A meta-synthesis of co-teaching students with and without disabilities

A meta-synthesis of qualitative research was conducted on co-teaching by general and special educators working with students with and without disabilities in primary and secondary general education classrooms. We sought to update the Scruggs et al., 2007 meta-synthesis to discern new knowledge, including co-teaching's impact on students and teachers. Although challenges are identified, co-teachers perceive that co-teaching can enhance their and their students' learning. Findings suggest that school personnel, researchers and policymakers can consider co-teaching as a learning context for co-teachers as well as a dynamic framework that can potentially foster effective instruction for all students in the co-taught classroom.     

A one-year study of the development of co-teaching in four Finnish schools

In this follow-up study, development of co-teaching was studied in four different schools in Helsinki, Finland. Teachers, altogether 54, 51 and 26, respectively, responded to an electronic questionnaire three times during one year. The attitudes towards co-teaching were positive although the frequency of co-teaching remained low. Co-teaching was seen as a developing mode of teaching and it was said to be suitable for all school subjects. Special teachers and class teachers had the most experience with co-teaching. The majority of respondents co-taught 2–5 lessons per week and that did not change during the follow-up, although monetary incentive was available to those who increased their co-teaching during the study period. For class-teachers, another class-teacher was most often the chosen co-teaching partner. Special teachers were frequent co-teaching partners for all teachers. The most common reason for not co-teaching was the lack of planning time. However, 15 minutes were considered enough to plan one lesson. The respondents had no education about co-teaching. Receiving more attention was the most often mentioned benefit of co-teaching for the students. Sharing and well-being were regarded as the greatest benefits of co-teaching for the teachers. The advantages and obstacles of co-teaching are discussed and some practical advice is given.     

Co-teaching as science in the schoolhouse: more questions than answers

The concept of science in the schoolhouse combines knowledge of research-based practices with the complexities of day-to-day life in schools. In this discussion, co-teaching is offered as an example of how advocacy for a practice can outpace the science that supports it. There is a push for co-teaching in contemporary schools, and special educators in great numbers are being asked to join with general educators in meeting the needs of students with disabilities. However, the science behind co-teaching to date is very limited. Studies have examined the implementation of co-teaching as a general service delivery option, but much less attention has been paid scientifically to the character and quality of the co-taught instruction or to the impact of co-teaching on student outcomes. Within this context, I also examine how Crockett's four recommendations to support science in the schoolhouse could address the questions about co-teaching for which there are few answers.     

Educating science teachers for the sociocultural diversity of urban schools

This interpretive study of the preparation of science teachers for urban high schools explored the extent to which learning to teach was facilitated by the methods courses, cooperating teachers and university supervisors. Because the methods course was minimally effective in addressing the needs of teaching low track students from conditions of poverty the methods instructor, Tobin, decided to be a teacher-researcher with such students. He joined Smith, a student teacher and Seiler, a doctoral student, in an investigation that examined learning to teach in a graduate teacher preparation program. In an endeavour to gain a first hand grasp on the challenges of teaching African American students placed in a low track program of study the three authors of this paper co-taught science in an urban high school. The paper incorporates rich perspectives gained from the teacher-researchers and theoretical frameworks associated with resistance, habitus and learning to teach by co-teaching. The paper advocates co-teaching as an essential component of teacher education programs.     

Team-reflection: the missing link in co-teaching teams

In literature, co-teaching is mostly defined as an instrumental and pedagogical means delivered by collaborating special and regular teachers, from which students with and without special educational needs benefit in regular schools. The importance of a shared vision on the part of members of co-teaching teams as to what they consider as good education for students is not mentioned in definitions of co-teaching. The authors argue that sense-making by reflection about what can be considered as good education – good teaching and good learning – is essential when co-teachers want to understand or change their practice or relationship with their partner. We reviewed 17 articles about co-teaching teams’ professional development and identified that challenges to co-teachers’ professionalisation mostly were directed to interpersonal and normative aspects of development in co-teaching teams. We elaborate on five distinguished movements that can bring about change in teacher professionalism. These movements correspond to the challenges retrieved from the literature review and can be used to contribute to move toward a new perspective on professionalism of co-teachers. A contemporary definition of co-teaching is proposed because former definitions do not suffice to express the value of constructing a shared vision on good teaching and learning. We argue that team-reflection is the missing link in terms of enhancing normative professionalism of co-teaching teams and recommend that further research should be conducted to value team-reflection as a means to overcome challenges of co-teaching teams.     

