Collaboration and the New Generation of Teachers: Do They Like It? Will They Use It? Does It Matter?
Abstract
This exploratory study investigated the personal learning preference of students in an initial teacher education program in a small, private, liberal arts college in the southeast USA, and the likelihood that they would use collaborative learning strategies in their own future classrooms. It was hypothesized that Generation Y (age 30 and younger) teacher candidates would prefer independent learning activities to learning activities involving collaboration or cooperation. It was also hypothesized that these teacher candidates would indicate a preference for collaboration, versus cooperation or independent learning strategies, in their own future classrooms, regardless of their personal preference. The study participants were undergraduate teacher candidates of varying age, major, and class designation. The results showed that independent learning was the personal strategy preference for most participants, regardless of major; however, there were significant age (Generation Y) and class designation differences. Collaboration was significantly preferred over other strategies when considering activities for future students, for the participants as a whole; however, there were conflicting and significant Generation Y differences.
Recommended Citation
McCloy, Sandra G.
(2012)
"Collaboration and the New Generation of Teachers: Do They Like It? Will They Use It? Does It Matter?,"
Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina: Vol. 5:
No.
1, Article 6.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/tejsc/vol5/iss1/6