Team-skills training and real-time facilitation as a means for developing student teachers’ learning of collaboration

Ela Sjølie,Alex Strømme,Juliette Boks-Vlemmix

doi:10.1016/j.tate.2021.103477

Ela Sjølie, Alex Strømme + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103477

Copy DOI

Abstract

This mixed-methods study investigates whether and how team-skills training and real-time facilitation can enhance students' learning of collaboration. Two hundred and fifty-seven student teachers carried out a group task at two different levels of intervention. The findings show that the intervention had a positive impact on the students’ perceived learning outcomes and on stimulating group reflection. We also identified four enabling structures of the task design. The study contributes to literature on how collaborative learning activities in higher education can be facilitated and argues that cultivating a language around the subject of collaboration is a prerequisite for developing transferrable collaborative skills.

Highlights

The ability to collaborate is of increasing importance in today's society and work life, and in schools
We ask: to what extent and how can team-skills training and real-time facilitation stimulate group processing and students' ability to articulate collaboration? We compared three cohorts of students who carried out the same group task at different levels of intervention
We argue that being able to articulate collaboration is a collaborative skill, and we explore whether and how team-skills training and realtime facilitation can contribute to the development of this skill

Summary

Introduction

The ability to collaborate is of increasing importance in today's society and work life, and in schools. Collaboration is important to teachers' professional learning (Sjølie, Francisco, & Langelotz, 2019), and is seen as a predictor of success in school development (Kennedy, 2014; Opfer & Pedder, 2011). This implies that teachers need to be able to work in teams, within and across disciplines and professions. Boks-Vlemmix which we applied teamwork pedagogies to facilitate student teachers' collaboration skills. We ask: to what extent and how can team-skills training and real-time facilitation stimulate group processing and students' ability to articulate collaboration? We ask: to what extent and how can team-skills training and real-time facilitation stimulate group processing and students' ability to articulate collaboration? We compared three cohorts of students who carried out the same group task at different levels of intervention

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion