Greg Tacla
CSU, Sacramento
Investigating Co-Teaching within Elementary Physical Education Student Teaching Experience
Advocacy groups and recent legal action have reinforced the need for teacher candidates to receive specialized training in Elementary Physical Education. Unfortunately, many teacher preparation programs in California do not require Elementary Physical Education as part of their student teaching experience. This session will discuss the use of a co-teaching model in an Elementary Physical Education student teaching experience.
A lawsuit filed in October (2014) in San Francisco County Superior Court on behalf of plaintiffs Marc Babin, a parent, and Cal200, an organization he heads that advocates for elementary school Physical Education, helped highlight the need for school districts and teachers to demonstrate that they are meeting state requirements for Physical Education. As a result, many school districts increased accountability efforts by posting their activity schedules online to ensure that both the proper quantity and quality of Physical Education are administered. Also, many schools and districts determined that they fall short of the established state requirements, especially at the Elementary Physical Education level, so they are now posting Elementary Physical Education positions. This, in turn, has created a need for teacher candidates with specialized training in Elementary Physical Education.
Unfortunately, many of the teacher training programs in California do not require Elementary Physical Education within their student teaching experience, thus not providing future Elementary Physical Educators the support they desperately need if they choose to seek an Elementary Physical Education position.
For over 20 years, Sacramento State has required an Elementary Student Teaching component within its student teaching experience. During that time, faculty have explored various teaching models when training our teacher candidates. Currently, we are investigating the use of the co-teaching model during elementary student teaching, which is different than the traditional approach. Although there are times when the teacher candidate takes full responsibilities for the classroom and “flies solo”, generally, the cooperating teacher and the teacher candidate work together throughout the student teaching assignment. They jointly plan, organize, deliver, and assess instruction. They select from a variety of co-teaching strategies based on student needs. They work as a team in an effort to optimize learning and to maximize teacher development.
Heck et al. (2010) of St. Cloud University secured a five million dollar grant to study the academic achievement of students involved in co-taught student teaching classrooms, in comparison to those in traditional classrooms, and to those without student teachers. Using both state assessment data and data from the Woodcock-Johnson Research Assessment, gain scores were calculated for all students in reading and mathematics. The study revealed, with a statistical level of significance [p<.05], that the academic gains of students involved in co-taught student teaching classrooms surpassed those of their counterparts in both traditional student teaching classrooms and in classrooms taught by teachers who elected not to take a student teacher.
Currently, within the Elementary Physical Education portion of the student teaching experience, we are piloting the use of a co-teaching model. Survey data will be collected and analyzed under protocols established by Boden and Biklen (2003) and preliminary data will be discussed during the presentation. Finally, based on current conditions within Physical Education, recommendations will be made to all teacher training programs within the state of California for the inclusion of a required Elementary Physical Education experience as part of a candidate’s student teaching experience.
References
Bogdan, R. C & Biklen, S. K. (2003). Qualitative Research for Education: An introduction to Theories and Methods (4th ed.). New York: Pearson Education group.
Heck, T., Bacharach, N., Dahlberg, K., Ofstedal, K., Mann, B., Wellik., Dan, M. (2010). Mentoring Teacher Candidates Through Co-Teaching: Callaboration that makes a difference. St. Cloud, MN: Teacher Quality Enhancement Center.
Thursday 2:15 - 3:15 pm
Bayshore
Advocacy groups and recent legal action have reinforced the need for teacher candidates to receive specialized training in Elementary Physical Education. Unfortunately, many teacher preparation programs in California do not require Elementary Physical Education as part of their student teaching experience. This session will discuss the use of a co-teaching model in an Elementary Physical Education student teaching experience.
A lawsuit filed in October (2014) in San Francisco County Superior Court on behalf of plaintiffs Marc Babin, a parent, and Cal200, an organization he heads that advocates for elementary school Physical Education, helped highlight the need for school districts and teachers to demonstrate that they are meeting state requirements for Physical Education. As a result, many school districts increased accountability efforts by posting their activity schedules online to ensure that both the proper quantity and quality of Physical Education are administered. Also, many schools and districts determined that they fall short of the established state requirements, especially at the Elementary Physical Education level, so they are now posting Elementary Physical Education positions. This, in turn, has created a need for teacher candidates with specialized training in Elementary Physical Education.
Unfortunately, many of the teacher training programs in California do not require Elementary Physical Education within their student teaching experience, thus not providing future Elementary Physical Educators the support they desperately need if they choose to seek an Elementary Physical Education position.
For over 20 years, Sacramento State has required an Elementary Student Teaching component within its student teaching experience. During that time, faculty have explored various teaching models when training our teacher candidates. Currently, we are investigating the use of the co-teaching model during elementary student teaching, which is different than the traditional approach. Although there are times when the teacher candidate takes full responsibilities for the classroom and “flies solo”, generally, the cooperating teacher and the teacher candidate work together throughout the student teaching assignment. They jointly plan, organize, deliver, and assess instruction. They select from a variety of co-teaching strategies based on student needs. They work as a team in an effort to optimize learning and to maximize teacher development.
Heck et al. (2010) of St. Cloud University secured a five million dollar grant to study the academic achievement of students involved in co-taught student teaching classrooms, in comparison to those in traditional classrooms, and to those without student teachers. Using both state assessment data and data from the Woodcock-Johnson Research Assessment, gain scores were calculated for all students in reading and mathematics. The study revealed, with a statistical level of significance [p<.05], that the academic gains of students involved in co-taught student teaching classrooms surpassed those of their counterparts in both traditional student teaching classrooms and in classrooms taught by teachers who elected not to take a student teacher.
Currently, within the Elementary Physical Education portion of the student teaching experience, we are piloting the use of a co-teaching model. Survey data will be collected and analyzed under protocols established by Boden and Biklen (2003) and preliminary data will be discussed during the presentation. Finally, based on current conditions within Physical Education, recommendations will be made to all teacher training programs within the state of California for the inclusion of a required Elementary Physical Education experience as part of a candidate’s student teaching experience.
References
Bogdan, R. C & Biklen, S. K. (2003). Qualitative Research for Education: An introduction to Theories and Methods (4th ed.). New York: Pearson Education group.
Heck, T., Bacharach, N., Dahlberg, K., Ofstedal, K., Mann, B., Wellik., Dan, M. (2010). Mentoring Teacher Candidates Through Co-Teaching: Callaboration that makes a difference. St. Cloud, MN: Teacher Quality Enhancement Center.
Thursday 2:15 - 3:15 pm
Bayshore