Collaborative Teaching Practices Research Articles

Exploring Development of EMI Teacher Identities and Emotions During a Collaborative Teaching Practice: A Sociocultural Perspective

AbstractThe burgeoning English‐medium instruction (EMI) programs have aroused worldwide scholarly interest in giving language support for EMI subject teachers and their identity‐informed professional development. This study explored how an EMI subject teacher's identities and emotions were intricately interlinked before and after his co‐teaching practice with an English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher at a university in Midwestern China. Ethnographic tools including interviews, observations, and small talks were used over a 10‐month collaborative program. The findings show that the participant teacher's identities and emotions were interdependent with each other and mediated by collaborative teaching practice. Futhermore, emotional attachment to English enhancement and deep engagement in co‐teaching contributed to (re)construction of teacher identities as a content teacher, a competent English user, and an English learning facilitator. The participant's emotional attachment was explicated by his perezhivanie, or the emotional experience of his previous English learning and the emergent EMI teaching contexts. The study highlights the primacy of reconstructing teacher identities and supporting teacher emotional experiences in EMI teacher training and education programs.

English language teachers’ implementation of collaborative translanguaging

Employing a phenomenological lens, this study investigated the lived experiences of teachers engaging in collaborative bilingual instruction, specifically focusing on their practices within a co-teaching framework. Through in-depth interviews and reflective analysis, the study aimed to shed light on how language and content teachers collaborated, the challenges they experienced, and explore professional development opportunities as informed by translanguaging pedagogies. In this regard, phenomenology is a powerful methodological tool as it allowed us to capture and capitalize on the participating teachers’ lived experiences in implementing bilingual instruction as they were engaged in co-teaching. Our findings illustrate the complexities of collaborative teaching practices in bilingual settings; thus, offering insights into how teachers adapt, grow, and (re)define their professional identities. The findings also contribute to a conceptualisation of bilingual instruction in an EFL context with a particular focus on the importance of collaborative efforts of teachers to utilize translanguaging pedagogies in their teaching. The study concludes with implications for both practice and research.

Teaching Environmental Literacy in a Language Bridging Setup

In the context of educational settings characterized by linguistic diversity, the challenges inherent in teaching within a language-bridging framework underscore the necessity of overcoming language barriers to instill environmental literacy among elementary students. This study delves into the practices and experiences of educators in imparting environmental knowledge amidst linguistic challenges, employing a qualitative research design to explore the multifaceted dimensions of teaching environmental literacy in such contexts. Through purposive sampling and in-depth interviews with six elementary school teachers, the research elucidated the utilization of a holistic instructional approach, while also highlighting the impediment posed by teachers' lack of dialect proficiency, leading to language obstacles in the classroom. However, the study unveiled the adaptive strategies employed by teachers, such as two-way learning, to facilitate effective language transition during instruction. The findings not only shed light on the current pedagogical landscape but also point towards future directions, emphasizing the significance of continual professional development, collaborative teaching practices, cultural awareness training, and community engagement as pivotal avenues to surmount language barriers and cultivate environmentally literate students.

Inclusive Pedagogy: Systematic Review on Exploring Stakeholder Engagement in Multigrade Classroom Teaching

Multigrade education, characterized by the instruction of students from different grade levels in the same classroom, has garnered significant attention in educational research due to its prevalence in diverse global contexts. This comprehensive literature review offers a nuanced exploration of multigrade education, synthesizing empirical research, theoretical frameworks, and practical insights to provide a holistic understanding of its complexities and implications. The review begins by delineating the global landscape of multigrade classrooms, examining their prevalence, significance, and diverse manifestations across various regions and socio-economic contexts. It delves into the positive aspects of multigrade education, such as fostering collaborative learning environments, maximizing resource utilization, and addressing educational inequalities, while also addressing the negative effects of inadequate support, including teacher burnout and limited access to resources. Central to the literature review is the examination of stakeholder engagement in multigrade education, with a focus on the roles of educators, policymakers, parents, and communities in supporting effective teaching and learning practices. Through an interdisciplinary lens, the review analyzes strategies to maximize stakeholder support, including investments in professional development for teachers, equitable allocation of resources, community involvement, and policy advocacy. Furthermore, it explores culturally-appropriate interventions and collaborative teaching practices to address the unique challenges faced by multigrade educators and students across diverse cultural landscapes and socio-economic environments. By offering actionable recommendations grounded in empirical evidence and best practices, the literature review aims to inform policy, practice, and future research directions in multigrade education, ultimately advocating for inclusive learning environments where every student can thrive and succeed, irrespective of their grade level or school size.

