2011 Volume 7 Pages 24-34
Higher Education developed as a system for transmitting both knowledge and methods, both of which have accumulated through academic scholarship. A logical consequence of this process is the lecture style of teaching: It has proved most efficient in the transmission of knowledge. However, the lecture style is not always appropriate in “teacher training programs”, in particular, when teaching pedagogy, educational psychology, and instructional methods for each subject.
“Teacher training programs” must meet two objectives. One is the transmission of knowledge, skills, and ideals regarding the teaching profession to students. The other is to help students acquire the leadership skills they will need as teachers. In this paper, I will propose an alternative style to the attainment of these two goals in teacher training programs. I will reconsider the process of teaching in “teacher training programs” based on the idea of “Cooperative Collaboration in Classroom Learning: Jishu Kyodou Gakushu”. In this alternative style, the instructor tries to transfer their leadership to students. Each student is then expected to realize they must learn on their own initiative and acquire leadership as a teacher. In other words, CCCL will change the process of teaching from a teacher-oriented style to a student-oriented one, and via this change, students will learn about leadership in teaching. I will argue that CCCL will improve the process of teaching in Higher Education, particularly in “teacher education programs”.
