Is Unprecedented Co Teaching An Effective Model Or Hare Brained Scheme Destined To Fail

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MALAYSIA must be the only country in the world which will see two teachers conducting lessons together in the same classroom.
The proposal was mooted by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek who believes that such a co-teaching model would make teaching “more engaging and effective”.
She has a point: with this method every student will receive adequate attention under the supervision of the four-eyed teachers.
Given that most classrooms are overcrowded, Fadhlina’s formula or ‘masterstroke’ could perhaps ease the heavy workload borne by a single teacher.

However, the proposal looks only good on paper. In practice, it is a flawed system because no two teachers are the same in thinking, attitude and conduct.
It is difficult for two minds to work in unison or in harmony on any given subject or topic that requires more an individualistic approach.
Untested method
Imagine what the classroom scene will be like when Fadhlina’s newfangled idea is introduced in the 2027 school curriculum.
Cikgu A and Cikgu B walk in and they will be greeted with a slight adjustment: “Good morning, teachers!”
Then the lesson will start. But who will be the first to speak? Have they discussed in advance who should get the ball rolling? Did they do their homework first? Is there a script to follow so that they won’t clash in confusion?
In that one-hour period, will they be teaching the same subject or different subjects respectively?



















Most probably, it will be a spontaneous lesson in motion. Cikgu A will rapidly roll off her tongue on the first subject of the day while Cikgu B waits her turn.
Then Cikgu B takes over – and to the amusement of the murid-murid – she’s teaching in her own peculiar way and method.
Both teachers will be shooting furtive glances at each other as they continue to engage in a kind of competition to see who’s better at moulding young minds.
Or they can co-operate by synchronising their movements – like synchronised swimming – so that they will keep in step with each other and not try to one-up each other.
Foster friction among teachers
Let’s take another scenario. This time, Cikgu C and Cikgu D come equipped with different levels of competency. The pupils can clearly see that Cikgu C is smarter and more interesting of the two and when the lesson ends, Cikgu D will be the butt of jokes and a figure of scorn.
Although the workload will be eased with two teachers, there is no guarantee that the working environment will improve.
This is because the amount of work might not be equally distributed. One teacher might end up doing more work while the other might just be fidgeting with nothing to do except keep staring at the ceiling or biting nails.
Image credit: Mohd Arfian Ahmad/FacebookAnd when it comes to the question of who is responsible for the failure of their joint undertaking, how will the school decide? Will one teacher take the sole blame or will the duo jointly take the heat?
Besides, if both teachers are incompatible partners, a clash of personality will inevitably arise and this will certainly affect the smooth flow of lessons.
If both teachers are experienced and senior in rank, will one give way to the other when it comes to who’s best at explaining or solving a complicated problem?
There is also the question of maintaining discipline in the classroom. How will the two educators deal with unruly students? Will they jointly mete out punishment like taking turns to cane them?
Fadhlina may have good intentions to introduce co-teaching but she has overlooked the nitty-gritty of the model.
One wonders from where she had this brilliant concept: did she pick it up from a country which had successfully implemented it or pick a friend’s brain during a chit-chat at an upscale kopitiam?

Education is not something one can simply toy or trifle with at one’s own whim and fancy. Malaysia has serious work to do to improve the quality of education even after decades of independence.
In fact, according to a survey by Ipsos Sdn Bhd, one of the world’s leading market research companies, Malaysia’s education system chalked up the “highest share of poor ratings among neighbouring countries”.
It looks like co-teaching is a hasty job = good for the minister’s political ambition but detrimental to the education system in the long run.
Co-teaching is – at best – a brave attempt to fix weaknesses in our school system, and – at worst – a hair-brained scheme destined to fail. 
Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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