A teaching team: More than the sum of its
parts
Category:
Refereed
Professional Practice
Lorraine Day and Derek Hurrell
University of Notre Dame Australia
Lorraine.Day@nd.edu.au, Derek.Hurrell@nd.edu.au
Team teaching is not a new idea with a history spanning more than 40 years. It is an enduring idea
yet its practice would not be the norm in most Australian school settings and across most content
areas. This paper discusses the experiences of two educators who were given the opportunity to
team teach in the area of mathematics education at a tertiary institution. It explores some of the
challenges and joys of working in an educational environment which celebrates discourse,
questioning and risk taking while modelling a collaborative approach for students.
Keywords: team teaching, professional practice, pedagogy, tertiary teaching, dialogic teaching
As part of a mathematics specialisation pathway for (predominantly third year) undergraduate preservice teachers, a unit in primary school statistics, probability and algebra was offered. A total of 29
students were involved in this unit and were split into two tutorial workshops of three hour duration
over a 13 week time span. Two mathematics educators were allocated to facilitate one workshop of the
unit each and the decision was made to team teach the workshops.
For the purposes of this paper team teaching will be defined as a group of two or more teachers
working together to plan, conduct and evaluate the learning for the same group of learners (Deighton,
1971).
Six models of team teaching have been identified by Maroney (1995) and Robinson and Schaible
(1995) and team teaching usually involves a combination of these models dependent on the particular
teachers and learners. For a description of the features of these models see Table 1.
Table 1: Models of team teaching
Model
Features
Traditional team teaching
•
Collaborative teaching
•
•
Complementary team teaching/
Supportive team teaching
•
Parallel instruction
•
Differentiated split class
•
•
Monitoring teacher
•
Teachers actively share the instruction of content and skills to all
students
Team teachers work together in designing the course and teach the
material not by the usual monologue, but rather by exchanging and
discussing ideas and theories in front of the learners
The course uses group learning techniques for the learners, such as
small-group work and student-led discussion
One teacher is responsible for teaching the content to the students,
while the other teacher takes charge of providing follow-up
activities on related topics or on study skills
Class is divided into two groups and each teacher is responsible for
teaching the same material to his/her smaller group
Dividing the class into smaller groups according to learning needs
Each educator provides the respective group with the instruction
required to meet their learning needs
One teacher assumes the responsibility for instructing the entire
class, while the other teacher circulates the room and monitors
student understanding and behaviour
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The mathematics educators involved in this project made the conscious decision that the elements of
the traditional, collaborative and monitoring teaching models would underpin the learning
environment.
In order to facilitate this team teaching approach, the authors engaged in a four stage process.
Stage 1: Pre-planning
In the case of this study the mathematics educators (the authors of this paper) knew each other well
and had over a period of time had ample opportunity to express their pedagogical beliefs and their
attitudes towards teaching and learning. The agreement of outcomes and pedagogy to achieve those
outcomes was an extremely important step in the development of a cohesive team teaching approach.
The planning, delivery and assessment of the required outcomes had a cohesive quality which meant
that there was no ‘hint’ of a divergence of purpose and that the students received a clear articulation of
not only the learning journey they were taking but how that journey would unfold. That is, if two
disparate pieces of pedagogy were employed which seemingly undermined the validity of each other it
is more than likely that the content would be obfuscated. It was also clear that unless the outcomes
were clearly articulated and understood by all members of the team, the capacity to flexibly respond to
student needs might be hampered.
Although the situation may not allow for a choice to be made, for example where teachers are put
together through a particular need of a work environment, it was advantageous that the members of the
team had a respect for each other and have personalities which allow them to work together. This does
not mean that disagreements did not happen, and in the planning stage some disagreements are
probably both inevitable and also desirable as they facilitate reflection on what is being proposed, but
these disagreements needed to remain on a professional level.
Stage 2: Planning
This stage of the team teaching should be one that is as pleasant, challenging and rewarding as the
teaching itself. Joint planning was needed, though this did not mean that the distribution of
responsibility in each phase of the planning was equal. At certain times one member took the lead in
the planning with the other member adding to the richness of the plan through suggestions. The roles
were then reversed in a different part of the planning. However the planning was achieved, both voices
needed to be heard and an acknowledgement of all points of view were necessarily included. Again,
the pre-planning stage had great importance in building a prior agreement in outcomes and pedagogy,
as an understanding of the common way forward was paramount. A slightly diverging opinion could
be expressed but it could not be allowed to be counter to the general direction of the teaching and
learning.
