Perspectives on the Co-Teaching Experience: Examining the Views of Teaching Staff and Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate student and teaching staff perceptions of the co-teaching environment during the first year of implementation of a co-teaching model. It sought to elicit and document views and experiences of the co-teaching partners as they undertook the design, planning and implementation of a programme of co-teaching in a mainstream primary school. A qualitative approach was adopted, consisting of a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study, to examine the key questions that this research hoped to address. These questions related firstly to the quality of the co-teachers’ relationship and how that might impact upon the success of the co-teaching programme, and secondly how the co-teaching environment might impact upon the students’ social interaction within the co-taught classroom.