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Co-teaching is a resource for inclusive classes, which includes the shared instruction of general and special education teachers. Against the background that the inclusive school system in Germany is currently developing, we investigated secondary school co-teachers' perspectives on the conditions for successful implementation of co-teaching. We interviewed general teachers (n = 17) and special education teachers (n = 16) about their individual experiences and their ideas about good practice implementation of co-teaching. The qualitative content analysis summarised the teachers' statements on 13 categories that refer to the educational system, the single school, or the teaching dyad. The teachers expressed their belief in the benefits from co-teaching. They stated the need for resources (time, equipment) and concepts for co-teaching and teaching in inclusive classes. The co-teachers found it necessary that principals, professionals within school, and experts from outside school develop a shared responsibility for inclusive schooling. The teachers' statements reflect the idea of a collaborative relationship and the need for general and special education teachers to negotiate the dyad's self-organisation and task assignments. In sum, the successful implementation of co-teaching seems to be a process of school development and professional development based on organisational structures and resources that support collaboration.

The programme LIFE (Líderes Inspirando Futuro y Éxito/Leaders Inspiring Future and Success) was developed to foster socio-emotional development of university students and pupils from urban marginalised schools in El Salvador. Youth in this region grow up facing many challenges, including a high rate of violence and a lack of access to opportunities. In LIFE, university students implement a workshop on teamwork and entrepreneurism for pupils from the 8th and 9th grades. They work in teams and become mentors for the pupils. The 8th and 9th graders also work in teams to develop a project plan. This article focuses on the perspectives and experiences of the university students, as documented through focus group interviews and learning diaries. The analyses revealed that students perceived learning outcomes in the areas of leadership, teamwork, strategic thinking/problem solving and personal growth.

Cooperative learning is an evidence-based teaching strategy. In cooperative learning, teachers structure students' interactions and prepare them for cooperation so that students work together in small groups supporting each other's' learning processes. This study investigated whether the empirical evidence of the effectiveness of cooperative learning is reflected in teachers' professional competencies and their teaching practices. We surveyed 1,495 language teachers in Poland, measuring their knowledge and beliefs about cooperative learning and their use of cooperative learning in class. Although teachers were well informed about the principles of cooperative learning, they only knew a few methods to implement cooperative learning in class. Teachers agreed that cooperative learning is effective for students' academic and social learning and can provide students with individualised support for their learning processes. Despite these positive beliefs, teachers used cooperative learning infrequently. When they used cooperative learning, teachers organised and supported students' interactions in accordance with the principles of cooperative learning. Teachers reported that they would like to learn more about cooperative learning and use it more often in class. They were especially interested in support such as lesson examples and teaching materials. We discuss the implications of these results for teacher education.

Cooperative learning is an evidence-based teaching strategy that has positive effects on students' academic and social learning, but teachers use the strategy in class infrequently. Teacher collaboration has the potential to support teachers in the transformation of knowledge into the implementation of new teaching methods. In an experimental pre-test-post-test design (N = 53), an in-service teacher training with teacher collaboration for the implementation of cooperative learning in class was compared to a training without teacher collaboration. At both points of measurement, teachers' knowledge about cooperative learning was tested and they reported on their self-efficacy beliefs for the implementation of cooperative learning and their use of cooperative learning in class, including the frequency, quality, and challenges of cooperative learning implementation. In both conditions, teachers' knowledge and self-efficacy beliefs, and the quality of their use of cooperative learning increased strongly, whereas perceived challenges decreased. A significant interaction effect occurred only for the frequency of teachers' use of cooperative learning in class. These results are discussed against the background of the efficacy of collaboration in in-service teacher training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the concept of relationship-oriented inclusive class mentoring in Kassel (biKK), which supports teachers in dealing with challenging classes. The mentoring program lasts for one year and includes classroom support, reflection, and development. The goal is to strengthen relationships within the class and promote positive social dynamics. The program is aimed at teachers who are seeking to make changes in dealing with difficult classes. It includes supervision, accompanying meetings, and further training for the class team. [Extracted from the article]

Students' individual learning is supposed to be based on cognitive and social processes. Therefore, students' social skills are assumed to play an important role for school performance. This study set out to investigate the links between students' peer relations skills and assertion skills and their grades for written performances and oral performances. In the middle of the school year, 94 ninth-grade students of a German secondary school reported on their peer relations skills and assertion skills. Additionally, at this point of measurement, students' initial school performance in German and mathematics was measured by standardized academic achievement tests. In these two subjects, students' grades in in-class tests and for oral participation were collected during the following 5 months. These grades were given by the students' respective subject teachers. Path analysis revealed that students' peer relations skills were positively associated with their grades in in-class tests, but they were not linked to their grades for oral participation. In contrast, students' assertion skills were positively related to their grades for oral participation, whereas no correlation was found between students' assertion skills and their grades in in-class tests. These results are discussed with respect to the role of peer relations skills and assertion skills for students' academic learning and the fostering of these skills in the classroom.

Background: Transactive communication means referring to and building on a learning partner's idea, by, for example, extending the partner's idea or interlinking the partner's idea with an idea of one's own. This transforms the partner's idea into a more elaborate one. Previous research found a positive relationship between students' transactive communication and their learning results when working in small groups. Aims: To increase the benefits of cooperation, we developed and tested a module for training students in transactive communication. We assumed that this training would enhance students' transactive communication and also increase their knowledge acquisition during cooperative learning. Further, we distinguished between an actor's transactive communication and a learning partner's transactive communication and expected both to be positively associated with an actor's knowledge acquisition. Sample: Participants were 80 university students. Methods: In an experiment with pre- and post-test measurements, transactive communication was measured by coding students' communication in a cooperative learning situation before training and in another cooperative learning situation after training. For the post-test cooperative learning situation, knowledge was pre-tested and post-tested. Results: Trained students outperformed controls in transactive communication and in knowledge acquisition. Positive training effects on actors' knowledge acquisition were partially mediated by the improved actors' transactive communication. Moreover, actors' knowledge acquisition was positively influenced by learning partners' transactive communication. Conclusions: Results show a meaningful increase in the benefits of cooperation through the training in transactive communication. Furthermore, findings indicate that students benefit from both elaborating on their partner's ideas and having their own ideas elaborated on.