Given that in any one tutorial session there may be, and in this particular circumstance always was,
more than one ‘part’ (i.e. activity, discussion, feedback session, reading etc.) then a broad plan of who
would facilitate each part was required. This allowed the opportunity to discuss not only what the
content was to be but also how the lesson would flow. Issues such as the order of the activities to best
draw out the learning required and the value of keeping the same person delivering for the sake of
continuity or bringing a ‘fresh’ voice to the discussion, needed consideration.
It was this model of one person leading and the other supporting that the authors decided to adopt. In
planning for the delivery of the learning, one person would take the role of the leader for a particular
part of the lesson and be charged with preparing the materials, planning the delivery and having a
clearly defined set of outcomes. This was then brought forward for discussion and any fine tuning took
place. It was also at this time that any possible ‘value adding’ from the second teacher might be
discussed. The ‘value adding’ might be where an area of expertise or experience might be brought to
bear to add authenticity or clarity to the situation.
Day & Hurrell
It should be noted that the construct of the leader and supporter roles to facilitate planning and
delivery is not the only manner in which to team teach. There may be compelling reasons to share the
planning and delivery in a manner where both teachers are equally sharing the delivery of the very
same materials. The authors of this paper did not feel that this was a model with which they would be
comfortable as it could lead to some dislocation of message. It is also a model which seemed to lend
itself to the need for a much tighter ‘script’ and this did not suit the preferred style of delivery of the
authors as it may have detracted from the degree of spontaneity.
At this stage it was also important to determine the assessment tools which would be employed in the
course. There needed to be a consensus not only on what was to be assessed, but the method of
assessment, the rubric used to grade the assessment and who would design the assessment. Agreeing
on these matters at this stage eased much of the possible consternation down the track and sharpened
the focus all parties had regarding the intended outcomes.
Stage 3: Implementing
If the presence of a second person in the classroom did not alter the manner in which the teaching and
learning environment operated then questions need to be raised as to the efficacy of having the second
person present. Having an extra ‘body’ sitting passively in the back of the classroom would maintain
the common paradigm of the teacher/student relationship but would not exploit the possible
advantages of the second person.
Dialogic possibilities
One of the advantages of having more than one teacher in the classroom was that the “position of the
knowing teacher/teachers is diffused” (Game & Metcalfe, 2009, p. 46). This situated the teachers as
learners and thinkers who did not necessarily have complete knowledge and highlighted the learning
process itself. Having the teachers ask questions, bounce ideas, raise hypotheses and make new
connections created a learning space which encouraged the students to engage and gave ‘permission’
for them to do the same.
There was also the prospect of getting into what Anderson and Speck (1998) call a ‘respectful debate’.
That is a debate which is professional, collegial and expert. This was a powerful demonstration to the
students that disagreements can be had, and can be discussed without rancour and that different
perspectives can be brought to bear on the same situation.
The teachers had to be careful that the sessions did not become a dialogue just between them, no
matter how fascinating they found the topic under discussion, at the centre of that discussion had to be
the learning of the students. Therefore the students needed to be included in, and perhaps take over the
debate as quickly as possible and feel an integral part of the intellectual discourse.
Questioning
There is abundant research that indicates good questioning to be a vital component in the teaching and
learning environment. In the busy classroom situation where there are competing draws on the teacher
(answering questions, delivering the required content, monitoring the available time, organising the
distribution of materials etc.), even experienced teachers could miss the opportunity to ask probing
questions. The second person in the classroom had the time to first of all recognise the need for the
question through observation of uncertainty amongst some of the students or perhaps an overheard
remark or through seeing a note that had been taken that had misinterpreted what had been said, and
then the time to construct an appropriate question.
In a classroom with dialogic possibilities, the phrasing of this question by the support teacher could
then be enhanced, explained or explored by the leading teacher. Fundamentally there was a greater
chance that the question would in the first place be asked and that the quality of the question would be
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enhanced. Game and Metcalfe (2009) suggested that team teaching assists in opening the questioning
process.
