The Pedagogical Value of Co-Teaching: Implications for Learning, Inclusion, and Blended Practice

Co-teaching, defined as the collaborative planning and delivery of teaching by two or more educators within the same learning space, is gaining traction within UK higher education as institutions respond to increasingly diverse student cohorts and the expansion of blended learning models, by bringing together two academic experts with different styles and perspectives, this people centred pedagogic approach can promote a more diverse and engaging on-campus lecture experience for students.

Introduction

UK higher education has undergone significant pedagogical transformation in recent years, shaped by widening participation agendas, increased attention to student wellbeing and belonging, and the mainstreaming of blended and hybrid learning models. Within this context, collaborative approaches to teaching have emerged as a means of addressing both pedagogical complexity and learner diversity.

Co-teaching—sometimes referred to as team teaching—represents a deliberate instructional model in which two or more educators share responsibility for the design, delivery, and facilitation of a single learning session. While historically associated with inclusive education in schools, co-teaching is increasingly recognised as a valuable approach within higher education, aligning with sector priorities around student engagement, inclusion, and innovation in teaching practice.

Benefits for Student Learning

A consistent finding across the literature is that co-teaching can enhance student learning through pedagogical diversity and responsiveness. When educators with complementary expertise teach together, students are exposed to multiple disciplinary perspectives, explanatory styles, and modes of thinking. This can support deeper conceptual understanding and encourages critical engagement with complex material.

Co-teaching also enables more immediate formative support. While one educator leads discussion or explanation, another can observe student responses, address misconceptions, or provide targeted clarification, particularly useful with cohorts where large amounts of students appear reluctant to vocalise ideas or ask questions. Such real-time differentiation has been shown to improve learning outcomes and reduce barriers to understanding.

Academic Enjoyment and Engagement

Beyond measurable learning outcomes, co-teaching has been linked to enhanced student enjoyment of academic study. Students frequently report that co-taught sessions feel more dynamic and interactive, with increased opportunities for dialogue and participation. The conversational nature of co-teaching—where educators model scholarly debate and collaborative inquiry—can demystify academic discourse and make learning more approachable. The benefits of co-teaching are not just limited to students either, with academic staff potentially enriching their own skillsets by working closely with their peers.

Inclusion and Belonging

Co-teaching offers significant potential for advancing inclusive practice in UK higher education. By enabling multiple modes of explanation and interaction within a single session. This approach benefits a wide range of learners, including students with disabilities, international students, mature learners, and those from non-traditional educational backgrounds.

Co-Teaching and Blended Learning

The expansion of blended learning in UK higher education has introduced new pedagogical challenges, particularly in maintaining engagement and parity of experience across physical and digital spaces. Research indicates that co-teaching can strengthen blended and hybrid models by allowing educators to divide pedagogical attention between in-person and online learners.

Conclusion

Co-teaching represents a robust pedagogical strategy for contemporary UK higher education. It’s benefits extend beyond academic attainment to encompass student enjoyment, inclusion, and the effective integration of blended learning approaches.

Whilst hailed as a new trend in higher education co-teaching isn’t itself a new concept and is already happening across the Faculty of Science and Engineering. To better understand how it works we invited academic staff engaged in co-teaching practice to share their experiences with us, this series of case studies can be found below.

References

Pappu, A., & Bogaars, A. (2022). An examination of co-teaching in an online environment. Compass: Journal of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 15(2), 32–43.

Jisc (2025). Beyond blended: Transforming learning and teaching in UK higher education. Jisc.

QAA (2025). Standing out in the crowd: A framework for inclusive and effective student engagement. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

Raes, A., Detienne, L., Windey, I., & Depaepe, F. (2024). Investigating co-teaching presence in blended synchronous higher education. Computers & Education, 205.

Busteed B, (2025) Why Co-Teaching Will Be A Hot New Trend In Higher Education, https://www.forbes.com/sites/brandonbusteed/2025/10/14/why-co-teaching-will-be-a-hot-new-trend-in-higher-education/ (accessed 10, Feb 2026)

Cordie, L.A., Brecke, T., Lin, X. and Wooten, M.C., 2020. Co-teaching in higher education: Mentoring as faculty development. International journal of teaching and learning in higher education, 32(1), pp.149-158.

Zach, S., & Avugos, S. (2024). Co-teaching in higher education: Implications for teaching, learning, engagement, and satisfaction. Frontiers in Education, 9.