Qualitative DesignAccording to Creswell, a case study is when “the researcher explores in depth a [case which can be a] program, event, activity, process, or one or more individuals” (Creswell, 2003, p.15). According to Stake (1995) and Yin (2003), there are at least three criteria that make case studies an excellent approach: these include answering the questions of how and why, when the researcher intends to be integrated into the context and when the activities studied they are current, not historical. The research questions proposed for this study meet all three criteria. This research design includes the case study of four third grade teachers who were assigned to a “residency” with a literacy coach. This multi-case study approach will provide the researcher with information about coaching relationships from multiple sources. This approach will allow conclusions to be drawn about the strategies, structures, systems, and behaviors that exist when coaches effectively support the teachers they are assigned to. Furthermore, using the same methodological approach with four different groups of teachers and coaches in four different schools will strengthen the results (Bailey 2007; Yin 2003). A variety of data sources will be used to inform the research question, including teacher interviews, literacy coach interviews, observations of planning sessions, observations of co-teaching sessions, observations of other coaching activities, and literature reviews of coaching. According to Yin (2006), all these collection techniques are traditionally used in a case study approach. In an effort to improve the validity of this study, data sources will be triangulated. Data triangulation is a technique that involves qualitative research... middle of paper... specific protocols will be provided and each team will have the opportunity to experiment with them to find the protocol that best meets their needs. Additionally, participants will have the freedom to modify any protocol to suit their needs if necessary. Works Cited Bailey, C. A. (2007). A guide to qualitative field research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc. Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2000). Educational research: quantitative and qualitative approaches. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Stake, R. (1995). The art of case research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.Yin, R. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.