Pre-service teachers' perceptions of co-teaching of professional development school teachers and university faculty

Abstract

Co-teaching in teacher preparation is viewed as a promising practice for fostering collaborative skills, increasing student participation, improving classroom instruction, and professional growth for all participants. Using focus group interviews as a unit of analysis, this article explores pre-service teachers' perceptions of co-teaching used in their urban education option cohort during fall 2010. The co-teaching was conducted by University professor's and professional development school teachers who taught college courses at a professional development school. Findings revealed that co-teaching was positively received although challenges also existed. The article discusses how challenges identified by pre-service teachers could be addressed and recommends additional co-teaching strategies.