Using students’ drawings to elicit general and special educators’ perceptions of co-teaching

This paper describes the findings of a study of general and special educators’ perceptions of co-teaching in elementary and middle school classrooms. A total of 85 students, 20 general education, and 11 special education teachers participated in this investigation in which student drawings were used as both data and as tools to spark teacher reflection. Students’ pictorial depictions of co-teaching were analyzed for apparent features and traits. Co-teachers’ reactions to the drawings were springboards for reflective conversations around modifications they felt needed to take place to improve co-teaching. Findings suggest that proactive role distribution, support structures, and trust building are critical factors in strengthening co-teaching. Implications for practice are discussed.     

Barriers to the implementation of specialized reading instruction in secondary co-taught classrooms: an exploratory study

ABSTRACT

This exploratory research underscores Bandura’s social learning theory on collective agency to investigate co-teaching partners’ collaboration regarding reading instruction for students with disabilities. Students whose Individualized Education Programs stipulate reading are dependent on special educators to deliver such instruction. In the current research, we investigate barriers to implementation of specialized reading instruction in co-taught classes. One hundred seven secondary special education co-teachers across the United States, who primarily teach students with learning disabilities, responded to a questionnaire about their co-teaching experiences and delivery of specialized reading instruction. Emphasizing the impact that co-planning has on barriers to the implementation of reading, our results indicate the moderating role of special educators’ perceived co-teaching benefits. Empirical findings are discussed, and implications for research and practice are offered.     

Ways of composing teaching teams and their impact on teachers’ perceptions about collaboration

The present study examined the impact of teacher team composition on characteristics and attributes regarded as necessary for effective cooperative teaching. The study focused on potential differences between self-selected teacher teams and teams composed by the school administration. The central assumptions were that teachers working in self-selected teacher teams show more positive ratings of enjoyment, shared responsibility, job satisfaction and collective self-efficacy expectations than teachers who worked in institutionally composed teams. In order to investigate these hypotheses, an online survey was created. 321 language arts teachers participated in the survey. MANCOVA revealed significant differences in the dimensions ‘shared responsibility’ and ‘enjoyment with the co-teaching process’, where teachers from self-selected teaching teams showed significantly more positive ratings. These results support the assumption that self-selection of the team-mate is helpful for establishing compatible teaching teams, but does not necessarily lead to a higher quality of collaborative teaching.     

First-Year Engineering Students’ Portrayal of Engineering in a Proposed Museum Exhibit for Middle School Students

Students’ perceptions of engineering have been documented through studies involving interviews, surveys, and word associations that take a direct approach to asking students about various aspects of their understanding of engineering. Research on perceptions of engineering rarely focuses on how students would portray engineering to others. First-year engineering student teams proposed a museum exhibit, targeted to middle school students, to explore the question “What is engineering?” The proposals took the form of a poster. The overarching research question focuses on how these students would portray engineering to middle school students as seen through their museum exhibit proposals. A preliminary analysis was done on 357 posters to determine the overall engineering themes for the proposed museum exhibits. Forty of these posters were selected and, using open coding, more thoroughly analyzed to learn what artifacts/objects, concepts, and skills student teams associate with engineering. These posters were also analyzed to determine if there were any differences by gender composition of the student teams. Building, designing, and teamwork are skills the first-year engineering students link to engineering. Regarding artifacts, students mentioned those related to transportation and structures most often. All-male teams were more likely to focus on the idea of space and to mention teamwork and designing as engineering skills; equal-gender teams were more likely to focus on the multidisciplinary aspect of engineering. This analysis of student teams’ proposals provides baseline data, positioning instructors to develop and assess instructional interventions that stretch students’ self-exploration of engineering.     

