Date

5-2015

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Chair

Gail L Collins

Keywords

Co-Teaching, Inclusion, Multi-Case Study, Special Education

Disciplines

Educational Methods | Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching | Science and Mathematics Education | Special Education and Teaching

Abstract

Special education provides a variety of instructional models to ensure the success of students with disabilities. The increasingly utilized model of co-teaching allows students with disabilities access to the general education environment with the support of special education teachers. The co-teaching model consists of one general and one special education teacher who work together to ensure the success of both the special education and general education students. This qualitative study investigated and explained the co-teaching approaches and practices used by co-teaching partners participating in the academic areas of literature/composition and mathematics classes at the high school level. A multiple case study approach was used to identify the instructional strategies of five special education teachers and five general educations teachers who participated in co-teaching environments. The research was conducted through focus group interviews of the pairs of co-teaching partners from each case, individual participant interviews, and classroom observations. The findings from this study demonstrated that the co-teachers perceive the most effective co-teaching approaches were the supportive approach for high school literature/composition teachers and the teaming approach for high school mathematics teachers. Also, the findings demonstrated that literature/composition teachers identified group work and mathematics teachers identified peer tutoring as effective instructional practices in their classrooms. The findings will be used to share with other high school teachers and administrators to boost the success of co-teaching environments.

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