Using Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development to propose and test an explanatory model for conceptualising coteaching in pre-service science teacher education

Abstract

Coteaching offers a model for the school-placement element of pre-service science teacher education, based on its demonstrated positive impacts on lessening classroom anxiety, supporting inquiry-based science teaching, improving students’ attitudes, and addressing diversity effectively in science classrooms. Coteaching between pre-service and in-service teachers is used to lessen the gap between theory and practice, to develop reflective practice and to develop pedagogical content knowledge. Explanatory frameworks have been proposed for coteaching, and we suggest that Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development helps to propose a more nuanced developmental and learning explanatory framework which provides pedagogical structures for implementation and highlights the importance of the social environment for learning. In providing structure and tools for effective implementation of coteaching, our model addresses three core elements of coteaching: coplanning, copractice, and coevaluation. The model was piloted in relation to pre-service teachers’ development in reflective practice and reducing the gap between theory and classroom practice.

Keywords:

• coteaching
• pre-service teacher education
• Vygotsky
• zone of proximal development

Additional information

Funding

Most of the coteaching research carried out by Professor Murphy was generously funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) who have published a teacher professional development resource based on coteaching at: http://www.pstt.org.uk/ext/cpd/coteaching/index.html

Notes on contributors

Colette Murphy

Colette Murphy is a Professor of Science Education at Trinity College Dublin. She co-edited the seminal text: Coteaching in International Contexts: Research and Practice.

Kathryn Scantlebury

Kathryn Scantlebury is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Delaware and Director of Secondary Education.

Catherine Milne

Catherine Milne is Professor at New York University. She is the author of The Invention of Science and co-editor-in-chief of the journal Cultural Studies of Science Education.