Using Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development to Propose and Test an Explanatory Model for Conceptualising Coteaching in Pre-service Science Teacher Education

Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, Volume 43, Issue 4, 2015, p. 281-295

In this study, coteaching between pre-service and in-service teachers is used to lessen the gap between theory and practice, to develop reflective practice and to develop pedagogical content knowledge.

Explanatory frameworks have been proposed for coteaching. The authors also suggest that Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development helps to propose a more nuanced developmental and learning explanatory framework which provides pedagogical structures for implementation and highlights the importance of the social environment for learning.
In providing structure and tools for effective implementation of coteaching, this model addresses three core elements of coteaching: coplanning, copractice, and coevaluation. The model was piloted in relation to pre-service teachers’ development in reflective practice and reducing the gap between theory and classroom practice.