Team Teaching / Timsko poučavanje

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to present team teaching (TT) as a form of instruction recommended for use in the English language classrooms in Croatia and to investigate attitudes of future English language teachers towards TT. We combined two types of data collection techniques. First, we used a questionnaire to investigate the opinions of Austrian (N=33) and Croatian (N=30) students, future English language teachers, on TT. The Austrian participants had rather extensive experience with TT, while the Croatian participants had much less or no experience with TT as it is described in this paper. Second, a semi-structured interview was carried out with an Austrian TT expert enquiring about various aspects of TT. The results confirmed very positive attitudes of both Austrian and Croatian future English language teachers towards TT. The participants pointed out some benefits of TT for teachers and pupils; they thought that, as future English teachers, they already possessed most of the necessary competences for TT and stated that TT should be regularly used in formal education. As a conclusion, we suggest that TT be (more) used in the English language classroom in Croatia.Key words: Austria; Croatia; English language; future teachersCilj ovoga istraživanja bio je istražiti neke pozitivne i negativne aspekte timskoga poučavanja (TP) te predstaviti TP kao preporučen oblik poučavanja u nastavi engleskog jezika u Hrvatskoj. U TP dva ili više učitelja zajedno planiraju nastavni sat, provode ga te se na njega kritički osvrću. Ovaj oblik poučavanja smatra se iznimno korisnim u radu s različitim profilima učenika jer naglašava individualizirani pristup svakome učeniku, a osobito je koristan u poučavanju učenika s posebnim potrebama. U ovome istraživanju kombinirali smo dvije vrste prikupljanja podataka te smo koristili upitnik i polustrukturirani intervju. Pomoću upitnika smo istražili mišljenja dvije skupine studenata iz Hrvatske (N = 30) i Austrije (N = 33), budućih učitelja engleskoga jezika. Austrijska skupina ispitanika imala je iskustva s TP, dok hrvatska skupina ispitanika nije imala slična iskustva. Zanimalo nas je kako su ispitanici saznali za ovaj oblik poučavanja, koje pozitivne, a koje negativne aspekte TP-a mogu istaknuti, misle li da posjeduju kompetencije potrebne za korištenje ovog oblika poučavanja, misle li da TP treba sustavno koristiti u obrazovanju te kako bi ono moglo biti korisno za učitelje i učenike. Podatci su bili uspoređeni s polustrukturiranim intervjuom koji je bio proveden sa stručnjakinjom za TP koja poučava buduće učitelje engleskog jezika ovoj metodi. Rezultati ovoga istraživanja potvrdili su pozitivne stavove obje skupine ispitanika prema TP-u, koji se odražavaju u mnogostrukim koristima za učitelje, učenju jednih od drugih, razmjeni iskustava, znanja i zamisli te međusobnom pružanju potpore. Istaknute koristi za učenike bile su veći stupanj individualiziranog pristupa te mogućnost promatranja dvije osobe koje su učenicima uzori. U zaključku ističemo blagodati ovog oblika poučavanja i njegovo postupno uključivanje u nastavu engleskoga jezika u hrvatskom obrazovnom sustavu.Ključne riječi: Austrija; budući učitelji; engleski jezik; Hrvatska

The Audacity to Teach with Technology – A Case of Integrating Technology in Pre-service Language Teacher Education/Odvažnost poučavanja tehnologijom – Integracija tehnologije u obrazovanje budućih učitelja stranoga jezika u primarnome obrazovanju

“…Successful teacher requires professional awareness, i.e. the ability to recognize one's own strengths, but also to accept and admit one's weaknesses and be prepared and willing to constantly improve (Pokasić & Cergol Kovačević, 2017). According to Ur (2002, p. 391), English language teachers are professionals in the sense that, among other, they are responsible for teaching but also for their own learning (continuous professional development).…”

“…According to the authors, teacher-trainers in Croatia usually carry out their teaching individually; however, working in a team where two teacher-trainers teach particular specific content together is becoming a possibility. Pokasić and Cergol Kovačević (2017) maintain that the following five key competences of a successful teacher are also crucial for achieving successful team teaching -reflection and discourse, professional awareness, personal mastery, cooperation and collegial behavior, and the ability to differentiate. Most importantly, good cooperation between teachers sets a good example for pupils and students where the instructors serve as role models and students interact with them.…”