Environmental and sustainability education: co-teaching science and English about and for our environment

This project evaluated the planning and delivery of a unique application of an existing model of coteaching, published by one of the applicants (Kerr, 2019).In the model adopted for the current project, a Science expert and an English expert (both student teachers), brought separate expertise to co-plan, coteach and co-evaluate a series of lessons.

This project had four overarching aims with regard to teaching and learning for the environment and sustainability in post-primary Science and English (for 11-14 year olds) to include opportunities to teach in this way, promotion of contact between different school departments, student teacher professional development and the production and trailing of classroom materials for the teaching of ESD. The project aims to:

The project took place in various schools in Northern Ireland and the outcomes were measured through several methods to include a pre and post online questionnaire with pupils, student teacher reflective diaries and follow up interviews, pupil focus groups and interviews with colleagues in schools. Findings support the novel use of coteaching, across multiple outcome domains, for pupils, student teachers and Science and English school departments. In particular knowledge, understanding and pedagogical development were progressed with regard to teaching about and for our Environment.