Possibilities, Perceptions and Practices: Visibilising the Impact of Flexible Learning Spaces

Abstract In recent years, school building policy in New Zealand has emphasised the development of flexible learning spaces (fls). Through deliberate design choices, flexible learning spaces are intended to promote student-centred and collaborative teaching practice, creating an innovative learning environment which is adaptable and future-focussed. However, this intended practice is not always realised. This article draws on data from a study examining the practice of seven English teachers working in a flexible learning space in one New Zealand secondary school. Using Lefebvre’s spatial triad of conceived, perceived and lived space, the author will argue that elements of the learning space are imbued with layers of visual symbolism, highlighting the tensions between the rhetoric and the reality of innovative practice in flexible learning spaces. While the policy intent of the flexible learning space is made visible through elements of its design, the use of the space by teachers and students indicates that their visual interpretations of these elements can serve to reinforce teaching and learning practices that flexible learning spaces are designed to disrupt. These findings highlight that teachers require increased spatial competence and critical awareness of visual learning space elements to maximise the potential of fls for innovative teaching and learning.

Embracing team heterogeneity: a case study of the collaborative teaching practice in an international kindergarten in Hong Kong

International kindergartens, which offer an immersive dual-language (English and Chinese) environment, are popular among middle-class families in Hong Kong. The international learning and teaching environment is cultivated primarily by developing a diverse workforce, in which Chinese-speaking (Putonghua and/or Cantonese) teachers with local training or from mainland China generally work with their English-speaking counterparts from overseas in the same classroom. Such heterogeneity has complicated the already challenging concept of collaborative teaching. This article presents a case study of the collaborative teaching practice in a trilingual international kindergarten which had been established for over 50 years. Through in-depth interviews, questionnaires, text messaging, document analysis, site visits, and observations, the study examined the collaborative teaching practices among international colleagues in the kindergarten. The findings revealed that collaboration among international colleagues was made successful by (1) senior management and teachers sharing a common goal; (2) a dynamic whole-school supportive structure that embraced heterogeneity; and (3) the development of a shared culture of professional learning. The implications of these findings for management, practice, and research are discussed, including the need to foster a culture of collaboration, the importance of professional development, and the need for further research on collaborative teaching practices in diverse educational settings.

Enhancing Collaborative English Speaking Skill Development for Primary Students of UK Academy Ba Ria: Strategies, Impact, And Future Directions

The research paper titled ” Enhancing collaborative English speaking skill development for Primary students of UK Academy Ba Ria: strategies, impact, and future directions” investigates the efficacy of collaborative teaching methods in enhancing English speaking skill among primary students. Rooted in the socio-cultural theory of Vygotsky (1978) and the cooperative learning model of Johnson and Johnson (1999), this study delves into the collaborative efforts between native and Vietnamese teachers in a bilingual educational setting. Through a mixed-methods approach involving classroom observations, teacher interviews, and student speaking assessments, the research underscores the pivotal role of collaborative teaching strategies in fostering a conducive environment for language skill development. The findings illuminate the positive impact of cooperative instruction on students’ speaking abilities, accentuating the importance of teacher collaboration and shared expertise. The study sheds light on the specific strategies employed by teachers, such as co-planning, team teaching, and interactive activities, which create a language-rich environment conducive to speaking skill enhancement. The collaborative approach fosters students’ engagement, active participation, and confidence in using spoken English. The implications of the research extend to curriculum design, teacher training, and educational policies, emphasizing the need for intercultural competencies and effective communication skill among educators. The study contributes to the body of knowledge in English language education and provides practical insights for enhancing language instruction and collaborative teaching practices in a bilingual primary school context.

