Enhancing Preservice Special Education Teachers' Reading Fluency Instruction Through Hybrid Coaching: A Single-Case Design Study.
Hybrid coaching—script plus live Zoom feedback—gets new special-ed teachers to perfect reading-lesson fidelity and lifts student fluency 20-50 words per minute.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Çakıroğlu et al. (2026) worked with new special-education teachers who were still in college.
The teachers learned to run fast-paced reading lessons for middle-schoolers with intellectual disability.
Coaches gave each teacher a script, watched lessons live on Zoom, and sent quick feedback emails.
The study used a multiple-baseline design across teachers to see if the coaching package worked.
What they found
Every teacher hit 100% accuracy on the reading lesson steps after only a few coaching rounds.
Their students read 20-50 more correct words per minute by the end of the study.
Both scores stayed high when coaches stepped back, showing the teachers really learned the skill.
How this fits with other research
Penney et al. (2019) saw the same jump in fidelity when they added one-on-one coaching for parents doing imitation training at home.
HMelegari et al. (2025) stretched coaching into rural schools and still lifted PBIS fidelity; Orhan shows the idea also works for single preservice teachers teaching reading.
Levin et al. (2014) used a computer program to reach high DTI fidelity in two hours without any live coach.
The two studies seem to clash—one says live coaching is key, the other says a computer is enough.
The gap closes when you look at the task: computer training works for simple one-to-one DTI steps, while Orhan’s live coaching handles the faster, messier flow of group reading fluency lessons.
Why it matters
If you train new staff, add brief, structured coaching instead of just handing them a manual.
Use a checklist, watch real lessons, and give quick feedback; you can hit 100% fidelity fast and see student gains the same month.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Pick one new teacher, give them the reading-lesson script, watch the next lesson on Zoom, and email two praise points plus one fix before lunch.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
PURPOSE: 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. METHODS: 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: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026 · doi:10.15390/ES.2013.1165