Cooperative teaching as a method of collaboration between regular and special educators in an integrated setting

Concerns about meeting the needs of students with disabilities through integration have led to increased collaboration between special and regular educators (Johnson, Pugach, & Devlin, 1990). Cooperative teaching, a nontraditional method of meeting the needs of students with disabilities, lacks sufficient research regarding its implementation. This study investigated, using a case study methodology, cooperative teaching arrangements in an integrated setting and formative factors impacting those arrangements. The researcher collected data regarding 10 different cooperative teaching partnerships. Data collection included the use of observation, interviewing, and the collection of documents. These facilitated a constant comparative method of analysis which allowed the researcher to discern patterns in the data regarding the cooperative teaching participants and the issues which emerged as influential in their relationships. These emergent issues included the areas of shared commitment to the cooperative method, issues of isolation and autonomy, forms and acceptance of assistance, trust and balance of power, relationship development and conflict resolution, and professional growth. Those issues helped delineate patterns among the cooperating partnerships which led to the creation of a model depicting the following four levels of cooperative relationships: (1) Parallel relationships were those in which partners worked in the same room--but almost always in a separate fashion--where separate goals may have been achieved by individual teachers despite little cooperation or communication between the 2 teachers, and where 1 or both partners were dissatisfied within the partnership. (2) Collateral relationships were those in which both partners worked compatibly on the surface and with common purpose, but one partner held a subordinate position to the other--especially with respect to decision-making power--and 1 or both teachers were dissatisfied within the partnership. (3) Convergent relationships were those in which partners had mostly similar philosophies, worked together in a constructive fashion towards an agreed upon purpose within the existing classroom structures, and were both satisfied within the partnership. (4) Transformative relationships were those in which partners had mostly similar philosophies, worked together in a constructive fashion towards an agreed upon purpose which exceeded the limits of existing classroom structures, and were both satisfied within the partnership