Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
Advisor
Rachel Obie-Winstead
Committee Member
Christine Reeve
Committee Member
Ronald P. Kern
Keywords
1966, 1980, administrators, collaboration, communication, content knowledge, cooperative teaching, control, coteaching, curriculum access, disabilities, experience, general education, high school, implementation, inclusion, individual needs, online surveys, perceptions, qualitative analysis, qualitative research, regular education, responsibilities, secondary education, semistructured interviews, special education, student support, teacher collaboration, teacher perceptions, training, volunteering
Abstract
Educating students with disabilities in the general education classroom continues to increase as districts are mandated to meet federal requirements. The use of coteaching to support students in the general education classroom is on the rise. By having a content area teacher and a special education teacher share classroom responsibilities, students gain access to the general education curriculum while continuing to receive services and supports to meet their individual needs. This qualitative study allowed the researcher to gather information directly from the teachers and administrators who were responsible for the implementation of the coteaching model at one high school in the midwestern United States. Information was gathered through the use of an online survey and one-on-one, semistructured interviews. Perceptions from teachers and administrators provided the researcher with insight on current practices, the need for additional training, and other considerations in an effort to improve current coteaching practices. A qualitative analysis of the survey revealed seven major themes that included control, responsibilities, communication, volunteering, experience, support, and comfort. The two most predominant themes that emerged were the importance of communication between coteachers and the need for having content knowledge in the area being taught. Results of the study found that demographic information such as age, gender, and experience produced minor discrepancies in regard to perceptions of teachers and administrators. The survey yielded results that indicated perceptions on coteaching do, in fact, vary among general education teachers, special education teachers, and administrators.