Introducing Co-Teaching and Co-Generative Dialogues in a Pre-Service Teaching Practicum: Stepping in and Remaining Contradictions

Abstract

This article reports on collaborative teaching practices and co-generative dialogues incorporated into a Master of Arts (MA) in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) practicum at a large northeastern U.S. university with a focus on uncovering the processes associated with learning-to-teach. The paper describes the contents of the existing pre-service teaching practicum as well as the supplementary activities that were introduced. The article presents two main findings: (1) Co-teaching opportunities provided critical support to the pre-service teachers as they began teaching, and (2) Although the co-generative dialogues were set up to mediate a reflexive dialogue around the nature of teaching, we found that the pre-service teachers retained some teaching beliefs that were in conflict with those of the mentors even at the end of the practicum. Despite the extended opportunities to discuss their respective teaching beliefs, the mentors were not prepared to deal with the pre-service teachers' unresolved concerns, which bears important implications for how to prepare mentors to work with novices in the context of an MA TESL practicum.

Using Discourse Analysis to Understand the Relationships and Practices of Pre-service Co-teachers

“…While models of co-teaching are emerging at universities across the country (Arshavskaya, 2014;Perry, 2016), few studies exist that explore pre-service co-teaching grounded in the experience in a fully functioning co-taught classroom. In a co-taught classroom, the teacher candidate and mentor teacher share instructional space, materials, and other resources, during year-long placements.…”

“…Heckert, Strieker, and Shaheen (2013) reported on the following benefits of pre-service co-teaching, including: (a) mentor-modeling of experienced mentor teachers; (b) reciprocal relationships; (c) smooth transition of responsibility from the mentor teacher to the teacher candidate; and (d) increased ability to meet the needs of all students. More recently, research indicates that co-teaching may provide heightened efficacy and support to pre-service teachers as they develop their own thinking and beliefs around critical aspects of teaching (Arshavskaya, 2014). Further, current research suggests that co-teaching improves the candidates' efficacy in developing instructional strategies, in generating student engagement, and in classroom management (Perry, 2016).…”