Abstract:

Research has long supported the use of collaborative learning and much has been written on the many ways of co-constructing knowledge. Yet the sentiments expressed by a Professor of Teacher Education at Brigham Young University, are shared by teachers and educators alike: “It’s very easy to stand up, to lecture, to come with my bag of knowledge that I know my students need and then just deliver it...to view my job as one of transmission. But what I have learned over time is that kind of learning sometimes has very little transfer for students.” However, recognising that teachers need to facilitate the construction of knowledge rather than transmit it, requires more of the teacher than just putting students into groups to discuss. Collaborative learning might well necessitate the teacher devoting extra preparation to his/her classes in terms of time and resources. Moreover, the teacher should have the confidence to experiment and take risks. S/he needs to balance the often raucous nature of learning with the university’s requirement for maintaining academic standards. The presentation will take the form of a demonstration lesson on the dichotomous division of teaching approaches (traditional/progressive) which was given to third year undergraduate students at the Arab American University Jenin, Palestine. Based on the presenter’s own personal experience, the presentation will encourage participants to reflect on whether what works in the particular is transferable to the general.

Keywords:

Teacher Education, collaborative learning, Palestine