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An in-depth study of six United States history classes utilizing team teaching

The purpose of this study was to investigate the team-taught United States history programs in six Indiana schools. The research was designed to obtain information that would apply to the following seven hypotheses:1. When team teaching is used, there will be evidence of joint-planning to implement instruction.2. Team teaching will result in technical aids being used fifty per cent of the time.3. Team teaching will restructure the course content upon the use of multi-texts and supplementary printed materials.4. Team teaching will utilize student groups that vary in size depending upon the learning activities.5. Team teaching will involve the utilization of special teacher skills as teachers perform their tasks in large group presentations, small group work and independent study.6. Team teaching will result in students who express a positive attitude toward the class activities.7. Team teaching will emphasize the mastery of basic study skills.The sample consisted of team-taught United States history programs found in six Indiana schools. Data was collected from five principals, twelve teachers and eight hundred and twenty-one students.One method used to collect data, consisted of interviewing the principals, teachers, and selected students. In addition to the interviews, the teachers checked a questionnaire, and all of the students marked an opinionnaire. The responses were classified according to the various hypotheses.A summarization of the findings in light of the responses follows:1. Team teaching did not assure that co-operative planning would occur either with other teachers or students.2. Team teachers did not use any of the technical aids fifty per cent of the time, but both teachers and students mentioned the use of technical aids during the interviews. The two aids most frequently used were the 16mm and overhead projectors.3. Team teaching did not assure that instruction would be changed from one that is textbook-centered in content.4. Student group size did vary in each school; however, the change in the number of students in the groups did not alter the teacher-centered instruction.5. Though team teaching advocates often state that teacher capability will be better utilized, there was no evidence that any school was making an effort to determine the most capable person for the tasks to be executed.6. The students did express a positive attitude toward most of the team program, particularly the small group activity.7. There was evidence of emphasis upon skill mastery in only one school, and in this school the activities were the result of teacher-assigned reports.Among the conclusions drawn from the study the writer states that team teaching, as practiced in the schools in the study, did not result in co-operative planning by students and teachers, student involvement in learning activities, student-centered instruction, or study skills being emphasized. Students did have a positive attitude toward the small group activities, and team teachers and students frequently mentioned the use of technical aids-especially the 16mm projector. The teams that seemed to function most smoothly were the ones in which the teachers had time for extensive planning prior to the actual beginning of the school year. Finally, the ability of teachers to work together with other teachers loomed highly significant to the apparent success of the team-taught program.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/181488
Date January 1971
CreatorsTrout, Harold Clyde
ContributorsSchreiber, Joan E.
Source SetsBall State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
Formatv, 120 leaves ; 28 cm.
SourceVirtual Press
Coveragen-us---

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