Biology teachers' perspectives on the use of a collaborative learning resource pack designed for the Maltese biology curriculum

Abstract

Collaborative skills are essential for securing a successful future in our increasingly globalized world. Education faces a constant challenge to actively contribute to students' advancement in both knowledge and skills, aiming to ready them for the workforce and life ahead. Collaborative learning creates situations that, when meticulously organised and executed, offer students suitable chances to exemplify social behaviors. There is a discrepancy between the theoretical framework, the suggestions put forth by educational theorists and the practical realities of the classroom, encompassing its constraints and requirements. In this study, six Biology educators with at least 5 years’ experience in teaching, were asked to review a collaborative resource pack on a learning outcome described by the MATSEC syllabus and provide feedback on its implementation in the classroom. Through a thematic analysis of the data generated through semi-structured interviews, five themes emerged, some of which inhibit the success of collaborative learning - time constraints, content in the syllabus, assessment strategies and a change in mindset. While other themes provide a deep insight on the benefits of collaborative learning, the skills acquired through collaborative learning and how this can be achieved through the right group dynamics in the classroom.