Phenomenological Study of Positive Coteaching Dyads Perceptions of Their Coteaching Relationship

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how coteaching dyads perceive their coteaching relationships including how they implemented coteaching and how their school leaders supported them. Participants in this study were located in one county school system in East Tennessee. Data was collected through an online survey distributed to 40 teachers, of whom 28 responded. Then data was collected through in person one-on-one interviews. Coteachers who participated in the interview process all rated themselves high on the Coteaching Rating Scale. The overarching research question was What makes coteaching relationships effective? Three research questions were analyzed. From the data, 7 themes emerged including being equal partners, both teachers teach all students, meshing personality, the skills of communication and classroom management, the importance of teacher knowledge, and the role of special educators as supporters in the inclusion classroom