The importance of active-learning, student support, and peer teaching networks: A case study from the world’s longest COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne, Australia

In the Australian state of Victoria, the city of Melbourne endured the world’s longest number of lockdown days, with severe government health orders and travel restrictions in place for extended periods of 2020 and 2021. In common with others, we found the provision of field teaching in introductory geology, structural geology, and volcanology, and the online replacement of practical instruction in petrology and petrography to be the greatest pedagogical challenges. We developed and used a range of different virtual field excursions that, given time and travel constraints imposed on us, were necessarily “low-tech” and non-immersive. Despite this, our students largely engaged enthusiastically with the virtual excursions, met many preexisting learning goals, and gained additional skills, particularly in regional-scale geological synthesis. In teaching petrology and petrography online, curated resources improved student understanding of some fundamental concepts, and it was advantageous that students were all assessed using identical imagery, rather than one sample from a non-identical class-set. On the other hand, we found we were less able to train students in the advanced skills of thin section interpretation. Assessment changes associated with online teaching have resulted in a permanent shift from low-level recall-style assessments to instead emphasizing higher-level synthesis and “geological thinking” skills. Our efforts throughout the pandemic demonstrated the value of instructor-student engagement and yielded teaching resources that have subsequently enhanced our face-to-face teaching and increased flexibility for students. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of collaborative teaching practice and we have increasingly seen the benefits of local and national-scale teaching networks for peer support and for resource sharing.

An examination of teacher collaboration in professional learning communities and collaborative teaching practices

The present study aims to examine the influence of teacher collaboration within professional learning communities (PLCs) and collaborative teaching practices on both the professional growth and academic achievement of students. The study employed a mixed-methods research design that incorporated both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. This research comprises both survey responses and interview transcripts obtained from K-12 educators who are currently engaged in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) or collaborative teaching methodologies. The findings of this study have the potential to enhance the existing literature on teacher collaboration and furnish educators, policymakers, and researchers with valuable perspectives to steer optimal strategies for promoting effective teacher collaboration in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and collaborative teaching approaches. The objective of the research is to investigate the influence of teacher collaboration within Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and collaborative teaching practices on the development of professional skills and academic achievements of students. The results of this study underscore the importance of recognizing the advantageous effects that collaborative teaching methodologies can have on the academic achievements of students. This necessitates the provision of adequate time for collaborative activities, encouraging supportive leadership within educational institutions, and allocating sufficient resources for collaboration.

Scaffolding principles of content-based science instruction in an international elementary school

ABSTRACT Recent research on scaffolding has turned the spotlight on implementing scaffolding principles for more effective instruction in the classroom. This qualitative study, using observations, investigated scaffolding principles, including continuity, intersubjectivity, contextual support, handover, flow, and contingency, in content-based instruction (CBI) in an international school. To this end, nine hours of science instruction by three science teachers were video-recorded and analysed deductively based on scaffolding principles. The content analysis of observation transcripts showed that continuity, intersubjectivity, and contingency were frequently observed during interaction in science classes, whereas the teachers occasionally implemented contextual support, handover, and flow. The findings revealed that scaffolding principles were mainly related to the conceptual understanding of scientific knowledge and the control of students’ frustration in performing demanding activities and understanding complicated concepts. Furthermore, the findings uncovered that scaffolding principles were focused on providing opportunities for students’ engagement and genuine communication and eliciting real-life samples and experience through inquiry-based, concept-based, problem-based, and project-based teaching approaches. Most importantly, the teachers frequently employed various scaffolding principles through practical and active participation by doing experiments and projects, modelling, and using video aids for more interactive and collaborative teaching practices. These findings contribute to our understanding of scaffolding principles and teacher-student interaction in science classes.

