Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice Vol. 13, No. 3, June 2007, pp. 211–245 ISSN 1354-0602 (print)/ISSN 1470-1278 (online)/07/030211–35 © 2007 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/13540600701299767 Teacher collaboration in the context of the Responsive Classroom approach L. Brook E. Sawyer a * and Sara E. Rimm-Kaufman b a Thomas Jefferson University, USA; b University of Virginia, USA Taylor and Francis Ltd CTAT_A_229880.sgm 10.1080/13540600701299767 Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice 1354-0602 (print)/1470-1278 (online) Original Article 2007 Taylor & Francis 13 3 000000June 2007 L. BrookE.Sawyer brook.sawyer@jefferson.edu This mixed-method study examined characteristics and predictors of teacher collaboration. Limited research exists that describes the characteristics of teacher collaboration, and surprisingly little work explains the ways in which teaching experience and teachers’ perceptions of the school environment influence teacher collaboration. Questionnaire data were collected from a sample of 118 elementary school teachers in six schools in a northeast urban school district, and interviews were conducted with administrators in each school. Three schools were in their second year implementing the Responsive Classroom ® (RC) approach, and three schools were comparison schools. Teachers reported collaborating approximately once or twice per month, generally with fellow grade-level teachers about student-centered topics. Teachers in RC schools reported more frequent formal collaboration than comparison school teachers. In regards to predicting teacher collaboration, teachers who used more RC practices and/or resources reported collaborating more, valuing collaboration to a higher degree, and perceiving greater involvement in school decision-making, controlling for whether they taught at a RC school. Also, teachers’ perceptions of the school envi- ronment related positively to teacher collaboration. The current study adds to the understanding of teacher collaboration and its antecedents, contributing uniquely to the literature on how a school- wide educational initiative is associated with teachers’ perceptions of their school environment as well as their collaborative behaviors and beliefs. Keywords: Collaboration; Responsive Classroom approach; Elementary school teachers; Teacher beliefs; Teacher practices Teachers face heavy workloads and increased responsibilities in American schools. The challenge of teaching has only increased as a greater percentage of students come to school ‘at-risk’ of school failure and as teachers are held to higher standards of accountability (Zill, 1999). At present, 50% of teachers leave within their first five years of teaching, creating shortages as more teachers leave than enter the workforce * Corresponding author. Child and Family Studies Research Programs, Thomas Jefferson University, 130 South 9th Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5233, USA. Email: brook.sawyer@jefferson.edu