Learning about science teaching through co-teaching: co-teachers’ perspectives

Partnerships between schools and universities are widely promoted as effective means to support the preparation of pre-service teachers (Smedley & van Rooy, 1996). However, these partnerships are rarely conceived in terms of school-based teachers working in the university context as co-teachers. Co-teaching has become a significant aspect of the Science Teacher Education Program at Monash University. In this context, co-teachers are practicing science teachers who work with the science teacher educators, bringing their practical expertise and classroom currency to co-teach in the science method units. In this study, we investigated co-teacher learning from their experiences of working in teacher education, including impact on their thinking about science teaching and learning to teach, and their classroom practice. Data was collected from 4 co-teachers across one academic year, including an initial survey, a final interview, and documentation from planning meetings. Data was thematically analysed. Findings indicate that co-teachers’ learning occurred in two main ways: accumulating new activities and teaching procedures for use in their own classes or to share with colleagues, and reflecting on their own knowledge development and purposes for teaching science. Interestingly, a focus on co-teachers’ own learning emerged as strongly from the data as their learning about pre-service teachers.