Modeling Co-Teaching for Collaborative Proficiency

Abstract Co-taught lessons representing four co-teaching models (One-Teach, One-Observe; One-Teach, One-Assist; Station-Teaching; Team-Teaching) were developed and implemented by one science education faculty, one mathematics education faculty, and one special education faculty as part of the one-semester science and mathematics education coursework for K-6 preservice teachers. Procedures for implementation of the co-teaching models are described. Focus-group interview data were gathered from a purposeful sample of 10 preservice teachers to explore the participants’ perceptions concerning the benefits of modeled co-teaching to their own collaborative preparation. Findings reveal that the preservice teachers viewed co-teaching favorably in terms of increasing their own knowledge of and ability to implement collaborative teaching practices. Keywords: co-teaching, cooperative learning, teachers and teaching, teacher education, special education, teacher knowledge, special education pedagogy