments - Interconnected Challenges

Diversity within international schools is often inherent, especially as each environment is uniquely multicultural. This demands nuanced coaching approaches that account for varied cultural lenses on feedback, communication, and equity. Focus group participants, both administrators and coaches themselves, emphasized adopting strategies to address these interconnected challenges.

Cultural backgrounds significantly influence how feedback is received and processed. In her book The Culture Map (2016), Erin Meyer offers a tool for international teams to reflect on their ways of being along 8 different scales. “Evaluating” is the element that is concerned with feedback: generally speaking, is your cultural preference for direct or indirect feedback? Focus group participants stressed the value of this awareness, noting that the cultural background of coachees impacted their feedback exchanges. Discerning these preferences through relationship-building conversations was highlighted as valuable. 

Language diversity, closely tied to cultural background, also extends to these coach-coachee interactions. One participant stated, “Language is definitely a barrier,” while another indicated that having a full understanding of the language of the coachee isn’t always achievable by the coach, which has an impact on the coaching dynamic. Bridging these linguistic gaps to make feedback accessible is even more important and worthy of consideration.

Furthermore, focus group participant responses surfaced an issue of perceptions of unequal support. One participant stated, “Local faculty can frequently feel like the school cares more for foreign hire teachers than they do for locals.” Personalized growth opportunities characteristic of instructional coaching must clearly transcend hire status, in perception and reality.

What Schools Can Do

What surfaced in these questions echoes findings from our prior focus group report on barriers and bridges. Instructional coaching is always context-specific, and each international setting carries unique challenges that require open discussion. Schools can foster success by prioritizing clarity in coaching roles while embracing dynamic, responsive practices that honor cultural nuances and build inclusive support systems. Through intentional adaptation and their own self-awareness, coaches can transform diversity from a hurdle into a strength, advancing job-embedded growth for all educators in global contexts.

References

Benedict, J., Moreland, K., Olson-Wyman, S., Cofino, K., & Killion, J. (2025). The landscape of instructional coaching in international schools. In M. Barker & L. Hammer (Eds.), Issues and Trends in International School Leadership (pp. 1-36). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-4342-5.ch001

Meyer, E. (2016). The culture map. PublicAffairs.