There are several approaches which are mentoring, coaching, and supervision to support pre-service teachers (PSTs) during the field experience (Lawson et al., 2015). Alternately, the literature has utilized the terms mentoring, coaching, and supervision (Ambrosetti et al., 2014). The approaches to mentoring and coaching for PSTs differ in terms of their objectives and the specific areas of support they aim to provide (Orland-Barak, 2014). Coaching usually focuses more on goals and less on sharing personal experiences or offering advice. Subsequently, in certain areas of the educational context, the adoption of an enhanced coaching framework has significantly increased (O'Bree, 2008). Several coaching techniques have been developed to provide PSTs with instructional help throughout their school-based practicum experience (Becker et al., 2019).  Coaching draws upon sociocultural theory by framing learning as a socially mediated and interaction-driven process. In this theory, Vygotsky (1978) acknowledged that learning is mostly the outcome of the novice's interactions with the social and cultural background in addition to what the more experienced person contributes to them. According to this theory, individuals can create knowledge by interacting with one another. Collaborative conversations help people build their own viewpoints and serve as role models for others within the context of coaching (Dale, 1994). 

In the 1990s, a review of studies on coaching revealed that there were two primary types of coaching such as, expert peer coaching and reciprocal peer coaching (Ackland, 1991; Lu, 2010). In reciprocal peer coaching (RPC), peers develop non-hierarchical relationships by disclosing their professional strengths and shortcomings (Cox, 2012). RPC allows coaches to adopt a more cooperative approach in contrast to receiving feedback from an authoritative figure (Ladyshewsky & Ryan, 2002). Bailey (2006) asserts that feedback enhances teacher awareness, hence promoting positive adjustments in their instructional behaviour. According to Britton and Anderson (2010), one of the most important aspects of peer coaching is the facilitation of professional dialogues among peers. These dialogues generate opportunities for reflection, that subsequently aids peers in reconsidering their experiences from a variety of perspectives. Similarly, coaching has shown beneficial effects in encouraging teachers to embrace new viewpoints, develop insights through shared experiences and engage in self-reflective learning (Zwart et al., 2009). As a result, it has been used in pre-service teacher education since the early 1980s after researchers became intrigued by the benefits it provided for in-service professional growth (Lu, 2009; McAllister & Neubert, 1995). 

This study contributes to improving the teacher education literature by clarifying how teacher candidates interpret their teaching experiences within reciprocal peer coaching approaches and how reflective teacher learning is dynamically fostered. The purpose of this study is to examine the emerging patterns of coaching dialogues within reciprocal peer coaching cycles carried out by teacher candidates during faculty-based microteaching and to reveal how peer coaching interactions contribute to reflective teacher learning. Consequently, the study aims to qualitatively analyze PSTs focus on during pre- conference and post-conference, how they provided feedback to each other, and what kinds of changes were observed in reflective patterns throughout coaching cycles. The following research questions are examined: 

(1)  What types of feedback moves do pre-service teachers use during pre-conference and post-conference dialogues in RPC cycles?

(2)  How do these dialogues facilitate pre-service teachers’ reflective sense-making across coaching cycles?

This research is structured as a qualitative case study utilizing several data sources. The scope of this case study is bounded by 10 senior year chemistry pre-service teachers at a well-known Turkish state university, focusing on two peer coaching cycles scheduled between March and June 2026 at the faculty. The research focuses on examining the structured peer coaching cycles that PSTs engage in during faculty-based teaching practices (micro-teaching). The participants were chosen via criterion sampling, which is one of the purposive sampling strategies. All participants have successfully completed the chemistry teaching method courses and other required courses to take this course. The implementation process will consist of three stages. In the first stage, all participants will attend a four-hour peer coaching training session designed to support the basic principles of peer coaching cycle, observation process, and reflection. In the second stage, each PSTs in the study will conduct 2 micro-teachings as part of the course These micro-teachings will be recorded on video with the students' permission so that they can benefit from them when writing their reflections. In the third stage, after each micro-teaching session, PSTs will implement a structured coaching cycle with their peers. Each cycle will consist of four steps: pre-conference, semi- structured observation protocol, post-conference, and reflection. In line with this structure, each PST will participate in the coaching cycle twice, based on micro-teaching experiences conducted approximately six weeks apart in semester. The process of collecting data will make use of three primary sources (i) audio recordings of pre- and post-conference, (ii) video recordings of PSTs’ micro-teachings, and (iii) written reflection that PSTs will create by watching their own micro-teaching. The coaching sessions will qualitatively analyze participants' feedback moves and their written reflections. The qualitative analysis will focus on student perceptions and reinterpretations of their teaching experiences using reflections. The data will be thematically analyzed using a move-based coding approach in order to identify feedback moves and reflective sense-making patterns over coaching cycles. Triangulation will be ensured by collecting data gathered from many sources such as written reflections, microteachings video-recordings, and pre-/post-conferences. Additionally, an independent researcher will do double-coding of selected transcripts to ensure trustworthiness.

This study is expected to reveal detailed patterns regarding the structure of feedback moves demonstrated by PSTs in coaching dialogues throughout RPC cycles and how these moves support their reflective teacher learning. Firstly, following the training to be provided, PSTs will become familiar with peer coaching approach, conducting systematic observations, providing non-evaluative feedback, and asking reflective questions. It is plausible that PSTs will offer more generic and superficial feedback in the initial cycle; in the subsequent cycle, they will exhibit more detailed, inquisitive, and pedagogically oriented feedback moves. The anticipated six-week period between cycles is supposed to foster a developmental distinction by affording PSTs the requisite reflection time to assimilate initial feedback and integrate it into the subsequent microteaching. Secondly, it is expected that PSTs are going to focus on instructional objectives, teaching strategies, and possible difficulties during pre-conference sessions; whereas in post-conference sessions, they will assess more tangible teaching instances such as lesson execution, classroom engagement, time management, clarity of explanations, and student feedback. Furthermore, it is predicted that the feedback moves that are utilized in coaching dialogues will appear in a variety of forms, including statements that are supported by evidence, suggestions, statements that are supportive, and reflective questions. These actions are expected to occur sequentially, so enabling PSTs to rationalize their pedagogical choices, evaluate their own teaching practices and explore alternate methodologies. By watching their own microteaching, they might be able to provide more evidence-grounded justifications for their evaluations, rather than relying solely on verbal. That is, it is considered that video-based written reflections will be beneficial to increase reflective interpretation in coaching dialogues. This is because they will enable PSTs to revisit teaching moments that they did not notice while they were in class.

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