Co-teaching and academic outcomes for SWD. Effective implementation strategies

Abstract

Co-teaching is an instructional delivery model meant to respond to the popular demand for full inclusion of students with disabilities (SWD) in general education classrooms. Two teachers (special educator and content area teacher) work together to deliver instruction in various ways to ensure all students' success. This systematic review looks at research on co-teaching from 2018 to 2023 and includes both descriptive (two) and experimental studies (five). The review aims to investigate the academic outcomes of students with disabilities in K-12 co-taught classrooms. Results show that while co-teaching is a well-intended model, it does not significantly impact the academic performance of SWD. Results provide an opportunity for reflection and further examination of factors that can improve the efficacy of co-teaching, revealing what co-teachers do and how they do it to impact the academic achievement of SWD.