Team teaching in large spaces: three case studies framed by relational agency

ABSTRACT

Despite many claimed benefits, teacher collaboration remains patchy, under-theorised, and resisted. At the same time, new large teaching spaces offer teachers opportunities to teach in teams within and across school subjects to enhance teacher and student learning. In this paper we aim to contribute to theorising the nature and means of this form of collaboration, drawing on both relevant literature and analyses of three case studies of team teaching. We found that team teaching (a) is enabled and constrained by multiple contextual factors, and (b) potentially changes and enhances the nature and scope of teacher professional learning.

KEYWORDS:

• teacher collaboration
• teacher team teaching

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [LP150100558].

Notes on contributors

Vaughan Prain

Vaughan Prain is a Professor in Science Education in the School of Education, Deakin University.

Sherridan Emery

Sherridan Emery is a Research Assistant at the University of Tasmania’s College of Arts, Law and Education.

Damon Thomas

Damon Thomas is a Senior Lecturer in English Education at the University of Tasmania’s College of Arts, Law and Education.

Valerie Lovejoy

Valerie Lovejoy is an Honorary Associate at La Trobe University.

Cathleen Farrelly

Cathleen Farrelly has a doctorate in Health Education Curriculum.

Lindy Baxter

Lindy Baxter is a Research Assistant in the School of Education, La Trobe University.

Damian Blake

Damian Blake is a Professor in Education in the School of Education, Deakin University.

Craig Deed

Craig Deed is an Associate Professor in in the School of Education, La Trobe University.

Marie-Christina Edwards

Marie–Christina Edwards is a Lecturer in the School of Education, Faculty of Professional Studies at Acadia University in Nova Scotia.

Doug Fingland

Doug Fingland is Coordinator of Communities for Children, Anglicare, Tasmania.

Amanda Mooney

Amanda Mooneyis an Associate Professor in Education in the School of Education, Deakin University.

Tracey Muir

Tracey Muir is an Associate Professor in Mathematics Education at the University of Tasmania’s College of Arts, Law and Education

Karen Swabey

Karen Swabey is a Professor in Education at the University of Tasmania’s College of Arts, Law and Education.

Russell Tytler

Russell Tytler is a Professor in Science Education in the School of Education, Deakin University.

Emma Workman

Emma Workman is a Site Director in the School of Education, Deakin University.

Tina Daniel-Zitzlaff

Tina Daniel–Zitzlaff is a doctoral student in the School of Education, Deakin University.

Joanne Henriksen

Joanne Henriksen is a lecturer in Business Education Leadership in the School of Education, Deakin University.