How Behaviors from IEP and Special Education Students Impact all Students in Co-Teaching

Abstract

This research project was on co-teaching, where two certified teachers share the same classroom to teach general education students and special education students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). The research was conducted in a district that teaches in a co-teaching setting with an over-representation of students with disabilities in co-taught classes. Data was collected by interviewing general education students who shared a co-teaching classroom with more students with IEPs about their perception of the classroom regarding behaviors expressed and observed. This study focused on analyzing data on how more students with IEPs in a co-taught classroom can impact the academic achievement of other students in an inclusive classroom environment. The results identified that co-teaching has advantages and disadvantages for students’ academic achievement. The research also focused on looking for the best and worst experiences of co-teaching. The interview results identified more best experiences than worst experiences in terms of how students were impacted. Co-teaching promotes the inclusiveness of all students’ academic achievement within the classroom, and the results of this research have shown that co-teaching benefited most of the students through the accessibility of the two teachers. Most students identified co-teaching as having helped their grades and most of the students also said co-teaching boosted their comprehension of the classroom learning contents. The last question asked the participants for recommendations they provided that are best practices for future contributions in co-teaching.