A Study On Teachers' Co-teaching Strategy In Vietnamese Primary Schools

Viet Nam has been witnessing many changes in teaching and learning foreign language,and an on-going project with the title ?Teaching and Learning Foreign Language in the National Education System,Period 2008-2020?(abbreviated name: Project 2020)is the latest breakthrough that delves into brand-new advances to improve effectively the quality of English language teaching and learning across all school levels in Vietnam.This project was launched by the Prime Minister of Vietnamese government and under the control of Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training(Vietnamese MOET).After nine years of implementing,despite efforts,Minister of Education and Training admitted that the National Foreign Language scheme for Project 2020 had been failed.The main causes leading the failure were Project 2020 only focused on changing textbooks and purchasing teaching equipment,instead of improving the quality of teachers' training and finding suitable teaching methods to create interest for students,as well as stimulate students to use English as daily life communication.Hence,with an expectation to encourage and habituate the students to English from primary level,the method of cooperative English teaching was introduced to primary schools.The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of co-teaching strategy,and to determine co-teaching strategy for the successful execution of English teaching and learning in Vietnamese primary schools' context.We also aimed to explore the evaluation of English teachers' co-teaching current situation in the primary education system in Vietnam.And the following questions will be answered:(1)How do teachers cooperate with others by co-teaching strategy in Vietnamese primary school?(2)What are the benefits and disadvantages of co-teaching at the primary education in Vietnam?Five co-teaching teams with ten co-teachers in each team in three primary schools in Hanoi,Vietnam-Vinschool,Olympia and Wellspring-were selected as research sample.To evaluate the outcome of the collaborative teaching,multiple tests and interviews were conducted among students to figure out the influence of co-teaching on students' performance.By the systematic Grounded Theory that data was collected in this research,the developed theory titled ?Achievement of Symbiosis Theory? reflected the process in which co-teachers built their effective co-teaching partnerships.This theory provided the methods to overcome inherent issues in co-teaching relationships and further develops the efficient symbiosis in co-teaching technique.The conclusions were made as follows:(1)The teachers understand each other through either actual observation or conversations with their co-teachers in the classes.They share teaching professions,expertise,and perspectives with their partners.They spent time reflecting on how they could make improvements in their teaching instructions for their classrooms and their instruction roles during the class time.They show the equal responsibility and contribution to the relationship.They express the parity,respect,trust,and care to the partner.(2)The benefits of co-teaching at Vietnamese primary schools: · Benefits for students: Increased the individual attention,Reduced the negative behaviors,Improved the self-esteem and social skills.· Benefits for teachers: Increased the professional development,Shared the accountability and responsibility,Reduced the burnout and improved the morale,Increased the use of instructional strategies.The disadvantages that exist in the co-teaching process at Vietnamese primary schools: Lack of training,Limited resources,Scheduling issues,Lack of joint planning time,Differences in philosophies,Differences in personalities,Lack of administrative support,Lack of funds.The conclusions denoted that co-teaching not only improved the evaluating expertise of teachers but also facilitated the academic achievements of students.Based on the research findings,some recommendations and implications were proposed for teachers and educational administrators for the sustainable development of effective co-teaching partnerships at primary schools in Vietnam.