by: Ryan Gray
I have always been interested in the idea of team-teaching. Since the provincial government decided that the majority of educators in the province will work under a cohort model where they are primarily grouped with one other educator, why not have a look at some impacts that decision is having on educators? Have educators used their fellow cohort partner as a team teacher? Has this set up mandated by the provincial government had any impact on the professional learning of educators?
Teaching is inherently social in nature. Despite this, it has been referred to as a socially isolating profession (Hindin, Morocco, Mott & Aguilar, 2007). We spend hours with our students but we do not spend enough time reflecting, discussing and evaluating our practices with each other. Research has shown that teachers who work individually without a partner or critical friend will likely not undertake any significant change to their teaching practice (Dufour, et al, 2004). Traditionally, professional development has been dependent on input from outside experts in the form of presentations or one day seminars. Short term professional development programs are often not enough to change practice as teaching learning and development are a long-term practice (Rytivaara & Kershner, 2012).
The purpose of my research is to determine the impact of a strong relationship with their cohort or team-teaching partner on individual teaching practice. I will be collecting quantitative data to determine if teachers have a strong relationship with their cohort partner, that the relationship fosters professional development, and increases attachment to their schools.
The goal of my research is to determine if a cohort teaching model impacts individual teaching practice and connection to their school. The specific questions guiding my research are as follows:
- What are the attitudes of teachers who teach in a cohort model regarding professional learning and development?
- What are the factors that determine a strong professional relationship between teaching partners?
- What impact does cohort teaching have on teachers feeling connected to their school in a positive way?
I am still in the pre-research portion of my thesis, therefore questions about collecting data, writing a survey and interpreting data might be out of my expertise. I would invite questions about other aspects of writing a thesis: coming up with an idea, prioritizing time, difficulties and successes along the way!