Co-teaching as an opportunity for mentor teacher professional growth

Abstract

PurposeA growing body of research has pointed to the potential benefits of a co-teaching clinical residency model in preservice education. Preservice co-teaching research has focused primarily on conditions necessary for effective co-teaching to occur, factors that inhibit successful co-teaching implementation, and teacher candidate development. Researchers have called for further exploration into potential benefits of preservice co-teaching models for the mentor teacher. In this study, the authors explored ways in which mentor teachers who participated in a co-teaching pre-service program experienced professional growth.Design/methodology/approachIn order to gain insights into the perspectives of mentor teachers and ways in which they experienced professional growth through their experiences in the co-teaching program, the authors used a qualitative, descriptive approach. The authors’ primary data source included interviews conducted with 42 mentor teachers from five content-areas. Researcher communication and interactions with co-teachers over time, along with artifacts including field notes, co-teacher reflections on practice, and program documents, served as peripheral data sources.FindingsResults indicated that co-teachers experienced meaningful professional growth in areas represented by the following themes: (1) critical reflection, (2) pedagogical renewal, (3) in situ feedback and refining practice and (4) application of learning to leadership roles.Originality/valueThis study, which is one of only a few studies focusing explicitly on mentor co-teacher professional growth, provided new insights into learning opportunities afforded to mentor teachers through a participation in a blended model of co-teaching and communities of practice.

The positioning tensions between early career teachers’ and mentors’ perceptions of the mentor role

“…This tension is of considerable concern for two reasons. First, there is clear demonstration of the benefits of mentoring as co‐learning or co‐inquiry for both ECT and mentor (Gallo‐Fox & Scantlebury, 2016; Karathanos‐Aguilar & Ervin‐Kassab, 2022). Studies have reported mentors’ enhanced reflective practice (Gallo‐Fox & Scantlebury, 2016), pedagogical renewal (Karathanos‐Aguilar & Ervin‐Kassab, 2022) and retention and well‐being (Hollweck, 2019).…”

“…First, there is clear demonstration of the benefits of mentoring as co‐learning or co‐inquiry for both ECT and mentor (Gallo‐Fox & Scantlebury, 2016; Karathanos‐Aguilar & Ervin‐Kassab, 2022). Studies have reported mentors’ enhanced reflective practice (Gallo‐Fox & Scantlebury, 2016), pedagogical renewal (Karathanos‐Aguilar & Ervin‐Kassab, 2022) and retention and well‐being (Hollweck, 2019). Such a mutual approach to mentoring has also reported benefits for the ECT, with opportunities for identity transformation, critical reflection and expanding pedagogical expertise (Stanulis et al., 2019).…”