Team teaching in coordinated undergraduate programs.

Team teaching is mandated for coordinated undergraduate programs in dietetics. A study was undertaken to ascertain current practices in team teaching and to identify attitudes of faculty and clinical preceptors toward team teaching. Survey instruments were designed for faculty and preceptors and sent to each accredited CUP. Responses from 131 faculty members and 196 preceptors were included in the data analysis. Findings from this study indicated that there was wide variation in dietetic teaching teams, including the existence, structure, size, organization, composition, and responsibility of team members. Generally, there was agreement among faculty members and preceptors concerning their respective and shared responsibilities. However, faculty members appropriated to preceptors greater responsibility for selecting clinical experiences and for planning and attending clinical conferences. Preceptors expected faculty members to have greater responsibility for evaluating all aspects of the program, including the curriculum, learning experiences in the clinical area, and performance of other team members. Most faculty members and preceptors who participated in this study agreed with positive statements about team teaching. They recognized that the purpose of team teaching is to improve instruction, and they indicated trust in its value as a part of professional education. There appear to be subtle differences in the way team teaching is perceived and implemented by faculty members in schools of home economics and school of allied health. The findings suggest the need for further consideration of team identification, designation of team leaders, involvement of preceptors, time utilization, and student evaluation of team teaching.