TEAM TEACHING: Dr. M.G. Sajjanar KLE Society`s College of Education Hubballi

Team - teaching is being used to bring the improvements in teaching –learning process. The present day education system has increased the responsibilities of the teacher. The teacher has to teach the same content every year. This develops alienation and disinterest in the teacher. In spite of such tendencies of the teacher, he has to teach. In such conditions, the need of team teaching arises.

MEANING AND DEFINITION OF TEAM TEACHING:

carlo olson: “An instructional situation where two or more teachers possessing complementary teaching skills, cooperatively plan and implement the instruction for a single group of students using flexible scheduling and grouping techniques to meet the particular instruction.”

David Warwick: Team- teaching is a form of an organization. In which individual teachers decide to post resources, interest and expertise in order to devise and implement the scheme of work suitable to the need of their pupils and facilities of their school.

ANOTHER DEFINITION An arrangement whereby two or more teachers, with or without teaching-aids, co-operativlely plan, instruct, evaluate one or more class—groups in an appropriate instructional space and given length of time so as to take advantages of special competencies of the team members.

In the reference of above definitions, it can be concluded that the team-teaching is a form of an organization. The teachers participating in the team teaching decide or determine their activities themselves. In spite of this, the teachers assemble all the resources, interests and expertise. Hence, the team teaching is a well – organized system of teaching in which many teachers impart instructions to a group of students in a cooperative manner. These teachers plan the teaching and execute it for the group of students cooperatively.

In the team-teaching, the plan of the teaching methods, time and the process are kept flexible so that the necessary changes in the program of the team teaching can be brought about according to the teaching objectives and abilities of the teachers.

CHARACTERSTICS OF TEAM TEACHING

Team - teaching is considered a teaching method.

In this type of task, two or more teachers participate in the teaching.

Team teaching is based on cooperation. All the teachers participating in the team teaching apply their resources, abilities and experiences.

All the teachers involved in the team teaching plan teaching cooperatively and execute it cooperatively. In spite of this, evaluation is also done on cooperative basis.

In the team- teaching process, the needs of the pupils and schools and existing resources are also considered.

In the team teaching various aspects of any topic of one subject is taught by two or more teachers turn by turn.

The main aim of team-teaching is to make the teaching-learning more effective.

In team teaching, isolation among the teachers is removed.

In team teaching, the entire responsibility does not fall on one teacher only but it is shared by others too. Hence, this method is based on collective responsibility.

The teachers decide their activities themselves in the team teaching.

Team teaching is a technique of creating instructional conditions

The plan of team-teaching is flexible.

OBJECTIVES OF TEAM TEACHING

1. To make best use of attractive abilities, their interests and expertise in teacher’s community.

2. To make the class-room teaching effective according to the interests and capacities of the pupils.

3. To encourage flexibility in grouping the pupils. In this, the grouping of the pupils in a subject is done according to the interests and aptitudes of the pupils.

4. To increase the quality of the instruction.

PRINCIPLES OF TEAM TEACHING :

TIME FACTOR: In team- teaching, the duration should be decided on the basis of subject’s importance. To allot much time to an unimportant subject makes the team teaching in – effective.

LEVEL OF INSTRUCTION: During team teaching, before imparting instruction to the pupils, the initial behaviors of the learners must be observed and the level of the instructions should be according to the pupils.

SUPERVISION: The type and the method of supervision depends upon the objective of the group. Therefore the objectives of the group must be kept in mind at the time of supervision.

SIZE AND COMPOSITION: In the present times, the fixed size of the class is an old story now. The size of the group changes according to the objectives of the team-teaching. Therefore the size and composition of the group of the pupils should be appropriate according to the objectives of the group and learning experiences.

DUTIES ASSIGNED TO TEACHERS SHOULD BE APPROPRIATE It is necessary for team teaching that the division of duties and responsibilities of the teachers should be appropriate. These duties should be assigned to them according to their academic merit, interests and their personality traits. Hence, in team teaching, the team members are selected very carefully.

6.LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: The team teaching is successful if a proper learning environment is provided, such as a provision of library, laboratory, workshop etc.

TYPES OF TEAM TEACHING:

A TEAM OF TEACHERS FROM A SINGLE DEPARTMENT. In such classification, teachers come from a single department. Such type of arrangement is done for secondary and higher secondary classes. It is possible only if there are more than one teacher for one subject.

A TEAM OF TEACHERS FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS OF SINGLE INSTITUTION; In this classification, a team of teachers of different subjects is formed and such team is used in training institutions, such as teachers in Psychology, Philosophy and Sociology etc. are included in a team and the teaching task is organized very easily. For example, training of B.Ed.,M.Ed. etc. In short, team teaching encourages interdisciplinary teaching.

A TEAM OF TEACHERS FROM A SINGLE DEPARTMENT OF VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS.: In such team teachings, specialists from other institutions are also invited. Such team teaching can be managed at every level and for every topic. This provision of team teaching proves much useful where there is only one subject teacher such team-teaching encourages cooperative teaching. The effective use of this team-teaching becomes more possible in that city where there are more than one training institutions.

PROCEDURE OF TEAM TEACHING :

PLANNING : this step, the plan of the team -teaching is prepared. In order to prepare a plan of team- teaching, the following activities are; To determine the objectives of team teaching. To write the objectives of team teaching in behavioral terms. To identify entering behaviors of pupils. To decide the topics for teaching. To prepare an outline for teaching a topic.

