Mutual Mindsets: The Hassles and Hopes of Co-teaching in Teacher Preparation

Abstract

<jats:p>Isolation between academic fields is an unfortunate reality in higher education and teacher education. Whereas current educational reforms invoke a need to collaborate, faculty are often unsure of how to design collaborative experiences. Research argues for the use of co-teaching to engage teacher candidates in beneficial learning experiences where instructors model the collaborative practices desired in those candidates. Additionally, the use of co-teaching in rural settings is shown to address some of the challenges associated with rural teacher preparation. With the hesitancy of many in higher education to engage in co-teaching in teacher preparation, it is crucial that those who do co-teach share the design, implementation, and perceptions of the process with others. This article presents the design, implementation, and reflections of students and teacher preparation faculty: one content methods instructor and one content literacy instructor. The authors present the hassles and hopes of using co-teaching in teacher preparation in rural regions to enhance course content and collaboration among teacher candidates.</jats:p>

Co-teaching in Teacher Preparation: Programmatic Priorities, Promising Practices, and Potential Pitfalls

“…Whether instructors provide joint feedback on an assignment or informal feedback in class, different voices built in as supports allow pre-service teachers to grow professionally (Burns & Mintzberg, 2019). Guidry and Howard (2019) discussed the potential impact of co-teaching on both student-teacher relationships and student relationships to content. Further, Wehunt and Weatherford (2014) found that co-teaching in higher education helps students and instructors develop mutual respect, leading to increased engagement.…”

“…Wilson and Ferguson (2017) advocated that having two experts to engage with allows students to feel more comfortable asking hard questions and taking risks. Additionally, connections between concepts can be made explicit, and information can be presented in multiple ways, leading to lasting retention and skill-building (Guidry & Howard, 2019). Various studies show that presenting material in multiple ways is beneficial from the instructors' perspective (Morelock et al, 2017;Wehunt & Weatherford, 2014).…”

“…These concerns could be reduced by adopting models that combine content across multiple courses. Guidry and Howard (2019) found success when blending content from intentionally combined courses, which allows faculty members to be associated with an individual course while simultaneously team teaching.…”

“…When merging content, selecting appropriate courses can also be a challenge. Guidry and Howard (2019) found that merging literacy methods with content areas like social studies was successful when coupled with purposeful planning on developing assessments, syllabi, and field experiences. Massey and Strong (2023) called for teacher preparation programs to engage in reflective and innovative practices to attract and maintain diverse teacher candidates.…”