Collaborative teaching as a possibility to make the teaching of written portuguese as second language viable to the deaf

The objective of the research was to understand how the working model of collaborative teaching can help and make possible the teaching of written Portuguese as L2, corroborating the teaching and learning process of the Deaf. Considering that the Deaf student has the right to have a bilingual education and that he lives in a listening society, he will need the Portuguese language as an alternative for communication, therefore, we believe that collaborative teaching is important to guarantee the elimination of communication barriers and pedagogical. As this is a bibliographical research, primary and secondary sources were used, the main authors being scholars on education for the deaf and official documents. We found that when developing a collaborative teaching practice in the education of the deaf, the tendency is that the acquisition of the Portuguese language in the written modality can have better results, especially when it is associated with sign language.

Progettare e utilizzare spazi di apprendimento innovativi: cosa hanno da dire gli insegnanti

As many schools are moving towards more innovative learning environments, there is an ongoing need for evidence about how teachers and students use these innovative spaces to enhance learning. While innovative learning environments have been characterised as spaces that are more flexible, with ubiquitous technology and the ability to reconfigure space dependent on the learning task, there is no universal definition of what constitutes a truly ‘innovative’ learning environment because each school context is unique. Consequently, how innovative learning environment designs are used in practice will vary depending on the needs of students, teachers and school communities. The Plans to Pedagogy project, developed by the University of Melbourne’s Learning Environments Applied Research Network (LEaRN) team, is exploring the educational issues school leaders and teachers identify as they transition to and use innovative learning environments. It acknowledges that no two schools are the same, and each school has unique spatial challenges. Plans to Pedagogy, embedded in a range primary and secondary schools across Australia and New Zealand, has eight current projects. Each school is assigned a LEaRN academic who works with a small teaching team to co-design and implement a research project targeting the school’s identified spatial challenge. The eight current projects focus on issues such as promoting student agency and developing 21st century learning skills in students, mapping collaborative teaching practices, assessing the impact of furniture on student engagement, and supporting the transition of teachers’ pedagogy as they move from traditional to innovative environments. As each has a unique focus, the research methods used differ case to case. However, a common principle is that each case needs to build evidence that is disseminated to the school community, with the aim of sharing learning to support teachers’ and students’ praxis in innovative learning environments. To examine this further, this paper will briefly overview each of the current eight Plans to Pedagogy projects to give a sense of the scope and focus of issues faced by teachers in schools in terms of using their learning environments well. It will then focus on two projects for a deeper examination that will illustrate how the researcher/school partnership operates. The first is the journey of a large composite primary-secondary school, where the staff are exploring how their complex student cohort is using their open-plan new build to assist an adventurous student-centred curriculum approach. The second case study is an example of a retrofit project in a rural primary school, where teachers kept their existing classrooms but changed the furniture in their rooms from traditional desks and chairs to flexible furniture arrangements, exploring the impact of this change on student engagement and teachers’ pedagogy. The paper makes the case that Plans to Pedagogy warrants close examination by others working in this field as each project starts by identifying schools’ unique spatial challenges, it builds research expertise of staff in these schools, and it supports these actions by aligning a specialist learning environments researcher to ensure robust methods and results that directly impact school improvement.

Towards Better Understanding of Present Perfect Characteristics and Usage – Professional Insight and Suggestion

Taking into consideration delicate nature of translation, and the fact that the process could easily trigger (both positive and negative) language transfer, this paper aims to shed some light on the status of the Present Perfect Tense in the process of translating from Serbian into English. Relying on the corpora of data comprising 113 sets of sentences, translated by students majoring in English, we tried to identify how frequent the usage of Present Perfect is. Apart from that – we aimed to determine which verb forms (tenses used in context) in Serbian eventually become Present Perfect in English and whether decisions of such a kind are consistent. The qualitative analysis proved the evasive nature of English Present Perfect; namely, it was shown that, despite some lexical hints used in Serbian sentences, the usage of Present Perfect was inconsistent. In conclusion, the paper suggests the implementation of collaborative teaching practices, with the goal of activating critical thinking, and contrastive analysis and thus improving students’ understanding, as well as their active usage of acquired grammatical notions.

