Date of Award

8-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Executive Leadership

First Supervisor

Shannon Cleverley-Thompson, EdD

Second Supervisor

Deborah Leh, EdD

Abstract

Interest in co-teaching in the United States has intensified significantly over the last decade due to federal legislation, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (U.S. Department of Education [USDOE], 2018). One strategy employed to meet this mandate is implementing integrated co-teaching (ICT) classrooms in schools. Collaboration between general and special education teachers is critical in delivering quality education for children with disabilities. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore the perspectives of four co-teaching pairs—each consisting of a general education and a special education teacher—on their perceptions of collaboration in elementary ICT classrooms. The study was framed by a descriptive phenomenological approach with data gathered from semi-structured interviews. Four themes emerged from the findings: (a) communication is the foundation of the ICT relationship, (b) ICT collaboration is a journey, (c) co-planning involves multiple strategies, and (d) desire to learn and improve as a team. The findings suggest a need for adequate planning time during the school day for ICT pairs, along with professional development opportunities for the pairs as teams.

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