Co-taught Classes Research Articles

Developmental relations between mathematics self-concept, interest, and achievement: A comparison of solo- and co-taught classes

Developmental relations between mathematics self-concept, interest, and achievement: A comparison of solo- and co-taught classes

Academic achievement for students with and without disabilities in co-taught classrooms: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis examined achievement of students with and without disabilities in co-taught compared to solo-taught general education classes. Using eight databases and six terms, a systematic search of peer-reviewed and gray literatures was conducted. From 99 studies about co-taught students’ achievement, 28 studies met eligibility criteria, including disaggregated data for 21,717 students. Achievement was not significantly higher for students with or without disabilities in co-taught classes. The combined negative effect regarding co-teaching was weak, implying that the achievement of students in co-taught settings did not vary significantly from that of students in solo-taught ones. The sub-group and moderator analyses revealed differences regarding the type of assessment and the meta-analyzed studies’ publication year. Study quality data regarding descriptions of co-teaching, fidelity, and group assignment highlight the need for more rigorously designed and implemented studies. Results are discussed in relation to the prevalence of co-teaching, considering additional factors beyond academic achievement.

Co-Teaching Effects On Algebra I Achievement Of Students With Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of co-teaching versus inclusive non-co-teaching for students with disabilities (SWD) using algebra I end-of-course scores (EOC) and whether these effects differed by gender. Participants included 244 ninth-grade algebra I SWD. The research design consisted of a posttest only with a control group and a test group. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the results. Results showed that co-teaching did not significantly benefit either male or female SWD in algebra I. The fact that SWD in inclusive settings who did not receive co-teaching scored higher than those in inclusive settings who did receive co-teaching is significant and has important implications for practice and research. Future research should investigate studies with larger sample size and proficiency of teachers in co-taught classes.

Does co-teaching improve academic achievement for students with disabilities? A meta-analysis

Co-teaching consists of general and special education teachers who team to instruct students with and without disabilities in the same classroom. Additionally, some students with disabilities (SWD) receive instruction in special education settings. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare academic achievement of SWD in co-taught classes to achievement of SWD in special education settings. A comprehensive search of published and gray literature yielded 26 eligible studies with a total of 3,714 SWD. Results indicate a moderate effect size (g = 0.47) for students in co-taught settings compared to students in special education settings. Although the findings support SWD's academic achievement in co-taught classes, more information is needed to identify what distinguishes characteristics of the SWD in co-taught versus special education settings, as well as instruction in each setting. Factors related to results are described, including the lack of information about instructional practices and equivalency of students assigned to co-taught or special education settings. Implications for future researchers are provided, along with cautions about widespread placement of SWD in either setting without monitoring that effective instructional practices are in place, and that students receive specially designed instruction as stipulated on their Individualized Education Programs.

Secondary special education co-teachers in the United States and specialised reading instruction for adolescents with disabilities

ABSTRACT When secondary students with disabilities are in co-taught classes, they still need to receive specialised reading instruction when it is stipulated on their Individualised Education Program. However, previous research reveals over two-thirds of secondary special education co-teachers focus instead on using modifications and accommodations. Although modifications and accommodations can meet the short-term need for students’ reading, they do not meet students’ long-term need for independent and proficient reading. In this study, middle and high school special education co-teachers report about specialised reading instruction for adolescents with disabilities whose Individualised Education Programs stipulate this need. Co-teachers completed an online survey about the provision of specialised reading instruction for students with disabilities in co-taught classes. Descriptive analyses indicate that half of the co-teachers are concerned students need more specialised reading instruction than that provided during co-taught classes, with almost one-third noting concern such instruction did not occur at any time during the school day. Results are similar to those obtained almost a decade ago, indicating that many secondary special education co-teachers continue to address students’ reading needs through accommodations and modifications rather than providing reading instruction that promotes students’ independence. Implications for specialised reading instruction for secondary students with disabilities are identified.

Specially Designed Instruction in Middle and High School Co-taught Classrooms

Students with disabilities are increasingly participating in co-taught classes where they have access to the general curriculum. However, researchers have discovered that co-teaching often resembles solo teaching and does not include specially designed instruction shown to be effective for students with disabilities. How can middle and secondary co-teachers improve their instructional effectiveness? This article describes specially designed instruction, associated with high leverage practices, and provides ways middle and high school co-teachers can improve their co-teaching effectiveness.

