Improving Problem-Solving Skills in Pre-Service Teachers: An Experimental Study of the Effectiveness of Team Charters in Cooperative Learning
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| Title: | Improving Problem-Solving Skills in Pre-Service Teachers: An Experimental Study of the Effectiveness of Team Charters in Cooperative Learning |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Héctor Galindo-Domínguez, Martín Sainz de la Maza, Daniel Losada Iglesias, José-María Etxabe Urbieta |
| Source: | Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy. 2026 52(2):331-347. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 17 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Early Childhood Education Elementary Education |
| Descriptors: | Problem Solving, Skill Development, Preservice Teachers, Teamwork, Cooperative Learning, Foreign Countries, Early Childhood Teachers, Elementary School Teachers, Preservice Teacher Education, Teaching Methods, Instructional Effectiveness |
| Geographic Terms: | Spain |
| DOI: | 10.1080/02607476.2025.2576772 |
| ISSN: | 0260-7476 1360-0540 |
| Abstract: | Cooperative learning is a methodology that can equip pre-service teachers with valuable skills for their academic and professional growth, including problem-solving skills. While the mechanisms that enhance these skills are not fully understood, there has been a growing focus on the effectiveness of team charters, defined as written agreements in which group members specify their goals, roles, responsibilities, and rules of interaction, as a tool to teach learners predetermined methods to tackle potential problems and establish norms. To examine their effectiveness, a pre-post study was conducted over a 4-month period involving 233 pre-service teachers. The participants were divided into an intervention group that used a team charter and a comparison group that did not. At the beginning and end of the intervention, both groups completed the Problem-Solving Scale. Findings indicated that the improvements in problem-solving skills observed among the group using team charters were only marginal compared to the comparison group. However, the study also showed that the use of team charters offered certain benefits to both permanent and newly formed groups, regardless of the number of problems encountered. These results suggest that informal contracts can have similar effects and that employing team charters can enhance some dimensions of problem-solving skills. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1505009 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Cooperative learning is a methodology that can equip pre-service teachers with valuable skills for their academic and professional growth, including problem-solving skills. While the mechanisms that enhance these skills are not fully understood, there has been a growing focus on the effectiveness of team charters, defined as written agreements in which group members specify their goals, roles, responsibilities, and rules of interaction, as a tool to teach learners predetermined methods to tackle potential problems and establish norms. To examine their effectiveness, a pre-post study was conducted over a 4-month period involving 233 pre-service teachers. The participants were divided into an intervention group that used a team charter and a comparison group that did not. At the beginning and end of the intervention, both groups completed the Problem-Solving Scale. Findings indicated that the improvements in problem-solving skills observed among the group using team charters were only marginal compared to the comparison group. However, the study also showed that the use of team charters offered certain benefits to both permanent and newly formed groups, regardless of the number of problems encountered. These results suggest that informal contracts can have similar effects and that employing team charters can enhance some dimensions of problem-solving skills. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0260-7476 1360-0540 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/02607476.2025.2576772 |
