09/09/2026
OPINION | 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲
Co-teaching has a clear intention: to accommodate the number of sections given the limited number of professors available to handle the course load. In a course with four sections and only two professors handling it, it is reasonable to divide the class sections between them and co-teach in at least one section of the course.
At first glance, there appears to be no issue with this.
However, the problem arises when two professors handling the same course do not have the same approach in teaching, the same scope, and the same assessment standards.
It’s not necessary for the professors to have the same teaching style. Every professor has their own approach in teaching. There are professors who focus more on lectures and practice regular quizzes, while some may do short lectures but be heavy on quizzes. Differences in teaching style are normal.
What should not be normalized is the difference in academic experience that the students have to go through in a single course.
𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗥 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗦, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗬𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗬.
There are different ways in which co-teaching can be implemented. In some cases, one professor may handle the lecture while the other handles the laboratory. Alternatively, one professor may teach from the prelim period through the first half of the midterm, before the course is turned over to the other professor until finals.
There is nothing wrong with any of these arrangements—if coordination is clear and orderly.
However, when the professor changes, it’s not only the professor’s face that changes. The method of discussion may change as well, pacing in lessons, types of quizzes and exams, and the expected level of knowledge among the students.
This is where a simple question becomes important: Do the professors have the same basis for determining what the students are expected to know?
If the answer is No, then it is no longer about the difference in teaching styles. It becomes a matter of fairness.
An example of this is a student who experienced this type of system. In the first part of the course, the teaching is primarily centered on lectures and quizzes. Afterwards, when the responsibility was transferred to the second professor, there were short lectures before a comprehensive final examination was given.
The problem is not simply about the difficulty of the final exam.
The bigger problem is when a topic is present in the exam when it has not been discussed enough before it was included.
In this situation, it’s easy to say, “the students should already know that.” But what if the teaching system itself fails to provide sufficient opportunities for students to learn it?
𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗔 𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡.
Students have the responsibility to study. There is no doubt about that.
However, professors also have the responsibility to ensure that every topic included in the exams is consistent with the lessons discussed and aligned with the course syllabus.
The students should not be the ones who bear the consequences of the difference in teaching styles between two professors.
If Professor A has a different pacing than Professor B, then there should be a clear coordination on the lessons that need to be discussed. If Professor B handles the final examination, he/she should know what was actually discussed in class. And if there is a topic that needs to be included, there should also be enough time and opportunity to discuss it.
After all, the students are not assigned exclusively to Professor A or Professor B.
The students are enrolled in the course.
The course should have clear and consistent academic standards, regardless of which professor handles it.
The professors are not the same, but it doesn’t mean that the standards should be different too.
It is important to clarify that there is no expectation for all professors to have the same personality, teaching style, or approach.
They do not need to lecture in the same way. They do not need to use the same methods for giving quizzes. Nor do they need to give up their individual teaching approaches
What matters is their consistency in direction.
If there is one syllabus, one course, and a set of learning outcomes, there should be a clear standard on what needs to be learned by the students before they’re tested for assessment.
Because if the first half of the semester is centered on one learning system and is suddenly changed by the next professor without a proper transition, the students are left to bear the burden of adjusting to a problem they did not choose to be in.
The issue becomes particularly serious when students ultimately receive lower or failing grades as a result.
A failing grade is not a small thing. Especially for major subjects that have 5 units, it creates a huge impact on a student’s academic standing, on their loads in the following semesters, and even on their graduation timeline.
Thus, it is only reasonable that before saying “they didn’t study enough,” professors should first consider whether the system itself provided students with sufficient and fair opportunities to learn.
𝗖𝗢-𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗬𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠, 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦.
Co-teaching is not inherently problematic. In fact, it can be beneficial when there is good coordination among the professors. It can bring together different areas of expertise, teaching approaches, and experiences, making the course even more effective.
However, even a good concept can become problematic when coordination is poor.
Co-teaching should not be a reason for different interpretations in coverage, different expectations, or quizzes that are not consistent with the actual pacing of the class.
If there are two professors teaching in a course, they don’t have to be the same.
However, it needs to be clear where they are aligned.
Because students should not bear the burden of guessing what the next professor wants, adjusting to a new system in the middle of the semester, and then being blamed for failing to meet standards that were never clearly communicated.
High standards are important. However, high standards should be accompanied by clear teaching, good coordination, and fair assessment.
Otherwise, the co-teaching that is supposed to be a solution to limited teaching personnel can be an unnecessary problem that the students have to bear.
And perhaps, that is the question that those responsible for overseeing such a system need to reflect on:
When there are two professors teaching in a course, who should be held accountable when their instruction differs—the students who failed, or the system that gave them different standards?
Words | Karagatan
Illustration | Moh'd Gazali N. Saripada