Improving Instruction in Co-Taught Classrooms to Support Reading Comprehension

This unique special issue features five articles that provide guidance for middle school special education and general education content-area co-teachers on how to implement enhanced co-teaching models including specialized literacy instruction and best practices for co-teachers (e.g., co-planning; using station teaching to differentiate instruction). The authors of each article were part of a research team that conducted a 2015–2018 development and innovation professional development project funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, Project CALI (Content Area Literacy Instruction). Project CALI resulted in the development of the CALI professional development designed to provide co-teachers guidance on how to implement a set of evidence-based literacy practices (i.e., the CALI instructional framework) to improve outcomes for students with learning disabilities (LD) in co-taught classes. Authors in this special issue use examples from the CALI professional development to illustrate each practice.

Teaching World and Word Knowledge to Access Content-Area Texts in Co-Taught Classrooms

In co-taught classes, general education and special education teachers can improve the content-area learning and literacy skills of students with learning disabilities by helping them read texts effectively. Co-teachers can improve comprehension by providing students with background and vocabulary knowledge before reading. In this article, a routine for introducing background (world) and vocabulary (word) knowledge—the world knowledge and word knowledge routine (world and word)—is described. The article includes explanations how each part of the routine works and uses an example to illustrate how co-teachers could use the routine to promote student reading comprehension.

Supporting Main Idea Identification and Text Summarization in Middle School Co-Taught Classes

Being able to identify the main ideas within a complex multi-paragraph content-area text is an essential reading comprehension skill. It is especially important for content-area and special education co-teachers to provide explicit instruction in this skill to meet the needs of their students with learning disabilities who frequently struggle with understanding text they read. To help students with main idea identification, co-teachers can provide students with explicit instruction on how to generate a main idea statement for individual paragraphs or sections of a text. Co-teachers can extend this instruction by incorporating peer-mediated practice to help students strengthen their main idea statements. Finally, co-teachers can instruct students to use their statements to summarize the text. This article provides guidance for supporting the main idea identification and text summarization skills of middle school students in a co-taught classroom.

Universal Design for Learning Chemistry Instruction for Students With and Without Learning Disabilities

Students with and without learning disabilities in high school chemistry classes, either co-taught or self-contained, received instruction on calculating molar conversions using universal design for learning (UDL) or business-as-usual techniques. For Study 1, posttest scores of students with and without learning disabilities (LD) in co-taught classes who received the UDL treatment are compared with peers’ scores in the comparison group. For Study 2, posttest scores from students with LD who received UDL treatment in a self-contained special education class are reported. Students in the UDL treatment scored significantly higher on posttests than comparison group peers in Study 1. Mean scores for students with LD in Study 2 were similar to UDL students in Study 1. Social validity feedback on the UDL instruction was positive. Implications for UDL chemistry instruction and future research are described.

What do High School Students Think About Co-Teaching in Science Classrooms?

For graduation, high school students with learning disabilities and other high-incidence disabilities need sufficient science credits. For many students, their success is dependent on how well they learn in co-taught classes. However, students seldom have a voice about co-teaching in science. In this study, high school students with and without learning disabilities and other high-incidence disabilities provided their perspectives about co-taught science classes. Disproportionate stratified random sampling was used to select students from 17 co-taught science classes. Ninety-nine students completed the Co-Teaching Student Questionnaire (CTSQ) about science co-teachers’ roles and level of agreement with statements about co-taught instruction. Additionally, students’ written responses about co-teaching benefits and suggestions for improvement were analyzed. Results indicated similarities and differences in perceptions from students with and without disabilities. More than half of all students accessed both co-teachers when they needed help, and almost all students agreed the teachers seemed comfortable sharing responsibilities when co-teaching. Students were divided about whether co-teachers distributed tasks evenly. A benefit noted in qualitative themes was having support and help from co-teachers, whereas an improvement was ensuring special educators had sufficient science content knowledge. Implications for practice and future research, including eliciting and using students’ perspectives, are presented.Subscribe to LDMJ

Co-teaching: Equity for English Learners?

This study adds to the current understanding of co-teaching in rural school systems, specifically its use to equitably serve the needs of English learners (ELs). The authors investigated one western U.S. rural district’s implementation of a co-teaching model where general classroom teachers shared teaching responsibilities with an English as a second language (ESL) teacher in a secondary school setting. Research has long shown traditional pull-out models for teaching ELs are not the most effective because there is often a disconnect between what is happening in the mainstream classroom and what is happening in the pull-out placement. This quantitative study included observations of 20 co-taught classes during 400 minutes of classroom instruction to measure fidelity to the district’s co-teaching model. This article details the extent to which teachers utilized specific co-teaching strategies. It also reports on the quantity of teacher-student interactions in general and relative to ELs and non-ELs. Observations revealed that EL students worked primarily with the language specialist, and most of those interactions took place in the context of individualized support. Implications regarding equity and opportunity to learn academic content for both EL and non-EL students are discussed.

