The Effectiveness of Co-Teaching in Middle School ELA Inclusion Classrooms

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which co-teaching strategies were used in 4th to 8th grade English Language Arts inclusion classrooms. Through the use of a qualitative approach, data collection included interviews, a focus group, and surveys. The following themes were revealed: advantages of co-teaching, weaknesses of co-teaching, and planning. In addition, a theme of inconsistency was discovered. Results indicated that all of the participants used the one teach, one assist approach regularly. Teachers identified problems with implementing co-teaching such as lack of time to plan, classroom support, and professional development.

Leveraging Co-Teaching as a Social Justice Pedagogy: What School Leaders Need to Know

“…Regular co-planning is key to a team's effectiveness. Without it, special education teachers often lack the preparation to do more than manage on-the-spot issues and behaviors which diminishes their value and regard as critical classroom resource (Hays et al, 2023;McCall et al, 2018;Rexroat-Frazier & Chamberlin, 2019). Teams also need time to build shared visions, and critically reflect on how their beliefs and pedagogies impact students' access to learning (Fluijt et al, 2016;Cobb & Sharma, 2015).…”

“…Nonetheless, their perspectives largely align with co-teaching research and offer school leaders valuable insights around implementation needs and supports. Their experiences underscore the need for leaders to ensure a collective commitment to co-teaching through stakeholder communication, the prioritization of scheduling and teacher planning, the provision of professional development, and through effective supervision (Brendle et al, 2017;Chitiyo, 2017;Faraclas, 2018;Hays et al, 2023;Rexroat-Frazier & Chamberlin, 2019). They emphasize the leader's responsibility to ensure that co-teachers display equity-focused mindsets and proficiency in using differentiated instruction and demonstrate culturally responsive relational and instructional practices that validate each student's assets and identities (Mayes et al, 2022;Rytivaara et al, 2019).…”