Team teaching or solo teaching? Evidence from a crossover experiment on the effects of team teaching on student achievement

A concise review investigating simulation modalities' effects on team efficiency, provider wellbeing, education & clinical outcomes.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to trace the expressions of agency of the educational staff in clusters of kindergartens in the Arab-Bedouin minority in Israel, operating as professional learning communities (PLCs). The article presents the phenomenon through an interpretive approach, based on interviews with 10 stakeholders at various hierarchical levels. The findings reveal the contribution of PLCs to three distinct expressions of agency within the work of the educational teams in the kindergarten clusters. First, the resonance of collective tribal values within the educational space. Second, coping with challenges in the professional community through collective values. Third, the female educational staff as agents of change, leading the shift in tribal cultural norms and perceptions. The discussion offers insights into two trends in staff agency: expressions of agency that remain within the framework of traditional Bedouin tribal values and expressions of agency emerging through engagement in PLCs that transcend this framework.

Abstract An increasing number of research studies indicate that student learning outcomes improve when humanistic perspectives are integrated into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Practical guidance is currently limited on how to effectively integrate science and humanities; therefore, we developed an integration model and process applicable to a STEM Futures framework, which integrates three knowledge domains, foundational, humanistic, and meta knowledge, into STEM coursework. Here, we describe the rationale for developing integrated coursework, our chosen method of integration (case studies), the goal of the case studies, and the process of developing these integrated case studies. A team of instructors from three universities and one historian of science developed, tested, refined, and taught case studies in science courses at Colorado State University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and University of Texas at El Paso. Importantly, case studies were focused on the reincorporation of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) into histories of science. The historian of science provided expert advice on examples for integration and how to approach difficult conversations around BIPOC in agriculture. Focusing on the collaboration between one STEM instructor and the science historian, we describe here the collaborative process of STEM and humanities faculty members designing case studies, the importance of collaboration between the instructors, and the key components of the content and questions written to meet the goals of the course.

This paper proposes a reflection on the attributions of the pedagogical coordinator, in particular that of proposing continuing education for the team of teachers in their school unit, during remote teaching caused by the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic. Therefore, the text of this research has a bibliographic survey done to define the pedagogical coordinator's attributions, regulatory documents of the public education networks during the pandemic used to understand the school context during the period in question and data collected by an online questionnaire elaborated for this purpose and answered by professionals working in the pedagogical coordination of municipal, state, federal and private networks. The sampling of the questionnaires in accordance with the bibliography studied brings as the main result that the coordinator still faces several difficulties to promote continuing education in their school units and that the pandemic period added even more work overload and several other obstacles to the process.

Although self-management is essential for slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease and improving quality of life, patients continue to face substantial and varied challenges in managing their condition. Existing research has identified barriers to self-management but less is known about the barriers and facilitators experienced by patients with advanced chronic kidney disease not yet receiving kidney replacement therapy (dialysis and transplantation). Furthermore, few studies have been consumer-led or have integrated clinician and patient perspectives in a shared discussion environment. To explore the barriers to, and facilitators of, chronic kidney disease self-management from the perspectives of key stakeholders, using a consumer-led qualitative approach. Patients with chronic kidney disease and clinicians were purposively sampled from a large renal service in South Australia to participate in a focus group interview, co-facilitated by a person living with chronic kidney disease. Three, 2-h focus group interviews involving 11 renal consumers and six renal clinicians were undertaken following a semi-structured interview guide that was co-developed with renal consumers and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Six themes emerged: patient individuality, information and education resources, disease and treatment burden, healthcare team services, patient-clinician relationships, and teaching and learning strategies. Identified barriers included patient passivity, limited chronic kidney disease awareness, fragmented care, impersonal clinical approaches, and physical/emotional distress. Facilitators included positive attitudes, goal setting, trust and satisfaction with clinicians, effective communication, shared decision-making, person-centred care and caregiver support. This study identified that chronic kidney disease self-management is influenced by interacting personal factors, relational factors and systemic factors. These qualitative insights demonstrate that patients' ability to self-manage is shaped not only by knowledge, but by emotional burden, confidence, and the quality of relationships within the healthcare system. Consumer-led approaches that reflect these lived experiences may enhance the relevance and acceptability of future self-management support.

