Co-Teaching: An Interview-Based Study of the Perceptions of Secondary Co-Teachers

Co-teaching has evolved as a popular service delivery approach to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities in the general education setting. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore how co-teachers in a secondary public school district in a Mid-Atlantic state perceive co-teaching; specifically how teachers describe the benefits and challenges associated with co-teaching, and how teachers believe administrators can shape, plan, and improve co-teaching practices. A total of two co-teaching dyads participated in this study. The participants included two general education teachers, one reading specialist teacher, and one special education teacher. Analysis of the data revealed four themes: the importance of a common planning period, increased academic and social outcomes, challenges associated with co-teaching, and the importance of administrative support