The purpose of this qualitative research study was to identify the perceptions of general and special education teachers currently participating in collaborative co-teaching team models regarding the leadership practices of principals in support of co-teaching as a service delivery model in high schools. The literature review findings indicated the importance of administrative leadership and support being essential for the implementation of co-teaching. Therefore, the two research questions for this qualitative study focused on administrative practices that support co-teaching. The two research questions for this qualitative research study were a) What are the leadership practices of principals, as perceived by general education teachers, in support of co-teaching as a service delivery model in high schools? and b) What are the leadership practices of principals, as perceived by special education teachers, in support of co-teaching as a service delivery model in high schools?
This research study utilized a qualitative phenomenological research approach which was an interview protocol used to collect data from high school general and special education teachers participating in the study. The criteria for participation included: a) high school general and special education teachers currently participating or had participated in a collaborative co-teaching team model servicing students with disabilities, and b) high school general and special education teachers participating or had previously participated in a collaborative co-teaching team model servicing students with disabilities in core-content areas. The findings for school divisions and high school principals are common vision, expectations for co-teaching, ongoing, job-embedded professional development, and amenities that support co-teaching. The findings in this study resulted in five implications for school divisions and high school principals. Implications for practice were provided at the conclusion of the study and focused on identifying the practices of principal leadership, as perceived by general and special education teachers, in support of co-teaching in high schools. Also, suggestions for future research were addressed in this study. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to identify perceptions of high school general and special education teachers regarding principal leadership practices in support of co-teaching as a service delivery model in high schools. During this basic qualitative study, the researcher investigated the perceptions of eight high school general and special education teachers by conducting one-on-one interviews to collect data on the participants' perceptions of principal leadership practices in support of co-teaching in high schools. This basic qualitative study resulted in five findings. The high school general and special education teachers indicated a) principals conveyed a common vision for co-teaching with all staff members, b) professional development was provided by the principal to support implementing a co-teaching model, c) principal collaboration and communication with co-teaching teams was provided for the co-teaching model, d) co-teaching expectations were communicated by the principal to all staff members to foster a collaborative environment, and e) administrative support is fundamental for effective co-teaching.
The five findings resulted in five implications for high school general and special education teachers perceptions of principal leadership practices in support of co-teaching a) school divisions should provide school leaders with support to develop and articulate a common vision for co-teaching based on research and best practices, b) the school division can allocate funds to provide job embedded co-teaching (for both the general and special educator) professional development, training, and conferences for full co-teaching implementation, c) principals should provide scheduled collaborative opportunities with general and special education teachers working in co-teaching teams, d) principals should convey co-teaching expectations with all staff members in an effort to strengthen collaborative environments, and e) principals should provide general and special education teachers continuous support in co-teaching collaborations.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/117294 |
| Date | 02 January 2024 |
| Creators | Shears-Walker, Barbara Jean |
| Contributors | Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Brinkmann, Jodie Lynn, Johnson, Timothy Erskine, Price, Ted S., Cash, Carol S. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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