A new research performed by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF) suggested that teaching and learning in the 21st century can only work if teachers and the entire school staff collaborate as a team. The report also suggests that simply making adjustments to antiquated school structures and policies will not help.

The report, which was entitled “Team Up for 21st Century Teaching and Learning: What Research and Practice Reveal about Professional Learning,” was supported by the Pearson Foundation. This report gives educators and school policy leaders a detailed review of case studies and researches about the innovative teaching practices being followed by top-performing educational institutions.

The study was conducted in response to President Obama’s mission to make college students ready for a career and to help low-income students achieve their degree goals, said NCTAF program leader Hanna Doerr, who was also the editor of the report.

Several changes are required for this pedagogical transformation to be realized, and not just tinkering with a school’s structure, according to the report. According to the researchers, the most challenging of these redesigns is the transformation of the teaching profession itself — how schools are being staffed and the work of teachers.

One point the report stated is that there is strong evidence that collaborative teaching environments are more successful compared to environments that simply identify “good” and “bad” teachers.