This study describes two heterogeneously grouped second-grade classrooms during the 1998-99 school year. One class featured collaborative team teaching, and the second class was taught by a traditional single teacher. There were 33 regular education students and nine at-risk students in the team classroom and 14 regular education students and eight at-risk students in the one-teacher classroom. One hundred three interviews were conducted with 21 students in the team classroom and 18 students in the one-teacher classroom, with 13 parents, with three teachers, and with the school principal. The researcher observed the two classes 61 times from September to May. Data were organized according to the respondents' perspectives and the observation entries on four themes: classroom social climate; instruction and its effects, including provisions for small-group and individual assistance; distribution of teachers' roles and tasks; and information on the practice of teaming. Regular education and at-risk students in both classes reported that school was a highly positive experience, that their teachers provided motivating instruction; and the social climate was one of group cohesion and help from everyone. Parents confirmed the students' perceptions. Teachers reported that they felt confident meeting the needs of nearly all students in both classroom settings. The school principal agreed with the teachers but believed that it was easier for the team-teaching pair to meet their goals. The researchers' field notes supported the interview data. Results were interpreted by defining the general themes that emanated from the data and by delineating guidelines for effective teaming and elaborating on problems to be avoided in collaborative team-teaching partnerships. In the classrooms included in this study. Collaborative team teaching appears to offer an important alternative to traditional single-teacher models for both regular education and at-risk students.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-4374 |
| Date | 01 December 1999 |
| Creators | Thompson, Johnny D. |
| Publisher | Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University |
| Source Sets | East Tennessee State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
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