Teachers' Beliefs About Co-Teaching

Abstract

The proliferation of inclusion in public schools has prompted the development of several models of collaborative instruction. In response to that trend, this study provides some relevant information about the current state of practice from the perspective of essential stakeholders: the collaborating teachers. This investigation focused primarily on important factors affecting collaborative teaching, including effective strategies that were both valued and used, important teacher preparations, and valued school-based supports. Information relative to these issues was gathered by using the Perceptions of Co-Teaching Survey, an instrument developed by the author. A number of survey respondents were selected randomly to participate in a semistructured interview. Of the 139 participants who returned the completed survey, 92 represented intact collaborative teaching partners. From this respondent pool, 12 co-teachers were interviewed. Based on the most significant findings of the study, two conclusions were posited. First, general education co-teachers were perceived as doing more than their special education partners in the inclusive classroom. Second, co-teachers who had access to the collaborative practices, preparations, and supports listed in the survey considered them less valuable in practice than in theory.