How Teacher and Student Leader Collaboration Contribute to Learning

Abstract

The collaboration between teacher and student leader as a possible factor contributing to learning outcomes remains under-researched. To understand the combined efforts of teachers and student leaders toward attaining teaching outcomes, this paper addresses the following questions: What are the value-added dimensions of the teacher toward achieving learning outcomes? How do student leader activities contribute to the achievement of learning outcomes? Without making any claim to tight causal relationships, this paper argues that the effective involvement of student leaders in the teaching process has considerable effects on learning. These effects do not only revolve around student development (for example leadership skills, and citizenship awareness in terms of rights, duties, and responsibilities), but also on the teaching and learning output (Heck, & Hallinger, 1999). Undeniably a common acceptance is that the teacher is permanently the leader while students are mere followers, who do not share teaching and learning behavior when it comes to the exhibition of power and authority within the classroom social environment. Nevertheless, this research reveals how collaboration between teachers and student leaders may improve students’ academic outcomes.