General Education Teacher Perceptions of Co-Teaching Settings

Overview & Synopsis

The objective of this mixed-methods descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the beliefs, attitudes, and needs of general education teachers concerning the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms with emphasis on co-teaching efforts. Researchers have presented varied and mixed views of inclusive programs such as coteaching. A prevalent theme among research studies is the profound impact general education attitudes can have on a program's implementation. This study gathered a deeper knowledge of the general education teachers' perspective and experiences in co-teaching classrooms. This study can be useful in developing co-teaching programs because it identified areas of strength and need in existing programs and recommended changes in current teacher preparation programs to benefit the educational experiences of students with disabilities. This study demonstrated that most general education teachers had memorable and positive experiences in their co-teaching partnerships. General education teachers reported the benefits of a co-taught classroom and were eager to continue participating in co-taught classrooms. Time for planning, program guidance and support from administration were some areas of need expressed by general education teachers. These findings can contribute to teacher preparation programs and district professional development. Overall, this study presented coteaching in a positive light from the perspective of general educators. General education teachers expressed optimism regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities into the general education setting and they reported willingness to continue to develop professionally. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]