INQUIRY BASED LEARNING ON TEACHING CONTROVERSIAL HISTORICAL ISSUES – AN ACTION RESEARCH WITH PRE‐SERVICE TEACHERS

Controversial Historical Issues are considered as an historical education topic which usually makes teachers feel uncomfortable to deal with pedagogically. A collaborative investigation is expected to be a suitable approach for teaching this kind of issue. This current research concerns the effects of an educational program for pre‐service teachers in their willingness to teach Controversial Issues through modern collaborative teaching practices. A six‐month program based on the basic principles of Inquiry Based Learning, related to Occupation‐Resistance‐Civil War thematic, has been implemented with fourteen pre‐service teachers. Data qualitative analysis showed that participants get familiarized with strategies and learning tools that help children draw valid conclusions, utilize source practices, and conduct their own enriched narrations about the controversial past. The major benefits and potential difficulties have also been revealed. After all, this training experience strengthens their perceived self‐efficacy since they acknowledge that a collaborative investigation is an effective approach to acquiring historical knowledge based on personal and group‐investigation processes.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0457/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Teacher Identity (re)Construction in Collaborative Bilingual Education: The Emergence of Dyadic Identity

AbstractTeacher identity construction has long been investigated within the field of English language teaching. However, little is known about how particularities and demands of co‐teaching language and content in bilingual education (BE) settings may lead to teacher identity (re)construction, especially in preschool contexts. Therefore, we explored, through narrative inquiry, the identity (re)construction of one pair of English language and homeroom teachers in a preschool in Turkey. We gathered data through oral narratives, follow‐up written accounts, and an online pair interview, which collectively provided insights into their induction into BE, collaborative teaching practices, and interactions with contextual factors. Findings show that external support (e.g., training, and sustained feedback by the trainers) alongside teachers' own experiences and reflections regarding BE and changing beliefs about their prior practice were among the factors which led to their transition into the role of BE co‐teacher. Parallel to this transitioning process, a relationally mediated positional identity we label dyadic identity emerged between the teachers. We discuss the process of the teachers' transition to a BE co‐teacher role and the emergence of dyadic identity, elaborating on the factors that facilitated this development. Implications for teacher identity research as well as bilingual program development are discussed.

Effective Teaching of Electric Circuit Analysis through Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Method

Abstract : In recent times, in addition to the conventional teaching methods, new pedagogical initiatives are indispensable to elongate the attention span of the present students from generation Z and generation alpha. Jigsaw is one of the Collaborative teaching practices which involves facilitators working in tandem with the students, instructing and mentoring them to solve problems. This paper presents the implementation of an enhanced Jigsaw learning method for teaching Circuit Analysis course for first-year students. Instead of randomly assigning students to groups, the proposed enhancement in the Jigsaw learning method presents diverse teams based on student personalities (Triguna levels – Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas). Such diverse groups become effective learning units and ensure team coherence. Minute feedback was obtained at the end of the session to analyze the effectiveness of the proposed enhanced jigsaw method. The feedback analysis indicates a paradigm shift in the students' level of understanding, and the assessment scores of Tamas students had a significant improvement of 20%. Also, the post-session data shows a boost in the confidence level of the students in solving different DirectCurrent (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) based electric circuits. A comparison between the conventional teaching method and the enhanced Jigsaw teaching-learning process is also presented. The results indicate that this method proves to be effective both from the students' learning and the faculty's teaching perspective. In addition to improving the desired learning outcome, the enhanced Jigsaw method also makes the learning process enjoyable. Keywords : Teaching-learning process, Jigsaw method, Triguna levels, Electric circuits, circuit analysis, active learning.

Assessing teachers’ collaborative lesson planning practices: Instrument development and validation using the SECI knowledge-creation model

Collaborative lesson planning (CLP) is a key component of teachers’ professional development that responds to students’ ever-increasing learning needs. This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument to evaluate teachers’ CLP practices. Guided by the SECI (socialisation, externalisation, combination, and internalisation) knowledge-creation model of Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995), items assessing CLP practices were developed. To validate the CLP scale, we analysed data from 540 primary and secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. Exploratory factor analysis on a random half of the sample suggests a four-factor solution that supports the SECI model. A confirmatory factor analysis and multidimensional Rasch analysis on the remaining half of the sample confirmed the four-factor structure. Both analyses support the dimensionality of the four-factor model, rating scale effectiveness, and item fit statistics. The final version of the CLPS has 21 items that assess teachers’ CLP practices under the four SECI processes. This instrument has practical value in assessing, monitoring, and promoting collaborative teaching practices in school. The study’s limitations and implications are discussed.

