The advantages of cooperative teaching:
In cooperative teaching, students work together in groups to complete projects and tasks. In this learning method, teachers act more as facilitators, supporting the group as needed. This promotes student development in a variety of ways:
- Developing social skills: Students learn to share their ideas and opinions, listen to others, to respect others and to work together to develop solutions.
- Increasing motivation: When learners feel that their contributions are valued and that they can make an important contribution, they are more willing to get more involved and contribute to the group.
- More effective learning: by working in groups, students have the opportunity to explain and discuss what they have learned with each other. This allows them to deepen their understanding and consolidate their knowledge.
- Developing individual skills: in a cooperative learning environment, learners have the opportunity to use their individual strengths and skills to support others in the group. By working together, they can also identify their weaknesses and work on them in a targeted way.
The advantages of self-organised teaching:
In self-organised teaching, the focus is on the students‘ own responsibility. They plan and organise their learning process independently, set goals and search for learning materials and strategies on their own. Teachers support students in setting goals and self-reflection, but step into the background to allow students freedom for their individual learning paths. Particularly advantageous in self-organised teaching are the opportunities for:
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Individual adaptation: Students learn to take into account their own needs and interests and to set their own pace of learning. They can set their
own learning goals and learning methods, which can help them to identify more strongly with the learning process and be more motivated.
- Promoting autonomy and personal responsibility: Students become more confident and independent as they take more responsibility for their own
learning process. They learn to set their own learning time and learning goals, to motivate themselves, which can also contribute to more independence
outside school.
- Improved use of technology: Students can access a wider range of learning materials and better adapt their learning to their individual needs.
The ideal solution: a combination of cooperative and self-organised teaching.
Both self-organised and cooperative teaching methods offer a number of advantages. However, neither method alone is sufficient to take into account all of the students' individual needs and learning styles. A combination of both teaching methods is necessary.
A major advantage of combining both teaching methods is that students work together on projects/tasks while pursuing their individual learning paths
and goals. This hybrid approach promotes both collaboration and communication as well as student independence and personal responsibility. By combining
both approaches, teachers can create a wide range of learning environments that meet students‘ needs and abilities.
Requirements for the learning space
In order for cooperative and self-organised teaching to be successfully implemented, the learning space must meet certain requirements in terms of
furniture:
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Flexibility: The room should be designed flexibly to allow for both group work and individual learning. Tables and chairs should be easy to move
around to allow for different working constellations.
- Group workplaces: There should be enough tables and chairs for various group constellations where students can work together and exchange
ideas.
- Individual workplaces: Students should always be able to work quietly and in a concentrated manner.
- Storage Space: Sufficient storage space for materials and personal belongings is important to ensure order in the classroom. This allows students to
organise their work materials independently.
- Different seating options: Different seating furniture such as chairs, stools, seat
cushions or stacking benches allow students to create their preferred
learning environment.
- Technology integration: The classroom should be equipped with the necessary technology to use digital learning resources and tools.
