This document summarizes a research study investigating Greek primary school teachers' views on professional cooperation. The study aims to explore differences in cooperation levels between general education teachers and specialization teachers. It utilized a questionnaire measuring teachers' cooperation for student progress, teaching, professional development, and views on support for cooperation. Results found generally moderate to high levels of cooperation. Significant differences emerged between teacher types for cooperation in teaching, with physical education and ICT teachers reporting lower cooperation. The study concludes that while teacher specialization brings expertise, opportunities for collaboration are not fully utilized and require more guidance to achieve integrated curriculum delivery.

1. Professional cooperation in
primary school classes:
general education teacher
and specialization teacher
views
24-26 October 2018
Salamanca, Spain

2. Hola!!!
Stavroula Kaldi
Professor
Pedagogical Department of Primary Education, University of Thessaly Greece
kaldi@uth.gr
Vassiliki Tzika
PhD Candidate Student
Pedagogical Department of Primary Education, University of Thessaly Greece
vickytz@windowslive.com
Efstathios Xafakos
PhD Candidate Student
Pedagogical Department of Primary Education, University of Thessaly Greece
stathisxafakos@yahoo.com

3. About this templateIntroduction
Aim of Study
 investigates teachers’ views about their professional cooperation regarding
teaching in primary school classes with a reformed comprehensive curriculum in
the Greek education context
 explore possible differences between general education teachers and other
specialization teachers regarding cooperation levels amongst them
Teacher cooperation (TC)
teachers’ cooperative work concerning teaching and
student guidance/support,
co-teaching,
collaboration at meetings or educational councils for a variety of
issues within one or across schools.

4. Theoritical Framework
1. Social Network Theory
(Moolenaar, 2012)
2. Teacher Cooperation (TC)
Educational
process
Educational
outcome

5. About this templateTheoritical Framework
Teacher multi-professional cooperation
 supports students' learning processes,
 provides opportunities for teachers to learn both content and
pedagogical knowledge from one another,
 encourages teachers to be risk takers in implementing new ideas,
 and supports and sustains the processes of individual change in
teaching (Jurkowski & Muller, 2018; Hindin et al., 2007).
BUT
 TC usually exists in pre-service student and is not followed often during
in-service teaching practice due to the “isolated” character of the
profession (Bakkenes et al., 1999).

6. About this templatePrevious research
Teacher multi-professional cooperation
 existing teacher learning groups where teacher community
characteristics correlate with teachers’ sense of shared
responsibility for student learning and positive learning
outcomes (Louis & Marks, 1998; Louis, Marks, & Kruse, 1996).
 Existing groups of the same content area teachers (such as
English teachers and Mathematics teachers) can improve their
instructional practice after regular meetings and conversations
they had shared (Horn, 2005; Little, 2002).
 In the Greek context previous research has indicated that the
innovative structure of a primary school has not met the initial
objectives and there is a long way that needs to be passed in
order to be considered a successful school organization
structure (Mpourgos, 2012; Papadimas, 2014).

7. About this templateContext
Educational reform in 2010 and 2016 in Greece:
• primary school classes with a reformed comprehensive
curriculum
• all children from Year 1 to Year 6 attended the same non
academic curriculum subjects (Fine Arts, Music, Drama
Education and ICT) alongside the academic subjects including
the English Language
• general education teachers teach the academic subjects
whereas specialization education teachers teach the non
academic curriculum subjects (MEALLRS, 2010).

8. 1. What are Greek primary school teachers’ views about
cooperation levels concerning teaching?
2. Are there any statistically differences between general
education teachers and other specialization teachers regarding their
views about cooperation levels for their teaching practice?
3. Are there any statistically significant differences regarding
teacher views about their cooperation levels concerning teaching in
terms of the following variables: (a) level of professional education, (b)
in –service training, (c) teaching experience, (d) position in the school
(permanent or substitute staff), (e) year group teaching, (f)
specialization?
4. Which of the independent variables of the questionnaire can
predict teachers’ views about their cooperation levels concerning
teaching in the primary school?
You can also split your contentResearch Questions

9. Research Method
 Quantitative
 Greek primary school
teachers’ views about
their cooperation levels
about teaching
practices and more
generally in the
teaching profession
You can also split your content
Research Instrument
 a self-reported
questionnaire
Participants
 209 teachers (general
education and other
specialization
education)
Method

10. And tables to compare dataResults
Composite variables and the Cronbach’s α from the
questionnaire about teacher cooperation show that
the subscales have a good level of reliability score
Composite Variable α
1. Cooperation for students’ progress
.759
2. Cooperation for teaching
.799
3. Views about teacher’s cooperation
.766
4. Cooperation for professional development
.802
5. Support to cooperate
.636

