The purpose of this study was to examine if differences exist in student learning outcomes between students who are instructed in a co-taught or non co-taught environment in secondary social studies classrooms implementing Content Enhancement Routines (CER). This study examined student and teacher data from seventeen matched pairs of co-taught and non co-taught middle and high school general education social studies teachers who participated in professional development in CER and professional development in co-teaching if applicable. Of the 34 participating teachers, 23 were visited by school district personnel to verify implementation of CER. Five co-teaching teams, each consisting of a general and special educator, completed a Coteaching Rating Scale (CtRS) (n=10) to analyze the level of co-teaching occurring in the classroom (beginning, compromising or collaborating stage). A systematic sample of students (n = 907) completed a CER Student Perception Survey to examine perceived differences of the use of CER in co-taught and non co-taught social studies classrooms. Student state assessment scores (n = 318) in co-taught and non co-taught classrooms were analyzed to distinguish differences in student learning gains. Specifically this study investigated if differences in student performance occur when a special educator is present in the classroom. Results indicate that although there was no statistically significant difference in student learning outcomes between the two settings, the impact of teacher preparation, professional development and the implementation of CER in the secondary social studies classroom may be determining factors in student success.

The purpose of this study was to investigate four research questions concerning the impact of co-teaching on general education students educated within a classroom inclusion model. General education students who received instruction during their 10th-grade year in a co-taught language arts or mathematics class were compared with other 10th-grade students receiving instruction from the same teacher but without the additional co-teacher. Achievement data from the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) were gathered on these students. The state of Florida calculates and reports developmental scale scores (DSS) for students taking the FCAT. These scores are calculated to track student progress over time in relationship to the FCAT at each grade level. This study compared the difference in DSS from 9th-grade to 10th-grade of general education students in co-taught classes. It was determined in this study that there was no statistically significant difference for general education students in co-taught language arts classes but there was a significant difference for those in mathematics classes as compared to their peers not in co-taught classes. When below proficient general education students were compared there was a significant difference for students in mathematics co-taught classes compared to those not in co-taught classes, but not for those in language arts classes. Additional analyses were conducted to determine if co-teaching was a factor in the overall learning gain calculation used by the state of Florida. It was determined that there was no significant difference in learning gains of general education co-taught students as compared to peers not in co-taught classes. Information for school and district leaders was provided to guide decision making regarding the use of co-teaching as an inclusion model. Further research is necessary to fully understand the implications of co-teaching on general education students.

This study focused on identifying the components that contribute to instructional delivery in co-taught secondary classrooms in hopes of enhancing the understanding in the field of co-teaching in various secondary content areas. Employing a non-experimental mixed method research design, the study integrated qualitative and quantitative methods to gain insight into general education teachers' roles in solo-taught and co-taught classrooms and special educators' roles in co-taught classrooms. Instrumentation included the use of the Teacher Roles Observation Schedule (TROS), the Colorado Assessment of Co-Teaching (CO-ACT), interview questions, and field notes. The quantitative portion of the study consisted of event recordings of teacher interactions (TROS), co-teacher perception rating scale scores (CO-ACT), and class seating charts to monitor the occurrence of one-on-one interactions with students in both settings. The qualitative portion of the research study consisted of the researcher gathering ongoing field notes and teacher interviews. The researcher sought to identify the interaction behaviors of secondary co-teaching teams. The most and least successful co-teaching teams were identified based on the findings. The findings indicate teacher preparation programs need to prepare all teachers to first consider the diverse learning needs of all students and second, to effectively collaborate in inclusive settings. Special education preparation programs need to include more secondary content teaching courses. Likewise, general education preparation programs need to prepare future secondary general educators to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of students with disabilities. In addition to improvements in teacher preparation programs, school leaders need to provide ongoing support for co-teachers via planning time and professional development, so they can maximize the collaborative potential embedded within the co-teaching model.

In this dissertation I explore the collaborative practices of three participants: two paraprofessionals and one music teacher. Using social capital as the theoretical framework, I analyzed the ways in which the participants networked with others to gain resources for expressive action. In order to more fully understand the social structures that exist in their elementary school environment, I examined participants’ perceptions of the issues that influenced their ability to access resources embedded in their social networks. Additionally, I examined if and how the paraprofessionals and music teacher used their gained resources in servicing students with Individualized Education Plans in inclusive music settings. Data for this qualitative case study were gathered remotely over a period of one semester during the COVID-19 pandemic. I conducted three semi-structured interviews with each participant as well as had several informal conversations to gain insights about their experiences related to collaboration. Data collection also included analyzing school documents to triangulate the findings. As I reviewed the data, I looked at their levels of relational trust with others, organizational and personal characteristics, structural and choice constraints, and perceptions of fit and belonging. In addition, the role of the COVID-19 pandemic was considered. To facilitate organization of data analysis and to help organize the data into categories, I coded the data and created a master code list. From these codes themes were developed that included: (a) network structures, (b) technology, and (c) norms and expectations. The findings suggest that the paraprofessionals in this study faced many challenges in gaining resources, such as high power differentials between them and their teaching colleagues, withdrawal from social engagement at a broader level, limited opportunities for collaborative planning, and low input in instructional delivery. These challenges meant that they provided inconsistent to no support in the inclusive music classroom. The music teacher in this study also lacked proper administrative support in order to promote consistent collaboration with the paraprofessionals and to facilitate inclusive practices that meet the needs of all learners. Implications from this research point to the importance of understanding power structures in the workplace, developing policies geared towards bridging the social distance between employees, as well as designing staff schedules that allow for collaboration and co-teaching. Recommendations are also made for future research.

