Teacher collaboration: conceptualisation and practice

Teacher collaboration has been recognised as one of the fundamental approaches to enhancing learning and teaching. However, despite its prominence as a professional development approach, it is conceptually under-theorised, with competing definitions, understandings and practices with gaps remaining in our understanding of teacher collaboration practice. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline, we accessed and reviewed 66 studies to investigate how teacher collaboration is conceptualised and practised in the literature. Findings indicate that the construct is predominantly shaped by Western research, lacks a universally accepted definition, and is often used interchangeably with related terms. The analysis further reveals that practices of teacher collaboration exist along a continuum from informal to highly structured approaches, highlighting the need for a comprehensive framework that balances structure with contextual flexibility. Our analysis shows geographical, conceptual and practical gaps which have implications for the understanding and practice of teacher collaboration.