# Co-teaching in higher education: implications for teaching, learning, engagement, and satisfaction

## TL;DR

This study explores how co-teaching in university seminars affects students and teachers, finding emotional and social benefits but no academic advantage over traditional teaching.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel analysis of co-teaching's emotional, social, and cognitive impacts using symbolic interactionism theory.

## Key findings

- Co-teaching led to emotional transitions from frustration to satisfaction among students.
- Students developed social skills like collaboration and support during co-taught seminars.
- No significant academic quality improvement was observed compared to traditional teaching methods.

## Abstract

This study examined the impact of co-teaching on students and lecturers, assessing its benefits and drawbacks, and suggesting ways to enhance collaborative learning.

Fifty undergraduate student teachers participated in two sports sciences seminar courses jointly taught by two lecturers. Data was collected via student reflections; course evaluation feedback; word clouds; and teacher reflections. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative data.

The findings indicate that the short intensive seminar course resulted in three parallel processes: emotional, students transitioning from negative feelings of chaos, frustration, and a sense of incompetence to positive feelings of satisfaction and sense of accomplishment; social, students learning to listen, request assistance, support, encourage, and collaborate; and cognitive, students learning to ask fruitful questions, plan experiments, summarize, and present. Nevertheless, the time and effort demands involved in the planning and management of such courses may constitute a significant barrier to the future implementation of this teaching method. In terms of course outcomes, no indications of higher quality were seen compared to traditional instruction.

Drawing on the symbolic interactionism theory, the study advocates for preparing students for inclusive and collaborative learning environments to improve academic engagement and success.