Supporting Mutual Professional Development of Pre-service and In-service Teachers through Innovative Co-teaching Approaches

While pedagogical innovations in teaching are widely studied and reported, there is less focus on innovations supporting the mutual professional development of pre- and in-service teachers in general. Co-teaching, particularly with more symmetrical arrangements, can foster the development of transversal competencies that other activities and training cannot effectively improve. The present semi-systematic literature review aims to summarize different ways of co-teaching in which pre- and in-service teachers and possibly other experts work together. We analyzed 15 empirical studies and explored how co-teaching approaches, where all participants actively learn from one another, are utilized and how the roles of pre- and in-service teachers in co-teaching are described. We also identified obstacles and benefits in reported co-teaching practices. This study focuses on general education settings, excluding special education. Findings indicate that pre-service teachers are often learners, with few reports addressing mutual professional growth. While co-teaching generally has positive outcomes, challenges include aligning shared visions and roles. These insights contribute to advancing mutual co-teaching as an innovation and enhancing teachers’ professional and transversal competencies.