STLHE 2016 SAPES

In higher education, co-teaching is not common place. In a professional program such as Nursing, it is a relatively new phenomenon that has emerged from a context relevant, integrated curriculum. As a new phenomenon, what impact does co-teaching have on student learning and the development of their professional practice? For the purpose of this study, co-teaching is defined as involving two instructors who collaboratively design, and simultaneously teach and assess student work within a semester. In this pedagogical relationship, instructors model a collaborative approach to teaching, similar to the collaborative approach observed in professional practice within health care settings.



This poster presentation will outline the background, findings, and implications of a two-year mixed-method research project that investigated co-teaching in a Nurse as Educator course at one western Canadian university’s undergraduate Nursing program. The course focused on having senior students explore the principles of teaching and learning in relation to their evolving nursing practice. The goal of the research was to explore the impact of co-teaching on nursing students’ learning and how this ultimately informs their understanding of their role as nurse educators in professional practice, as well as to further examine the benefits and challenges of co-teaching in higher education. Findings from the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from three cohorts shed insight into the positive influence co-teaching is having on student learning and their future professional practice. Strengths and challenges associated with co-teaching will also be shared and recommendations will be offered for the practice of co-teaching in professional programs.


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