Examining Middle School Students’ Engineering Design Processes in a Design Workshop

Design thinking has an important role in STEM education. However, there has been limited research on how students engage in various modalities throughout the design process in hands-on design tasks. To promote middle school students’ engineering literacy, it is necessary to examine the use of design modalities during design. Using a case study approach, we examine middle school students’ design stages and modalities during design activities. We also identify the patterns of design processes in the teams with different design outcomes. Drawing on theories in design thinking and embodied interaction, we proposed a framework and devised a video analysis protocol to examine students’ design stages and modalities. Middle school students attending a design workshop engaged in two design activities in teams of 3–4 people. The design sessions were video recorded and analyzed using the video analysis protocol. The teams engaged in the stages of planning, building, and testing, while employing the verbal, the visual, and the physical modalities. The teams that varied in design outcomes exhibited different patterns in the use of multiple modalities during the design stages. This study contributes to research on design thinking by proposing a framework for analyzing middle school students’ multimodal design processes and presenting data visualization methods to identify patterns in design stages and modalities. The findings suggest the necessity to examine students’ use of design modalities in the context of design stages and imply the potential benefits of using multiple modalities during design. The implications for future research and education practices are also discussed.

     

Revealing a bilingual science teacher’s dynamic views and practice about science and language teaching through dialogic reflections

Adopting a sociocultural perspective, we construct a case study exploring how a middle school bilingual science teacher reflected and acted when engaged in dialogue, co-teaching, and a newly designed unit on plate tectonics. Sources of data include video of classroom interaction and audio recordings of daily debriefs between the bilingual science teacher and second author. Dialogic reflections between these individuals reveal how the new curriculum, the dialogue, and co-teaching with the second author mediated the teacher’s emerging abilities to think and act in different ways at that sociohistorical moment in time. Based on these findings, we highly encourage professional development experiences to include ongoing dialogic reflection and co-teaching to “shake” teachers’ views and practice. These initial connections can indicate inroads into helping teachers broaden understanding of bilingual science education.

     

Modeling Collaboration for Middle-Level Teacher Candidates Through Co-Teaching

The purpose of this analysis was to determine if the implementation of co-teaching was an effective instructional practice for graduate-level teacher candidates (hence forth referred to as candidates) in a Middle Childhood Education cohort. The goals were to determine (1) if co-teaching promoted candidate learning and (2) if co-teaching provided effective modeling for the candidates so they would be able to utilize it in their own future classrooms. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed from course evaluations and pre- and post-surveys. Results indicated that candidates' educational experiences were enhanced as a result of the co-teaching experience, particularly with the use of team teaching, parallel teaching, and station teaching strategies. Additionally, evidence suggests that the use of co-teaching provided effective modeling for the candidates.     

Developing strong transition-focused IEPS using labour market data

Employment rates and post-school transition outcomes for individuals with disabilities remain alarmingly low compared to peers without disabilities. Transition-Focused Individualized Education Plans (TF-IEPs) often centre on skills associated with employment experience opportunities that are immediately available to the individual with a disability. While the transition plans focus on the student's strengths and areas of interest, less attention is paid to the guidance and support a student might need in choosing a sustainable career. We contend that teams must develop transition plans with specific attention to projected labour market data. Using this information will ensure that we are preparing students with disabilities for long-term success. This article describes how school teams can use an in-depth labour market analysis to develop robust transition plans. These plans will prepare students for careers that will last far into the future.     