Barriers to the implementation of specialized reading instruction in secondary co-taught classrooms: an exploratory study

ABSTRACTThis exploratory research underscores Bandura’s social learning theory on collective agency to investigate co-teaching partners’ collaboration regarding reading instruction for students with disabilities. Students whose Individualized Education Programs stipulate reading are dependent on special educators to deliver such instruction. In the current research, we investigate barriers to implementation of specialized reading instruction in co-taught classes. One hundred seven secondary special education co-teachers across the United States, who primarily teach students with learning disabilities, responded to a questionnaire about their co-teaching experiences and delivery of specialized reading instruction. Emphasizing the impact that co-planning has on barriers to the implementation of reading, our results indicate the moderating role of special educators’ perceived co-teaching benefits. Empirical findings are discussed, and implications for research and practice are offered.

How does the Presence of a Special Education Teacher impact Co-teachers’ Behavior in an Inclusive Classroom

The majority of studies regarding co-teaching have primarily looked at what specific instructional practices and teacher characteristics are needed to make co-teaching an effective practice. In contrast, this study investigates how co-teaching affects a teacher’s particular teaching style and behavior. Of greatest interest is how a teacher’s use of instructional technology is impacted by the presence of a co-teacher. With many schools making inclusion a priority, the number of co-taught classes is increasing. In order for students to gain the most from classes that are co-taught, it is important that we first understand the factors that affect co-teachers. Once we understand these factors, it will be possible to increase the effectiveness of coteachers.

Curriculum issues and benefits in supportive co-taught classes for students with intellectual disabilities

Objectives: The aim of this qualitative study is to identify and evaluate the benefits of supportive co-teaching with regard to the access of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) to the general education curriculum according to co-teachers’ and parents’ opinions, and researchers’ observations.Methods: Seven co-taught teams in seven Greek general schools were investigated under a multiple case study research design. Data were collected through 35 semi-structured interviews and 28 class observations.Results: Teachers and parents provided several academic and social benefits of supportive co-teaching to students with ID. However, observation findings revealed that these students did not always receive education according to their needs due to lack of suitable teaching materials and poorly modified instructional strategies.Conclusions: The study provides preliminary evidence that the benefits of supportive co-teaching for students with ID are hindered when co-teachers work under traditional teaching roles using undifferentiated teaching materials and poorly modified instructional practices.

Specialized Reading Instruction for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: What Special Education Co-Teachers Say

In this exploratory study, secondary special education co-teachers report about specialized reading instruction for students with learning disabilities in co-taught classes. Almost half of the respondents were concerned that reading instruction was not occurring in co-taught classes. One-third were concerned reading instruction was not occurring any time during the school day.

Factors Associated With Where Secondary Students With Disabilities Are Educated and How They Are Doing

The focus of this study was on increasing the knowledge base on students with disabilities at the secondary level. Data were gathered on 559 classified secondary students with disabilities served in four educational options: cotaught classes, resource rooms, alternate day support programs, and no direct supports. Results indicate that there are associations between classification and placement options, differences in full-scale IQ by placement option, differences in the numbers of related services and the number of testing accommodations students receive based on placement option, associations among placement option and both related services and testing accommodations, and no differences in grades by placement option. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Voices of Special Education Teachers in an Inclusive High School: Redefining Responsibilities

Because of recent changes in general and special education policies, special educators who previously worked with secondary students in self-contained academic classes, resource rooms, or cotaught classes find themselves assigned to new roles that demand different collaborative skills. Based on 2 years of interviews, field notes, and observations in an inclusive high school, this study focuses on the perspectives of two special educators who redefined their daily practices in partnership with a university professional development specialist as they implemented an unusual collaborative-consultation model. Their responsibilities and relationships with teachers, students, and administrators are examined in light of the literature on collaborative models for inclusive education of high school students.

Co-Teaching In Higher Education

This paper will describe a project that includes 16 university level co-taught classes. Preparation of the faculty co-teaching along with results from the study will be shared.

Co-Teaching In Higher Education

This paper will describe a project that includes 16 university level co-taught classes. Preparation of the faculty co-teaching along with results from the study will be shared.