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an autosomal recessive disorder described more than 150 years ago in which calcification and fragmentation of the elastic fibers result in a variety of symptoms which differ greatly in presentation and severity between patients. The diagnosis of PXE can still be made in many patients based on clinical presentation. However, in the advent of genetic screening that followed upon the identification of the first causal gene, ABCC6, milder cases of PXE or patients with a less typical onset of disease surfaced. Moreover, it became clear in the last years that PXE has at least one allelic disorder which can also result from (identical) ABCC6 or ENPP1 pathogenic variants, namely generalized arterial calcification of infancy (GACI). These recent evolutions lead to challenges in making the correct diagnosis in a given number of patients. As emerging possibilities to treat PXE require a definite diagnosis, a critical re-appraisal of the diagnostic criteria for PXE - taking into account new clinical, biochemical and molecular characteristics - appeared to be necessary. The REACT-PXE (Research, Education and Advanced Care Teams for PXE) Consortium - gathering most European experts on PXE - has been established to take on this task as a first step in updating the management of PXE. This paper presents an updated, evidence-based definition of PXE, revised diagnostic criteria, "red flags" for considering PXE, and a patient-centered approach to identifying meaningful outcomes. All skin, ocular, vascular and other disease manifestations are addressed and illustrated, followed by specific chapters on molecular genetics and biological alterations. All these efforts are designed to improve disease management, consider future treatment for all patients, with or without molecular definition of their condition, enhance patient care, and inform for future research directions.

ABSTRACT Fostering positive team relationships and fair learning environments is severely hampered by structural violence in educational institutions. The purpose of this study is to investigate how structural violence affects the cohesiveness of educational teams and to provide peace pedagogically based solutions to these issues. In total, 200 students, 50 teachers, and 50 administrators from secondary schools in urban and rural areas participated in surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations as part of a mixed-methods approach to data collection. Significant differences were found by quantitative analysis using ANOVA and t-tests: p-values < 0.01 for rural students who reported lower levels of team cohesiveness (mean = 3.2) and access to instructional resources (mean = 2.9) than urban students (team cohesion mean = 4.1, resources mean = 4.3). These conclusions were supported by observations made in classrooms, which showed tense teacher-student relationships and interrupted group activities in underfunded schools. These findings highlight how systemic injustices negatively impact teamwork, morale, and academic performance. The study comes to the conclusion that institutional changes, fair resource allocation, and supportive legislation are necessary to combat structural violence. To improve team relationships and lessen the negative effects of structural violence, practical implications include implementing the ideas of peace pedagogy to establish inclusive and cooperative learning settings.

ABSTRACT Public service delivery relies interprofessional collaboration, yet its value is unevenly perceived across professions. This study examines how frontline employees’ valuation of interprofessional collaboration influences team members' motivation and self-efficacy, and whether managerial support moderates these effects. Using panel survey data from Danish public school teams of teachers and childcare workers, we find that teachers’ valuation of interprofessional collaboration enhances childcare workers’ self-efficacy. Conversely, childcare workers’ valuation of collaboration with teachers associates with reduced teacher motivation and self-efficacy, irrespectiveof managerial support. These findings underscore profession-specific dynamics and the need for a nuanced understanding of interprofessional collaboration.

ABSTRACT This article presents the first systematic review of peer-reviewed research on online marketing simulations, offering marketing educators a comprehensive understanding of this evolving pedagogical tool. Over a 25-year period, 40 studies were identified and analyzed using the PRISMA framework. Seven major themes emerged: pedagogical effectiveness, comparisons with other teaching tools, administration, individual and team characteristics, simulation overviews, enhancing simulation learning, and curriculum integration. As online learning and simulation technologies advance, much of the earlier research – centered on in-person, team-based instruction – no longer fully reflects the realities of today’s digital learning environments. This review underscores the unique characteristics of marketing simulations, including their creative demands, emphasis on external stakeholders, and integration of multi-channel communication. To provide conceptual coherence, the findings are situated within established perspectives on technology adoption and student motivation. In addition to synthesizing key findings, the article catalogs current online marketing simulation offerings and identifies gaps in the literature. It concludes by outlining a research agenda to support more effective use and continued development of simulations in marketing education.

ABSTRACT Background The lack of diversity in research participation poses a threat to health equity and the ethical principle of justice. Yet few evidence-based interventions exist. This study compared two educational programs for research teams, designed to build capacity for inclusive recruitment practices. Methods This parallel cluster randomized trial compared outcomes generated by an anti-bias focused educational workshop and one emphasizing pro-diversity learning. The evaluation consisted of pre-/post-intervention (n = 124) and 3-month follow-up surveys (n = 83). Regression analysis was employed to evaluate program efficacy, and the adoption of simple behaviors comparing groups at follow-up while controlling for pre-measurement levels and utilizing propensity weights. Interviews (n = 33) with participants explored experiences post-intervention. Results There were no statistically significant differences in outcomes between the test and control groups. Both workshop versions increased participants’ self-efficacy and simple behaviors, including “thinking about community perspectives” and “identifying ways to increase community voice” at follow-up. Participants in the test group were the only ones to show a significant increase (within group) in “making suggestions” to their teams about using inclusive strategies (p = .02) and in increasing community voice (p = .00). Qualitative data indicate that pro-diversity activities provided participants with concrete ideas for suggestions and revealed persistent barriers faced by post-intervention.

