Researching teacher learning: the contribution of co-teaching

Formal placements on initial teacher education programmes focus on the students’ learning and, in some contexts, co-operating teachers are involved formally as mentors in this process. Traditionally in Ireland, the location of this research, co-operating teachers had no formal or recognized role on...

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Main Author: Ó Conaill, Neil
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41920/
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author Ó Conaill, Neil
author_facet Ó Conaill, Neil
author_sort Ó Conaill, Neil
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Formal placements on initial teacher education programmes focus on the students’ learning and, in some contexts, co-operating teachers are involved formally as mentors in this process. Traditionally in Ireland, the location of this research, co-operating teachers had no formal or recognized role on placement. However, recent policy changes (Teaching Council, 2011) recognize the significant contribution which co-operating teachers can make to the student on placement. In the context of this policy change, this research examines how a co-teaching model of placement promotes the learning of the student teacher and of the co-operating teacher, thereby redefining the roles assumed by both on traditional placements. Following a case study approach in the qualitative paradigm, this research documents the experience of four co-teaching partnerships, each comprised of a final year student teacher and an experienced teacher. Data gathered included semi-structured interviews, planning templates, reflections and vignettes and these were analysed to determine how co-teaching compared with formal placements as a learning to teach experience, how each co-teacher learned from the other and how each co-teacher considered they contributed to the others’ learning. The research concluded that professional dialogue between students and co-operating teachers was enhanced when the placement model promoted and expected such dialogue, as opposed to leaving it at the participants’ discretion. The students to a greater extent than the teachers, were able to articulate the professional knowledge which they developed in the course of co-teaching. In light of the policy focus on the role of the co-operating teacher, the implications of these findings, at an immediate practice level and at a national policy level are considered and areas of further research are also identified.
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spelling nottingham-419202025-02-28T13:44:30Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41920/ Researching teacher learning: the contribution of co-teaching Ó Conaill, Neil Formal placements on initial teacher education programmes focus on the students’ learning and, in some contexts, co-operating teachers are involved formally as mentors in this process. Traditionally in Ireland, the location of this research, co-operating teachers had no formal or recognized role on placement. However, recent policy changes (Teaching Council, 2011) recognize the significant contribution which co-operating teachers can make to the student on placement. In the context of this policy change, this research examines how a co-teaching model of placement promotes the learning of the student teacher and of the co-operating teacher, thereby redefining the roles assumed by both on traditional placements. Following a case study approach in the qualitative paradigm, this research documents the experience of four co-teaching partnerships, each comprised of a final year student teacher and an experienced teacher. Data gathered included semi-structured interviews, planning templates, reflections and vignettes and these were analysed to determine how co-teaching compared with formal placements as a learning to teach experience, how each co-teacher learned from the other and how each co-teacher considered they contributed to the others’ learning. The research concluded that professional dialogue between students and co-operating teachers was enhanced when the placement model promoted and expected such dialogue, as opposed to leaving it at the participants’ discretion. The students to a greater extent than the teachers, were able to articulate the professional knowledge which they developed in the course of co-teaching. In light of the policy focus on the role of the co-operating teacher, the implications of these findings, at an immediate practice level and at a national policy level are considered and areas of further research are also identified. 2017-07-19 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41920/1/Neil%20%C3%93%20Conaill%20EdD%20Thesis%20April%202017.pdf Ó Conaill, Neil (2017) Researching teacher learning: the contribution of co-teaching. EdD thesis, University of Nottingham. co-teaching school placement student teacher co-operating teacher professional knowledge mentoring
spellingShingle co-teaching
school placement
student teacher
co-operating teacher
professional knowledge
mentoring
Ó Conaill, Neil
Researching teacher learning: the contribution of co-teaching
title Researching teacher learning: the contribution of co-teaching
title_full Researching teacher learning: the contribution of co-teaching
title_fullStr Researching teacher learning: the contribution of co-teaching
title_full_unstemmed Researching teacher learning: the contribution of co-teaching
title_short Researching teacher learning: the contribution of co-teaching
title_sort researching teacher learning: the contribution of co-teaching
topic co-teaching
school placement
student teacher
co-operating teacher
professional knowledge
mentoring
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41920/