How well do ALTs and Japanese school teachers understand each other? The aim of this research is to build empathy and understanding between Japanese teachers and ALTs by providing insight into team teaching from the viewpoint of ALTs. Three focus groups were conducted with ALTs in different cities in a rural prefecture in Japan. Thematic analysis was applied to illuminate salient factors that affect the success of team teaching for ALTs. A theoretical framework was then presented to show how these factors inter-relate. The main issues facing ALTs are having a recessive role in the classroom, frustration with textbooks, and dealing with systemic rigidity in and out of the classroom. Having open lines of communication is the best way to alleviate these issues and improve team teaching.
Marchesseau et al. (Sat,) studied this question.