Purpose: Effective school operations rely on distributed leadership that enables timely innovation and the resolution of challenges hindering school development. Although distributed leadership involves both principals and teachers, little research has simultaneously examined their perspectives on how distributed leadership, innovativeness, and contextual barriers interact to influence student achievement. This study investigates how distributed leadership relates to student achievement through school and team innovativeness, emphasizing comparisons between principals’ and teachers’ viewpoints. Methodology: Using the linkage data of TALIS 2018 and PISA 2018, we conduct a school-level regression model and a multilevel regression model to analyze the pathways from distributed leadership to student achievement, incorporating school innovativeness, teacher team innovativeness, and hindering conditions of school development. Finding: Distributed leadership is associated with innovation at both school and teacher team levels. Perceptions of how innovativeness impacts student achievement differ among principals and teachers. Teachers’ assessments of team innovativeness are positively related to student achievement, partly due to varying developmental conditions across schools. Implications: The findings indicate that perceptions of innovation between principals and teachers may stem from a dynamic and uneven process. A shared understanding of their ecological niche helps support consistent school practices as distributed leadership becomes evident. Organizational innovation and addressing challenges that impede school development could be crucial pathways through which distributed leadership affects student achievement.

Historic sites offer valuable opportunities for experiential learning but are often underused in social studies education. This practitioner study explored how secondary social studies teachers—including those who teach geography—and historic site supervisors from an upper Midwestern U.S. state prefer to collaborate and which informal learning resources they find most effective. Using survey data from 136 middle and high school teachers and interviews with eight historic site supervisors, the study found that teachers prefer brief, flexible pre- and post-visit lesson materials, such as 10–15-minute activities and videos. Both groups expressed strong interest in collaborating to develop student-centered learning experiences beyond the classroom. Teachers preferred electronic resource distribution and suggested summer institutes, online collaboration, and graduate credit as ways to incentivize the co-creation of materials. Site supervisors emphasized the importance of tailoring visits to student backgrounds and highlighted the role of educational outreach teams. The study concludes with practical recommendations for resource design and collaboration models, such as developing site-specific lesson materials and establishing teacher–supervisor summer institutes. These initiatives can strengthen partnerships between teachers and historic sites and support informal learning in social studies classrooms, particularly focusing on enhancing geoscience education.

This study examined the current status, perceptions, and educational needs of primary care education in medical and nursing schools to provide foundational data that can inform effective curriculum development. In total, 40 medical and 64 nursing schools were eligible for this study. Data were collected through an online survey using Google Forms, developed by the research team, from November 2024 to January 2025. Frequency analysis and independent t-tests were performed to compare perceptions on primary care education between the two schools types. Borich Needs Assessment and Locus-for-Focus model were used to identify and prioritize educational needs. Responses from 21 medical and 24 nursing schools were analyzed. All medical schools primarily offered education in primary care clinics (100%), whereas most nursing schools offered it in community healthcare institutions (87.5%). Visits and observations were the most common educational methods (>80%). Reports, presentations, and discussions were the most used assessment methods (>60%). Multidisciplinary team-based practicums were limited in both medical (9.5%) and nursing (25.0%) schools. Both groups rated the need to expand primary care education and multidisciplinary team approach highly (>4.4/5). "Longitudinality" and "generalism" were educational priority needs across both groups, whereas other elements showed variations. This study identified the shared and distinct aspects of primary care education across schools. The findings highlight the importance of enhancing and tailoring primary care education to each school's specific context and needs, while fostering interprofessional collaboration to strengthen community-based healthcare.

In Australia, early childhood education and care (ECEC) has experienced substantial policy reform in the past 15 years with major shifts in qualification requirements, a national prescribed curriculum, and increasing focus on quality . Teams of early childhood educators are expected to collaboratively navigate these reforms while making decisions that lead to quality. This paper draws on a PhD study that examined how teams of educators in ECEC make curricular and pedagogical decisions within a complex policy landscape. Three key national policy documents that govern educators’ work—Guide to the National Quality Framework (NQF), Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), and modern awards—were closely analysed to make visible the complexities of how team decision-making is conceptualised in policy. Findings contribute to the global political attention on ECEC and offers ways forward for educators, organisations, and governments to re-align the reform strategy and strengthen policy implementation, leading to quality outcomes for children.

Electrical and electronic laboratories are crucial for developing engineering talent, yet they face challenges such as outdated hardware, rigid management, and faculty shortages. This paper proposes an integrated reform model featuring virtual-physical equipment upgrades, open and intelligent management platforms, a dual-qualified teaching team, and a full-process safety assurance system. It offers a practical framework for modernizing such laboratories and supporting the cultivation of high-quality innovative engineering professionals.