The preparation of school psychologists for crisis intervention

School psychologists (N = 276, 81% return rate) were surveyed regarding the following aspects of crisis intervention: (a) university preparation, (b) continuing professional development, and (c) current involvement with school crisis plans and crisis teams. Of those receiving university training, 58% believed they were minimally prepared or not at all prepared to deal with school crises. Only 2% reported being well prepared or very well prepared. Data analyses indicated increased university training in recent years, particularly with practicum/internship experiences related to crisis intervention. Approximately 81% of school psychologists participated in local training for crisis intervention as part of continuing professional development. Although 91% of school psychologists worked in districts with crisis plans in place, only 53% participated on crisis teams. Suicide, violence, and school district crisis plans were recommended as high priority topics for future academic training. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Participation of psychologists in multidisciplinary team evaluations

State implementation plans required by PL 94–142 were collected and reviewed to determine whether psychologists were mentioned as appropriate members of multidisciplinary evaluation teams. Questionnaire data from 625 directors of special education also were analyzed to determine the frequency with which psychologists actually participated on the evaluation teams. The review revealed an apparent reluctance on the part of states to specify psychologists as appropriate team members. When psychologists were mentioned, school psychologists and other types of psychologists were identified with near equal frequencies. Even though states' implementation guidelines infrequently identified psychologists for participation on multidisciplinary teams, 81% of the surveyed teams actually included a psychologist. However, psychologists' rate of participation varied among the states. Implications of the minimum state requirements and varying participation of psychologists among states are discussed.     

Self-managing groups and the professional lives of teachers: A case study

The purpose of the study was to examine how interdisciplinary teaching teams were used in a newly opened Midwestern middle school to produce a work environment different from the one found in most traditionally organized schools. Five salient features of the work environment are described: organization around interdisciplinary teams, shared leadership, focus on children, the influence of the principal, and integrated programming for children. The article includes an analysis of how interdisciplinary teaching teams at this school affected some traditionally problematic aspects of teachers' work. Interdisciplinary teams are discussed as one illustration of self-managing work groups in school organizations.An earlier version of this article was presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, April 7, 1988.     

Teachers’ experiences with co-teaching as a model for inclusive education

Co-teaching is an instructional strategy that can be implemented by educators in several different ways. This paper considers how frequently co-teachers implement different approaches to co-teaching and what factors are associated with the implementation of these approaches. This study found that teachers most frequently reported implementing an approach to co-teaching in which one teacher designs and delivers a lesson and the other teacher provides individualised support to specific students with disabilities. The approach to co-teaching in which educators co-plan and co-instruct different components of the curricular content occurred the least frequently. The results of logistic regression analyses indicated that structural aspects of co-teaching (multiple years with co-teacher, time spent daily with co-teacher, number of current co-teachers), teacher attitudes, and professional development opportunities (pre-service and in-service) were associated with the use of different approaches to co-teaching.     

Co-teaching as Teacher Training: Experiential Accounts of Two Doctoral Students

There is a growing body of literature exploring the benefits and challenges of co-teaching in higher education. However, there has been little focus on co-teaching from a doctoral student perspective. Drawing on our experiences co-teaching at a large, research-intensive university in Canada, this paper discusses the steps taken to co-design, co-facilitate, and co-assess a graduate level course. We recommend that co-teaching be further explored and implemented in higher education, particularly in doctoral programs, as it provides opportunities to expand personal teaching styles, develop diversified curriculum, build confidence, and take greater risks in the classroom—all of which benefit educators and students alike.     

Teacher Perspectives of School Management Teams

This study is intended as a resource and a tool for those involved in the evaluation, monitoring, or self-review of school management teams. The information presented is based on first-hand experiences of n = 838 elementary and middle school teachers from 55 schools who were directly involved with the implementation and operations of school management teams over a 2-year period. The insight reported by these teachers, who represent both management team members and nonmembers, brings to light many of the contextual issues facing management team implementation, operations, and power distribution. These issues are discussed in terms of implications for evaluation and team self-review.