Collaborating Teachers as Models for Students

Authors

  • Robert Schaible Lewiston-Auburn College Author
  • Betty D. Robinson University of Southern Maine Author

Abstract

From the perspectives of functionalist, critical, and feminist educational theories, collaborative learning is superior to traditional methods of learning. This article focuses on how the advantages of collaborative learning can be extended and deep ened when team teachers self-consciously model the collaborative behaviors and values they seek to encourage in students. After surveying the findings of leading social learning theorists, the authors describe the specific collaborative behaviors they model for students and report the results of their own classroom-based research on the effects of these behaviors. The evidence showed that students observed the teachers closely and were affected by their example in ways that enhanced learning and critical thinking.

Published

2024-03-22