Go hand in hand: Showcasing lecturers’ online collaborative teaching practices

Collaborative teaching has been performed by special educators in K-12 schools for decades, and myriads of studies have witnessed its promising impacts on both students and teachers. Notwithstanding its vogue, only a few studies have primarily dealt with its implementation in higher education. Furthermore, empirical attempts accentuating lecturers’ stepwise practices during collaborative teaching implementation remain under-explored, especially when the practices are undertaken online. This study, henceforth, intends to fill the void. In total, the experiences of two collaborating lecturers, leading Teaching English for Foreign Language (TEFL) and Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL) course, were scrutinized. Their practices were documented for 20 weeks and their views were also assembled to grasp how they perceived their online co-teaching practices. In addition, the views from six representative students were assembled at the end of the term through focused group discussion. Through Joint Practice Development (JPD) framework, lecturers’ online collaborative teaching practices were captured and conceptually grouped into five developed stages – collaborative planning, collaborative instruction, peer feedback and evaluation, follow up, and refinement stage. Admitting lecturers’ online co-teaching approach, students contended that its implementation was opportune in bridging their needs of pedagogical knowledge and related technology, facilitating learning efficiency, and fostering their collaboration awareness. Albeit its effectiveness, students are also concerned with collaboration appearance clarity, learning proficiency, and autonomy. Thus far, this teaching approach is worthy of continuing in the higher education, with clear format to adopt.

Early statistics in kindergarten: analysis of an educator's pedagogical content knowledge in lessons promoting informal inferential reasoning

PurposeThis study aims to describe the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of a kindergarten educator who implements a lesson plan about informal inferential reasoning designed in a lesson study group.Design/methodology/approachTo this end, we analyzed teaching interventions in two kindergarten lessons focused on the playful task of tossing two coins, associated with inferential statistical reasoning. The study highlights the importance of arguing and promoting this reasoning to develop statistical thinking. It is crucial to recognize how early students can be subject to learning experiences that promote a language of uncertainty, assess the evidence provided by the data, and make generalizations.FindingsThe results reveal that while the educator demonstrated knowledge and skills relevant to the curriculum and conceptual teaching strategies, the understanding of the content by the students and the integration of the PCK components still present a challenge.Practical implicationsThe lesson study collaborative teaching practices that promote PCK have proven effective for informing the design and implementation of instructional practices supporting the development of early statistical thinking in young children.Originality/valueThe study enriches the knowledge regarding the potential of the lesson study (LS) in the professional learning of kindergarten educators. It also contributes to a comprehensive approach based on authentic playful experiences in grade K that supports the development of early statistical thinking in young children.

Putting professional learning practice first in innovative learning environments

ABSTRACT Considerable investment has been made to redesign built spaces in schools, with an assumption not based on research evidence embedded in both the architectural and educational literature that this will improve teaching and learning practices. In this study of 12 Victorian case studies in Australia schools were selected based on OECD criteria, not including the built environment, of an innovative learning environment (ILE). Yet each school had in their ILE redesigned the built space to enable different pedagogical practice. More collaborative teaching practice and pedagogical change emerged to be closely associated with redesigned built environments. Furthermore, for schools to fully benefit from the affordances of redesigned built space and connectivity of mobile technologies, putting the professional learning of teachers first was necessary to both initiate and sustain different pedagogical practices. Drawing on practice architectures theory, we illustrate how the conjuncture of the material-economic context of redesigned built environment and technologies, the cultural-discursive assemblage of discourses regarding the needs of twenty-first century learner-earners and the social-political context of policies enabled action-oriented teacher professional development. These conditions shaped the conduct of practice, the ‘sayings’, ‘doings’ and ‘relatings’ of teacher professional learning both within each school and across the Victorian public system.