Abstract
This study focuses on implementing co-teaching models in the practical experience of teacher training processes. It examines the experience models in terms of theory versus practice from the perspectives of students of education and training teachers (school and pre-school) who participated in the special “Academy-Class” program in the 2017 academic year at Ohalo College. 125 subjects participated in the study. The overriding goal of the research was to identify the dominant patterns in this unique practical experience in teachers training. The research questions sought to clarify the extent to which the six main co-teaching models described in the research literature are manifested in practical and educational terms in the Academy-Class program; offer a comparison between common teaching practices and the co-teaching models; and assess how common
Synergetic Collaboration is as a co-teaching method relative to other low-level methods.
Our findings show that the co-teaching models were more dominant than the traditional teaching models among all the sample groups. The greatest difference was found in the reports of the training teachers (0.79) at the school, while the smallest difference was found among students training to become teachers (0.13). We have seen that experiencing a clinical model of co-teaching involves shared work between a training teacher and of a
student of education. There is a need to change training processes, as well as expanding the theoretical approaches that describe the wide range of shared co-teaching.
Keywords: teachers’ training, teaching methods, practical experience
1. Introduction
1.1 Co-Teaching
Bacharach, Heck, & Dank (2004) defined co-teaching as a situation where two teachers (a training teacher and a trainee teacher or student of education) work together in one classroom on planning, organization, and implementation. Cook and Friend (1995) expanded this definition to include two or more teachers teaching together in significantly different ways which are intended to reach a diverse group of students, all in one physical space. Wenzlaff et al. (2002) emphasized the benefits of this teaching method, in terms of teaching lessons that cannot be taught alone. One application of the co-teaching model refers to co-teaching between training teachers and students of education. In such a case, the recommendation is to divert from a traditional practical experience, which would emphasize a hierarchy between trainer and student, to use a process where both partners share teaching and other responsibilities in the classroom (Roth & Tobin, 2005).
As shown in the literature, co-teaching offers several advantages. As one teacher receives significant assistance from another and shares the work with him or her, the students receive greater learning opportunities and significant mediation (Arbiv-Elyashiv, 2013; Forbes & Billet, 2012). In this way, the model provides additional assistance to weak students and enrichment to students who are above the class level. Studies on the influence of co-teaching on student achievement found an advantage in math achievement among students in co-teaching classrooms, compared to students in regular classrooms (Bacharach, Heck, & Dahlberg, 2010; Forbes & Billet, 2010).
In addition, the training teachers reported authentic and significant professional development within co-teaching. Their daily interactions with students of education required constant discussion and reflection on teaching,
revitalized their teaching methods, and encouraged the students of education to expand their roles as leaders in the school (Gallo-Fox & Scantlebury, 2016). In addition, co-teaching within an environment of mutual respect, emotional support, and trust gives the added value of constructing the teacher’s identity, sharpening and deepening his or her knowledge of the teaching material, and raising the level of the actual teaching (Wehunt & Weatherford, 2014). Students who were exposed in their training to co-teaching methods reported a gradual
integration into the classroom, which focused on the connection between theory and practice. The students further reported that the experience enabled mutual learning and that co-teaching provides a supportive environment for professional and in-depth teaching (Arbiv-Elyashiv, 2013; Forbes & Billet, 2012; Rytivaara & Kershner, 2012).
Co-teaching’s success depends on several elements, notably shared work that includes planning, organization,and assessment. Shared planning is extremely important for co-teaching, so sufficient time and attention must be allocated for this stage (Kamens, Susko, & Elliott, 2013). At first, the teacher will manage the planning, but over time the student of education will become responsible for a greater part in this process (Bacharach et al., 2010). Each of the co-teaching partners will contribute his or her personal talents and skills (Murawski & Lochner, 2011). Following the lesson, the training teachers will assess and reflect on the process, and receive feedback from the students of education. Interpretation and analysis will clarify to the student of education what occurre and direct him or her to additional teaching strategies and techniques (Murawski & Lochner, 2011; Scantlebury, Gallo-Fox, & Wassell, 2008).
1.1.1 Models for Co-Teaching as Part of Teaching Practice
“One teacher teaches and the other observes”: the senior and more experienced trainer leads the lesson, while the student of education integrates gradually, mainly by observing lessons and then experiencing private, group, and full-class teaching. The student of education learns by observing an experienced model, hearing the responses of the students in the class, and analyzing the lesson (Bacharach et al., 2010; Cook & Friend, 1995; Graziano & Navarrete, 2012).
“Head teacher teaches and the other teacher supports”: the trainer takes the main responsibility for the lesson and teaches the material. The student of education moves among the students in the class, helps them with their work, and explains and elaborates on the material as needed (Bacharach et al., 2010; Cook & Friend, 1995; Graziano & Navarrete, 2012; Walsh & Johns, 2004).
“Parallel teaching”: In this model, both teachers teach an identical lesson simultaneously to two separate groups of students (Cook & Friend, 1995; Graziano & Navarrete, 2012; Villa, Nevin, & Thousand, 2004).
“Teaching in stations”: the trainer and student of education split up the students in the class and the content that each of them will teach. The students in the class move from one learning station to the next.
“Variable teaching”: one teacher teaches the entire class, while the second teaches a single student or a small group of students at the same time.
“Group teaching”: the trainer teacher and the student of education share the responsibility to teach the same content simultaneously to the same group of students. According to this model the teachers use the same teaching methods, such as turns, role playing, examples, etc. (Bacharach et al., 2010; Cook & Friend, 2004).