Individualized classroom instructional approaches play a critical role in enhancing learner’s academic achievement. This is a critical concern in elementary schools across Rwanda. This study aimed at investigating the impacts of co-teaching models, specifically Team Teaching and One Teach-One Assist, on learners' performance in private schools in Kigali City, Rwanda. The study leveraged a quantitative research approach with descriptive and correlational research designs. The study focused on three selected private schools in Kigali City and 124 teachers participated in this study. The findings indicated that Team Teaching has a positive and significant impact on learner's academic achievement (β1=0.375, p=0.001), while One Teach-One Assist shows a positive but not significant impact (β1=0.083, p=0.458) on learner’s academic achievement. The adjusted R^2 value is 0.175, indicating that co-teaching models contribute to 17.5% of the variance in learner's academic achievement. The study concluded that co-teaching models have a significant impact on academic achievement where Team Teaching was identified as a significant contributor to improved academic achievement, with a 1% increase/change in the Team-Teaching model resulting in a 0.375% increase in learner's academic achievement in the selected private schools in Kigali City. These results reject the null hypothesis, indicating that co-teaching models play a beneficial role in enhancing a learner's academic achievement. However, it's important to note that while these models have a statistically significant impact, they do not account for all the variance in these educational outcomes, as other unexamined factors also contribute.

Wrist arthroscopy is a technically demanding procedure with a long learning curve, and many trainees report limited exposure during their surgical education. Simulation offers an accessible and ethical alternative to cadaver training. The objective of this study was to create a three-dimensional printed wrist arthroscopy simulator and to evaluate its ability to improve surgical performance. A wrist CT scan was segmented to extract the anatomical structures, which were then modelled and printed. The wrist was produced using soft or rigid resin depending on each structure, with replication of the major intercarpal and radiocarpal ligaments. A vertically adjustable support was designed to hold the artificial wrist on standard work surfaces for ergonomic training. An otoscope camera was selected for its video quality and effectiveness. Twenty-two surgeons of varying experience levels (residents, fellows and attending surgeons) completed a training programme composed of an initial assessment on a cadaver wrist, three sessions on the simulator, and a final assessment on the same cadaver wrist. Technical performance, procedure time, involuntary camera removals and perceived workload were assessed. Simulator fidelity and educational value were evaluated via questionnaires. All participants improved their performance between the initial and final cadaver assessments. Improvements were greatest among residents. Participants completed procedures faster, with fewer errors and reduced perceived workload. The simulator was rated highly for anatomical realism and educational value. The quality and the low cost of this wrist arthroscopy simulator tend to encourage educational teams to use it in the training of surgeons.

This study focuses on the implementation strategies for expanding high-quality education and enhancing educational quality in basic education, regarding it as a core path for building a powerful education nation. By analyzing policy support, popularization levels, and regional effectiveness, this study summarizes the achievements attained. Meanwhile, it points out challenges such as uneven allocation of educational resources, urban-rural gaps, difficulties in digital transformation, unfair distribution of high-quality resources, and predicaments in teacher team development. Furthermore, it proposes strategies including optimizing resource allocation, promoting urban-rural integration, advancing digitalization, balancing high-quality resources, and building a high-quality teacher team. These strategies aim to facilitate the dual improvement of educational equity and quality, thereby laying a foundation for the strategy of building a powerful education nation.

As a core foundational course in higher education, college mathematics general education courses play a crucial role in fostering students' logical thinking and supporting their subsequent professional learning. However, current teaching practices face challenges such as insufficient student engagement and significant disparities in learning outcomes. Traditional evaluation methods struggle to reveal implicit correlations among multiple variables, making it difficult to provide targeted optimization strategies. This study adopted a mixed method approach combining Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to evaluate and optimize the teaching effectiveness of college mathematics general education courses at University A. A total of 572 valid samples were collected from freshmen of Grade 2025 using a structured questionnaire. SEM results indicated that teaching methods had the strongest direct effect on learning outcomes (standardized coefficient = 0.362, p &lt; 0.001). Meanwhile, teachers’ literacy and teaching resources exerted indirect effects on learning outcomes through teaching methods, with mediating effect ratios of 81.8% and 55.7%, respectively. For three groups of majors with different mathematical needs (high, moderate, and low), fsQCA identified three distinct configurational paths leading to high learning outcomes: (1) For majors with high mathematical needs, the optimal path was “teaching resources + high school mathematics foundation + teaching methods”; (2) For majors with moderate mathematical needs, the effective path was “teaching content + teaching methods + teachers’ literacy”; (3) For majors with low mathematical needs, the key path was “teachers’ literacy + teaching methods”. This study addresses the limitations of single quantitative or qualitative research by integrating SEM and fsQCA. The proposed optimization strategies, including hierarchical teacher training, diversified collaborative teaching teams, and targeted student support, provide practical references for improving the teaching quality of college mathematics general education courses and realizing personalized teaching in similar universities.