Open questions can be quite challenging for some teachers, allowing a situation to exist where the
answer may not immediately be known may be uncomfortable. The situation of having a second
teacher in the classroom alleviated this discomfort somewhat in that the clarification or answering of
the question could be taken on by the second person. Again, the capacity to sit back and reflect on the
question could be an enormous advantage, as was having two knowledge sets to draw upon. Also, the
capacity to admit a lack of knowledge about something reinforced the teacher as a co-learner with the
students, a co-learner who was willing to admit areas of uncertainty and pursue understanding.
Modelling
Team teaching provides an opportunity for teachers to model learning for students. Team members
continue to learn from each other about content and pedagogy throughout the team teaching
experience (Shibley, 2006). The students in this unit believed that the modelling of exemplary
pedagogy was one of the most valuable aspects of the unit. The modelling of mutual respect and a
genuine concern for the learning process, where teachers and students were engaged in an intellectual
exchange, encouraged motivation and deep learning (Hanusch, Obijiofor & Volcic, 2009).
Furthermore, the modelling of a collegial approach was an important element for students to
appreciate. The benefits of working collaboratively were essential learning for students to take with
them into schools.
Developing ideas
Just as even an experienced teacher may miss the opportunity to ask a probing question, they also may
not always fully exploit an idea to fully realise its potential. Again the opportunity to take a ‘back seat’
in the teaching allowed for a second person to reflect on what was being offered and ‘value add’ to the
situation by offering a question, an anecdote or perhaps even introducing an activity. This allowed
connections of knowledge to form from the joint dialogue prompting teachers to begin from new
starting points that arose in the class (Game & Metcalfe, 2009). The potential here was for immediate
further development of the idea, but this did not always have to be the case. It resulted sometimes in
some notes being taken to plan for future learning to take place.
Working to strengths
As mentioned previously, having a second person in the classroom allowed the students to view the
teachers as co-learners. It also afforded the opportunity to draw on any particular strength that each of
the teachers may have. In the case of the authors, one of the authors came from a background of
predominantly teaching in secondary classrooms and the other from a predominantly primary school
background. This meant for instance, that illustrations of good practice could be authentically drawn
from either or both of these environments. Similarly there could be an instance where one of the
teachers had a better knowledge and understanding of the content of a course and the other a stronger
understanding of pedagogical issues. This sharing of perspectives and experiences assisted in creating
a learning environment rich in knowledge (Carpenter, Crawford & Walden, 2007). The synthesis of
these two strengths could only be of benefit to the students by providing a creative learning
environment.
Communicating with students
Just as children sometimes play their parents off against each other, there is the potential for students
to play their teachers off against each other in a team teaching environment. It was vital that any
student communications outside the classroom were discussed and agreed upon by members of the
team. This ensured a consistent approach so that students knew exactly where they stood and they
could see that all team members were ‘copied in’. This was especially important when members of the
team were providing advice and feedback on assessment items.
Day & Hurrell
Assessing student work
After determining what was to be assessed and how that would be accomplished at the pre-planning
stage, the discussion of who would complete what assessment was entered into. Yet another positive
of the team teaching approach was that just as teachers could draw on each other’s strengths in the
delivery of the materials they could also draw on each other’s strengths in the realm of assessment.
In the case of the authors, it was decided that there would be three assessment pieces required of the
students in completing the course. Due to University policy one of these was an examination and two
were in the form of assignments. Although both teachers were involved in creating the topics and
questions for the assignments and the ensuing marking rubric by which the marks would be allocated,
one teacher took the duty of marking one assignment and the second assignment was marked by the
other teacher. This allowed firstly for a uniformity in the expectations for the assessments and a
consistency in the manner in which marks were awarded. Equally important was that on more than one
occasion the advice of the supporting teacher was asked in order to clarify a student’s response to a
question. This was seen as a way of moderating the response that the lead teacher might supply, or
equally add strength to the reasons behind perhaps not accepting a student’s thesis and perhaps
delivering a low mark.
