Co-teaching partners and their experiences with a push-in co-teaching model

The aim of this capstone research study was to explore the experiences of two co-teaching dyads that participated in the push-in co-teaching support model. Co-teaching has been an increasingly popular approach to creating an inclusive class environment for all students (Friend et al., 2010). The current study examined the experiences of co-teaching dyads using an interpretative phenomenological approach and analysis. Teachers participated in semi-structured focus-group interviews with their co-teaching partners, which aimed to answer the central research question: “What were the experiences of General Education (GE) teachers and Learning Support Services (LSS) teachers as they engaged in a co-teaching support model?” and the sub-question: “How did a push-in co-teaching model influence teachers and their classes?” Findings demonstrate how the classroom learning environment was influenced by co-teacher relationships, collaboration time, and knowledge of the models, providing insight to stakeholders for how to support the implementation of a positive co-taught learning environment.