Changes in attitudes and willingness to use co-teaching through pre-service teacher training experiences

Abstract

Although the benefits of co-teaching are emphasised in the literature, implementing it is still problematic. Teacher training is necessary to change attitudes and encourage its use, but training alone is not enough. Opportunities to practice it must exist to appreciate the benefits for both pupils and teachers. This study focuses on pre-service training. Three groups of student teachers were created: one group received conceptual training only, another received conceptual training and the opportunity to co-teach, and a third group received initial conceptual training and explanations on its use from a member of the second group. An explicative sequential mixed design was chosen, which combines a quantitative study, conducted on a pre-post basis to compare test results on attitude and willingness to use co-teaching, with a qualitative study to analyse co-teaching student-teachers’ perceptions in both their own learning experience and the learning experience of the pupils. The results show that those who received only conceptual train- ing modified their attitudes to a lesser degree and curiously, those in the group receiving explanations from a peer improved the most.