The possibility of using Cooperative Development in pre-service teacher development

Abstract

Cooperative Development (CD) is viewed by its creator, Julian Edge (1992), as a model of interaction to support the development of teaching professionals by which they become more aware of their practice as they are empowered to act within and upon it with increased confidence. Based upon equality and cooperation, in CD experiential understanding is valued as much as intellectual comprehension, while speaking and being listened to as aids to thinking and deeper reflection are paramount to the approach. Edge also believes that CD has a limited application in most teaching-learning situations, where equality is not usually the norm. The authors of the article, however, consider the use of CD with pre-service teachers during their teaching practices as an approach that, if implemented, may foster greater awareness and confidence in student-teachers as well alleviate one of the problems of the present system that exists in the Institute of English and American Studies (IEAS) at the University of Gdańsk: a heavy reliance upon written documentation produced by the students which is, de facto, a way of monitoring the practices after their completion rather than providing support for students when they are involved in them. In considering whether or not teaching practices based upon CD are feasible in IEAS, the following areas are examined: CD as an approach in teacher development, the level of acceptance of dialogical practices in Polish education generally, the present system of teaching practices in IEAS, data gathered from previous research connected with those practices, as well as analysis of documentation connected with their administration. Measures that would have to be undertaken if CD were to be implemented as an approach in support of pre-service teacher development are also considered in the discussion.