To assign duties to the teachers looking at the interests of the pupils and their skills. To determine the level of the instructions. To decide the evaluation techniques. To create learning environment and teaching material. A comprehensive plan of team teaching is prepared keeping in mind the above activities.

ORGANISATION: For organizing team - teaching, the objectives are kept in mind. In spite of these objectives, the difficulties of the pupils and their needs are also kept in mind. While organizing team- teaching. The following activities are performed: In order to decide the level of the instruction, teacher asks some initial questions only then he can set the level of the instruction. Keeping in view the pupils knowledge of the language, the communication technique is selected

The teacher delivers lead lecture and the other member teachers of the team listen to it. They note down the important points too. They note those points specifically which are difficult for the pupils to understand them. Then the other teachers of the team also deliver lectures and clarify various elements. Pupils activities are reinforced. The teacher encourages the pupils. During these lectures, the pupils are asked to perform certain tasks in the class. It is the important task of the team teaching.

EVALUATION OF THE RESULTS This step is considered important in the process of team teaching. In this step, the evaluation occurs with the reference to the achievement of objectives on the basis of performance of the pupils. It is observed whether the objectives have been achieved or not. In this step, the following activities are performed: Decision is taken regarding the achievement of objectives and performance by the pupils. Necessary modifications are introduced in the planning and organization phase on the basis of evaluation.

For evaluation, oral and written questions and practical methods are followed. Each question evaluates some objective. The shortcomings and problems of the pupils are diagnosed and remedied.. Hence, the results of the evaluation phase function as reinforcement in the pupils and the teachers. Various institutions adopt the process of team-teaching according to their own resources and objectives

ADVANTAGES OF TEAM TEACHING :

QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION : The main utility of team teaching is the improvement in the quality of instruction.

2. ECONOMICAL : Team teaching is also economically useful. It is also economical in terms of time and energy. It also helps in maintaining the discipline in the class.

3. EXPOSURE OF GROUP TO MORE SPECIALISTS : The team-teaching’s main contribution is that the pupils can have maximum opportunities of facing maximum specialists. Hence, the pupils can gain the advantages of specific knowledge of the different teachers.

4. DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROFESSIONAL STATUS OF THE TEACHER: Team teaching also develops the professional status of the teachers because this provides them the opportunity of reading new literature. In team teaching, the teacher himself labours hard.

5. DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RELATIONS: Human relations are very essential for social adjustment. The traditional teaching lacks human relations. Team – teaching provides opportunities of developing human relations.

6. OPPORTUNITY FOR FREE DISCUSSION: Team-teaching provides many opportunities to the member-students for participating in the discussion. It provides stimulus to the ideas of the pupils and teachers. Team teaching develops the strong will and responsibility of participating among the pupils and teachers.

7. FLEXIBILITY : By Team –teaching, the school building, school staff and other resources of the school can be used very flexibly. Team teaching helps in getting rid off traditional time-table

8. EVALUATION: Team-teaching can be best utilized in the step of evaluation. In this, all the teachers get opportunity of evaluating the task of every teacher. Essential suggestions can be provided so that the necessary modifications can be applied. In the traditional teaching system, no teacher bothers for the task of the other teacher. By team teaching all the teachers can be assembled and they can be told about their teaching.

LIMITATIONS OF TEAM TEACHING:

1. COSTLY METHOD : Team learning is costlier than the traditional teaching. Per head, its cost is more than the traditional teaching.

LACK OF ACCOMMODATION : More rooms and furniture are required in team teaching in comparison to the traditional teaching. The rooms should be spacious too. Traditional teaching lacks sufficient and spacious rooms. Hence, due to the scarcity of space and building, the effectiveness of the team-teaching becomes doubtful.

3. LACK OF CO-OPERATION : The basis of the team teaching is cooperation. But sometimes teachers hesitate to cooperate with other teachers. Hence, in the team teaching, cooperation from all the teachers cannot be expected.

4. DELEGATION OF POWER AND RESPONSIBILITIES : Team –teaching needs the division of powers and responsibilities which are lacking in the present school management because no manager will like to delegate his powers.

5. DISREGRAD TO THE DYNAMICS OF SMALL GROUP : No specific type of guidance can be imparted in team-teaching because during team teaching school staff cannot function like a football team

6. LACK OF RESEARCH WORK : Being a new concept, team-teaching lacks research work. It is being used on the basis of trial and error method.

7. VARIATIONS IN THE ROLES OF TEACHERS : In team teaching, the different teachers have different roles which increases the load of team-teaching member teachers. One teacher considers the other’s role as a hurdle. In such conditions, the teachers face tough time to maintain the balance and coordination.

8. DIVERSIFICATION IN THE VIEWS OF TEACHERS : When the different teachers work together, it becomes difficult to eliminate diversification in their views. Unification in their ideas becomes very difficult, such as some teachers want to make the curriculum more comprehensive, while others want to delimit it. It becomes very difficult to deal with such conflicting situation.

9. CONFLICT BETWEEN CHANGE AND TRADITIONALISM : There is always a possibility of conflict between new methods and traditionalism. The emerging new methods have created unrest and panic among traditional teachers. Such teachers try to resist these changes.

10. LACK OF FLEXIBILITY IN TEAM TEACHING For the success of team teaching, flexibility in its structure is a must, such as selection of pupils and teachers, deciding teaching period. If such flexibility is not possible then the success and effectiveness of the team teaching will be almost zero.

THANK YOU

Dr. M.G.SAJJANAR., Assistant Professor K.L.E.SOCIETY’S COLLEGE OF EDUCATION,VIDYANAGAR, HUBLI