Embedded Files
Guiding Question
Guiding Question
Why intentionally teach teamwork rather than assume it develops through collaborative assignments?
Guiding Principles
Also
design decision
design decision
Teamwork is the initial professional skill explicitly developed through the Belonging by Design framework.
Faculty intentionally teach teamwork before expecting students to work effectively in teams.
Teamwork is developed through relationships, engagement, community, and explicit teamwork instruction.
Working Definition
Working Definition
Teamwork: The intentional development and application of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to work effectively with others toward shared goals.
Within Belonging by Design, teamwork is developed through:
relationships
engagement
community
explicit teamwork skills
Design Rationale
Design Rationale
Problem
Problem
Future teachers are expected to collaborate throughout their careers.
Group work is commonly assigned in educator preparation.
Teamwork is often assumed rather than intentionally taught.
Students enter with very different teamwork experiences.
Design Choice
Design Choice
Position teamwork as the first professional skill developed through the framework.
Treat teamwork as a learnable competency rather than an assumed ability.
Reasoning
Reasoning
Teamwork provides an authentic context for developing belonging.
Teaching teamwork creates opportunities for connection, participation, contribution, and reflection.
Faculty can intentionally cultivate these experiences through instructional design.
evidence & influences
evidence & influences
leadership
leadership
Relevant Ideas
Relevant Ideas
Team Leadership emphasizes intentionally developing effective teams rather than assuming they emerge naturally.
Servant Leadership focuses on developing others and creating conditions for their success.
Inclusive Leadership values participation, belonging, and diverse contributions within teams.
Effective teamwork requires trust, communication, and shared responsibility.
How Leadership Informed This Decision
How Leadership Informed This Decision
Leadership theories reinforced the decision to explicitly teach teamwork as a professional competency rather than assume students would develop it through experience alone. Team Leadership highlights the importance of intentionally developing collaborative capacity, while Servant Leadership emphasizes supporting others' growth. Inclusive Leadership further reinforces that teamwork should create opportunities for every student to participate, contribute, and experience belonging.
Included Theories
Included Theories
Team Leadership
Servant Leadership
Inclusive Leadership
learning theory
learning theory
belonging
belonging
asu resources
asu resources
Relevant Ideas
Carol Basile's writing on educator preparation and preparing teachers for collaborative practice.
Next Education Workforce's emphasis on team-based teaching.
Principled Innovation's focus on relationships, empathy, and ethical collaboration.
Professional Learning Hub resources that support collaborative instructional practices.
How Institutional Resources Informed This Decision
Belonging by Design was intentionally designed to extend—not duplicate—existing institutional work. These resources reinforced the importance of collaboration as a professional competency and demonstrated practical ways faculty can intentionally cultivate teamwork and belonging.
research evidence
research evidence
practical considerations
practical considerations
alternatives considered
alternatives considered
Possible alternatives
Teach communication first.
Teach trust first.
Assume teamwork develops through group work.
Why not selected
Teamwork provides an organizing framework that naturally incorporates these related skills.
decision notes
decision notes
Original decision
Revisions
Considerations
Current Stage
Created: July 26
Next steps:
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