Abstract




Instructors' Experiences of Collaborative Teaching: Building Something Bigger

Jessica N. Lester
The University of Tennessee
(jlester5@utk.edu)

Katherine R. Evans
The University of Tennessee
(kevans18@utk.edu)


Abstract:
Instructors often teach in isolation with very little collegial interaction guiding their practice. In light of the research that exists identifying the value of collaboration within learning environments, the merits of such isolated practice must be questioned. Even though collaboration within educational settings has been identified as critical to the development of both instructors and students, highly collaborative approaches to team teaching have not been fully explored. The purpose of this study was to examine our own experience as team teachers in a team taught, educational psychology course. Through a phenomenological analysis of our lived experiences as instructors engaged in collaboratively teaching an undergraduate course, we gained understanding of the benefits of team teaching within a broader context. A thematic structure emerged that captured our experience of the process of co-teaching. This shared thematic structure consisted of one ground theme, named we didn’t have a manual for this/finding our way through, and five themes, each providing insight into how we made sense of team teaching. The five emergent themes were (a) You can’t shoot from the hip; (b) Following and leading . . . all of us together; (c) If we walk away disagreeing, is it okay?; (d) The presence of another pushed us to go deeper; and (e) You build something bigger. Implications for the use of team teaching in higher education are also explored, highlighting the value of collaborative praxis.






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