Understanding Teacher Adaptive Expertise

Abstract The shift from disciplinary to interdisciplinary teaching requires teachers to develop adaptive expertise – the ability to think and act beyond their routine strategies and to respond flexibly and effectively to novel situations. This article addresses a question: how did primary teachers’ responses to contingencies during co-teaching and co-reflecting on an interdisciplinary lesson sequence reveal their adaptive expertise? This study identified four types of contingent moments and their sources: (1) unanticipated student responses and activation of prior knowledge, (2) lack of or minimal student engagement, (3) insights gained through informal assessments, and (4) resource availability and time constraints. While teachers demonstrated flexibility and deliberate practice in responding to students’ prior knowledge, and adapting lessons based on informal formative assessments, their mathematical knowledge limited their capacity to extend students’ thinking and make interdisciplinary connections. It is argued that interdisciplinary co-teaching can foster teacher reflection on routine practices.