11. And tables to compare dataResults
Means and standard deviations of the five composite variables from the
questionnaire (N = 209) show that they cooperate in a moderate to high level
Composite Variable Mean SD
% of clear
agreement
score> 3.5
1. Cooperation for students’ progress 3.93 .63 78.6%
2. Cooperation for teaching 3.80 .64 76%
3. Views about teacher’s cooperation 4.08 .54 81.6%
4. Cooperation for professional development 3.37 .87 67.4%
5. Support to cooperate 4.09 .56 81.8%

12. And tables to compare dataResults
Means and standard deviations of the five independent variables
from the questionnaire (N=209) indicate that their views are neutral
and could not fully assess their cooperation levels
Independent variables M S.D.
Q13. I collaborate best with colleagues who are
general education teachers
3.27 1.21
Q21. I collaborate best with colleagues who teach
special subjects (e.g. Arts, Music, etc.)
3.44 1.03
Q23. I can collaborate best with the colleagues who
teach the same year-group (but in another classroom).
3.73 1.09
Q25. I learn most from my collaboration with
colleagues at school rather than in-service training.
3.45 1.03
Q29. I have attended seminars about effective
communication and collaboration with colleagues.
2.67 1.38

13. Use charts to explain your ideasResults
T- Test
a statistically
significant
difference was
depicted for
teachers who had
attended in-service
training seminars
concerning
teaching in general
[t(208)= 6.023, p =
0.015].
T- Test
general education
teachers &
specialization
education teachers
had statistically
significant different
views in the
composite variable
of cooperation for
teaching [F(5,203)
= 3.241, p = 0.008].
Physical Education
(PE) teachers (M =
3.45) and ICT
education teachers
(M = 3.35)
cooperated less for
teaching compared
to all the other
groups

14. Multiple Stepwise (4-step) regression
Given the fact that inter-correlations exist amongst
the five composite variables, it was important to
search for those which could be identified as
predictors for teacher cooperation.
Results

15. All composite variables
were found to be
influential predictors
for teacher cooperation
for student progress as
an outcome
All accounted for the
67 % in the explanation
of the variance,
therefore there may be
other factors that can
predict teacher
cooperation for student
progress which are not
considered in this
study
Results

16. Let’s review some concepts
Good levels of
cooperation
but they need more time
and guidance in order to
deliver an integrated and
holistic curriculum under
collaborative action.
Teaching practice
can improve under the
principle of expertise
knowledge which is brought
together as long as all
partners in a teacher team
recognize the importance of
collaboration and know how
to work together.
These collaborative actions
can result in effective teacher
professional development
which were claimed to be
more important compared to
in-service training. .
It is evident
that although different
specialists are brought
together to teach in
primary schools and their
expertise may be
valuable for student
learning and teachers’
professional
development,
nevertheless the
opportunities given have
not been fully exhausted
Conclusions

17. Bakkenes, I., de Brabander, C. & Imants, J. (1999) Teacher isolation and communication
network analysis in primary schools, Educational Administration Quarterly, 35, 166–202.
Hindin, A., Morocco, C.C., Mott, E.A. & Aguilar, C.M (2007). More than just a group: teacher
collaboration and learning in the workplace, Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 13:4,
349-376.
Horn, I. S. (2005) Learning on the job: a situated account of teacher learning in high school
mathematics departments, Cognition and Instruction, 23(2), 207–236.
Jurkowski, S. and Muller, B. (2018). Co-teaching in inclusive classes: The development of
multiprofessional cooperation in teaching dyads. Teaching and Teacher Education, 75, 224-231.
Little, J. W. (2002a) Locating learning in teachers’ professional community: opening up
problems of analysis in records of everyday work, Teaching and Teacher Education, 18, 917–
946.
Louis, K. S. & Marks, H. M. (1998) Does professional community affect the classroom? Teachers’
work and students’ experiences in restructuring schools, American Journal of Education,
106(4), 532–575.
Louis, K. S., Marks, H. M. & Kruse, S. (1996) Teachers’ professional community in restructuring
schools, American Educational Research Journal, 33, 757–798.
Ministry of Education Affairs, Lifelong Learning and Religious Studies (MEALLRS). (2010).
Definition of 800 Elementary Schools with a single reformed Educational Programme, Vol.
3/609/60745 / C1, Government Gazette 804 / 09-06-2010
Moolenaar, N.M. (2012) A Social Network Perspective on Teacher Collaboration in Schools:
Theory, Methodology, and Applications. American Journal of Education 119, 7-39.
Mpourgos, I. (2012). Elementary all- day schools with reformed comprehensive curriculum. A
case study of Prefecture of Ilia, Greece. Master Thesis. Patras: University of Patras
Papadimas, L. (2014). Classroom climate- The case of all-day schools with reformed
comprehensive curriculum. Master Thesis. Volos: University of Thessaly.

18. Thank you!!!
Gracias!!!