This study focused on the collaborative practice of two teacher educators who implemented a co-teaching intervention with a class of 400 first-year students. The impetus for initiating co-teaching arose from the redesign of the programme and wish of the two presenters to increase the range and nature of participation of students in the large class setting.
Co-taught sessions have been a key component of the delivery of this module since 2013 when both co-teachers decided to formally evaluate this practice with two successive cohorts of students. Data sources included online student evaluations, peer observation and feedback, and teacher educators’ reflections on planning notes and review of videoed sessions.
The student cohort was very positive in terms of the effectiveness of the co-teaching approach in allowing more active engagement and helping them to understand the concepts. From the perspectives of the co-teaching lecturers and independent peer observers, co-teaching enabled greater student participation and replicated a learning context that might be more usual with much smaller groups. Further, it allowed for provision of formative feedback both during and following the co-taught sessions that would not otherwise have been feasible. Finally, it allowed the student voice to be heard within the large class context.