ACADEMIA Letters Two Sides of the Same Coin: A Glimpse into the Advantages and Disadvantages of the Cohort Educational Delivery Model Melissa Comer, Tennessee Technological University James ”Buddy” Martin Introduction Focusing on cooperative learning (Johnson & Johnson,1994) and development of learning communities (Maher, 2005; Wenger, 2006) teacher candidates engaged in cohort model pro- grams are trained in much the same way they will be required to teach in a K-6 setting (Long, 2010), a good thing. Yet, cohorts typically have two distinct sides: one produces construc- tive outcomes while the other produces less than desirable results (Mather and Hanley, 1999). Emotional and academic support found within a cohort design contribute to a strong work ethic, Mather and Hanley argue, but there is also a potential for competitive discord among students. Similarly, Mandzuk et al. (2003) found that the structural properties of cohorts, the interdependence and shared ideology, brought about both negative and positive efects. Knorr (2012) also stresses that there are both positive and negative dynamics in educational cohorts. Likewise, Hubbell & Hubbell (2010), professors who deliver instruction in a cohort format, recognize the dual nature. Identifying with the duality, we, as educators working within a cohort design, readily acknowledge there are advantages and disadvantages for professors and students alike. Academia Letters, August 2021 Corresponding Author: Melissa Comer, mcomer@tntech.edu Citation: Comer, M., Martin, J.”. (2021). Two Sides of the Same Coin: A Glimpse into the Advantages and Disadvantages of the Cohort Educational Delivery Model. Academia Letters, Article 3372. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL3372. 1 ©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0