Stage 4: Reflecting
After each session a short amount of time was set aside for the purpose of reflecting upon the lesson
just completed. Research regarding reflective practice is clear in that it is a major contributor to
becoming an ‘effective’ teacher. However, when being the single teacher in a class, the demands of
the classroom sometimes means that reflection in practice is not feasible and reflection on practice
becomes problematic. Clearly a second reflective practitioner can remind a teacher of instances of
engagement (or lack of it) and incidences, both positive and negative, which may have escaped their
attention, due to dealing with other demands of teaching. This is what Anderson and Landy (2006,
cited in Leavitt, 2006) descriptively called “testing the pulse of the course” (p. 3).
This reflection was essential in that it could help steer the content, pedagogy and discussions that
would form the subsequent sessions, it also brought focus to the quality of interactions between the
teachers involved, as well as the teachers and the students. There was a natural sense of addressing the
question of “Is this working?” and an opportunity to make adjustments, small or large, as required.
Conclusion
The feedback received from students throughout and at the conclusion of the unit was positive. They
appreciated the dual perspectives, the modelling of collegial pedagogy and the flexibility of approach
that the team teaching allowed. Having two voices in the room heightened their engagement,
especially as the workshops were three hours in duration. The students saw that although the
pedagogical approaches were similar, that each member of the team brought their own personality and
range of experiences to the class. Having two people in the class allowed students to seek clarification
from the other teacher if they had not understood a concept presented by the lead teacher. It also
provided the students with an opportunity to see true collaboration in action.
Circumstances do not always offer the opportunity for team teaching to be possible. Sometimes this is
through a lack of resources in a work environment, sometimes a lack of will and sometimes a lack of
understanding about the process and the rewards it can bring. There is no doubt that at first view the
preparation required to make team teaching work effectively can seem quite daunting but the rewards
from a personal and professional viewpoint more than mitigate this.
Although the experience described in this paper was situated in a mathematics education setting, the
modelling of collaborative pedagogy and the flexibility of approach enabled by the team teaching
environment, could lend itself to any learning area. The feedback from students, coupled with the
reflection of the authors, see the benefits of this approach as generic rather than subject specific.
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From the perspective of both of the authors of this paper, the opportunity to engage in a team teaching
environment has been one of the more rewarding educational experiences in careers as teachers
spanning more than 30 years. The opportunity to model for students the kind of educational
environment which celebrates discourse, questioning and risk taking has been liberating. The chance
to work with another person who shares a passion for not only a learning area but learning itself has
been validating. The prospect of enhancing both content and pedagogy, and ultimately strengthening
pedagogical content knowledge through listening, observing and entering into discussions with a
knowledgeable colleague has been a marvellous learning opportunity.
References
Anderson, R. S. & Speck, B. W. (1998). Oh what a difference a team makes: Why team teaching
makes a difference. Teaching and Teacher Education, 14(7), 671-686.
Carpenter, D. M., Crawford, L. & Walden, R. (2007). Testing the efficacy of team teaching. Learning
Environments Research, 10(1), 53-65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10984-007-9019-y
Deighton, L. C. (1971). The encyclopedia of education. New York: Macmillan.
Game, A. & Metcalfe, A. (2009). Dialogue and team teaching. Higher Education Research &
Development, 28(1), 45-57.
Hanusch, F., Obijiofor, L. & Volcic, Z. (2009). Theoretical and practical issues in team-teaching a
large undergraduate class. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education,
21(1), 66-74.
Leavitt, M. C. (2006). Team teaching: Benefits and challenges. Speaking of Teaching, 16(1), 1-4.
Maroney, S. (1995). Team teaching. Retrieved from
http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfsam1/TeamTchg.html
Robinson, B. & Schaible, R. (1995). Collaborative teaching: Reaping the benefits. College Teaching,
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Shibley, I. A. (2006). Interdisciplinary team teaching: Negotiating pedagogical differences. College
Teaching, 54(3), 271-274.
Please cite as: Day, L. & Hurrell, D. (2012). A teaching team: More than the sum of its parts. In
Creating an inclusive learning environment: Engagement, equity, and retention. Proceedings of the
21st Annual Teaching Learning Forum, 2-3 February 2012. Perth: Murdoch University.
http://otl.curtin.edu.au/tlf/tlf2012/refereed/day.pdf