Inclusive Practices in Content Area Instruction: Addressing the Challenges of Co-Teaching

Abstract

This chapter reports on the results from several extended qualitative investigations of co-teaching in science and social studies content area classes, on both elementary and secondary levels. In these investigations, co-teaching partners were studied and interviewed over several years, with the view of uncovering attitudes and procedures closely associated with successful collaborative partnerships. In some cases, these investigations took place in the context of implementation of research-based instructional strategies. Analysis of data from these investigations revealed that there was considerable variability in the way co-teaching practices were implemented, the attitudes toward co-teaching expressed by teachers, and the success of the co-teaching partnerships. It was thought that several variables, including content expertise, concerns for high-stakes testing, and the personal compatibility of co-teachers played an important role in the success of the co-teaching relationship.

Citation

Mastropieri, M.A., Scruggs, T.E., Graetz, J. and Conners, N. (2005), "Inclusive Practices in Content Area Instruction: Addressing the Challenges of Co-Teaching", Scruggs, T.E. and Mastropieri, M.A. (Ed.) Cognition and Learning in Diverse Settings (Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities, Vol. 18), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 225-260. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0735-004X(05)18010-0