This study investigated the perspectives of special and general education teachers on the loss of their professional space because of the co-teaching program. This was accomplished through the qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, by in-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews that were recorded using an electronic device and note taking. The interviews were conducted individually with six high school teachers from public schools, of which four were special education teachers and two were general education teachers. These interviews revealed that teachers defined professional space as personal identity and felt that the loss of their professional space emotionally impacted them. The interviews further revealed the lack of acceptance of the program by the teachers, who felt that administrative support was insufficient. Also, the findings revealed that the special education teachers felt marginalized and disrespected by the students in the co-taught classroom. This was largely because of the visual impact of the small space allocated to them in the co-taught general education classroom; while the general education teachers felt inconvenienced and pressurized into making space for the SPED teachers. The study concludes that school leaders, program developers, and policymakers should consider the perspectives of co-teachers and include them in the decision-making process before program implementation, thereby fostering teacher acceptance and program effectiveness, that would ultimately benefit the students. The key suggestions of this study are the need for the school district to hire new teachers, specifically for the co-taught program, and to provide training for both school leaders and the teachers.

Syftet med den här studien har varit att belysa hur 11 lärarpar (totalt 22 lärare) i fyra svenska grundskolor i tre kommuner beskriver sina erfarenheter av de organisatoriska förutsättningar som följer med ett tvålärarsystem och hur det påverkar deras arbetsmiljö. Empirin utgörs av 11 semistrukturerade parintervjuer och tolkades med hjälp av organisationsteorin och dess fokus på effektivitet kopplat till hur lärarna organiserat sitt samarbete. Det svenska tvålärarsystemet är ett relativt nytt arbetssätt som bygger på ett nära kollegialt samarbete mellan två (eller fler) lärare, och studien visar att tvålärarsystemet skiljer sig åt både organisatoriskt och relationellt jämfört med hur en ensam lärare organiserar sina arbetsuppgifter. Resultatet visar att respondenterna anser att tvålärarsystemet bidrar till en förbättrad arbetsmiljöb åde när det kommer till arbetsbelastningen och till en mer lustfylld arbetssituation. Men de betonar även att relationen mellan lärarna är avgörande för att samarbetet överhuvudtaget ska fungera. Resultatet visar även att tvålärarsystemet bidragit till att de organisatoriska förutsättningarna ändrats för studiens lärare när deras skolor infört tvålärarsystemet som arbetssätt. Dels på grund av den ökade kostnaden som följer arbetssättet med två legitimerade lärare per klass, dels på grund av det kollegiala samarbetets arbetsfördelning som följer med arbetssättet. Resultatet kan även visa att den svenska vetenskapliga forskningen om tvålärarsystemet i stort sett är obefintlig, men att studiens resultat styrks av den internationella forskning som finns om coteaching (förebilden till det svenska tvålärarsystemet). Även internationell och nationell forskning om kollegialt samarbete samt flertalet skildringar om det svenska tvålärarsystemet styrker studiens resultat. Min slutsats av den här studien är sammanfattningsvis att utifrån lärarnas perspektiv är de rörande överens om att tvålärarsystemet är ett arbetssätt som förbättrar deras arbetsmiljö.

Increased accountability mandates from the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 have resulted in general education teachers with disabled students in their classrooms. Within the inclusive classroom, the special education teacher and the general education teacher must develop a collaborative relationship that will consider the needs of the special education students and general education students. Villa and Thousand (1996) described the benefits of collaboration in schools: “Collaboration enables school personnel to meet diverse student needs through shared expertise and ownership of problem definitions and solutions” (p. 170). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how special education teachers and general education teachers in inclusive classrooms collaborate regarding the needs of students. The participants for this study were four special education teachers, four general education teachers, and the administrator in one elementary school located in Mississippi. The research questions for this study were derived from six defining characteristics of collaboration as described by Friend and Cook (1996). The six defining characteristics are: (a) collaboration is voluntary; (b) collaboration requires parity among participants; (c) collaboration is based on mutual goals; (d) collaboration depends on shared responsibility for participation and decision making; (e)collaboration requires individuals to share responsibility for outcomes. There were two research questions posed for this study: (1) How do special education teachers collaborate, as defined by Friend and Cook (1996), when working with general education teachers? (2) How do general education teachers collaborate, as defined by Friend and Cook (1996), when working with special education teachers?

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