Do Pull-In Programs Foster Teacher Collaboration?

Abstract

This investigation examined classroom teachers' perceptions of collaborative planning meetings that they engaged in with remedial reading or resource room teachers. A particular focus was whether collaborative planning was perceived differently by teachers whose students were served in pull-out programs, as compared to teachers whose students received "pull-in" reading instruction, whereby the specialist teacher taught in the general classroom. Structured interviews were conducted with 12 classroom teachers participating in the pull-in condition and 11 classroom teachers participating in the pull-out arrangement. Relative to the teachers involved in pull-out programs, the teachers engaged in the pull-in condition reported (1) more frequent collaborative meetings, (2) a greater focus on specific instructional issues rather than on student progress and adjustment, and (3) greater learning of specific instructional techniques. The implications of these findings for the successful implementation of teacher consultation models and for improving communication and coordination among specialist and classroom teachers are considered.