Parallel teaching as the most effective co-teaching strategy for high schools

Co-Teaching Strategies

Which Co-teaching Strategies is the Best for High School

Since the U.S. government has enacted the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Act in 2001, schools in the United States have been searching for a quality educational delivery option that will provide highly quality instructions. Co-teaching has been identified as an effective teaching delivery model that will deliver student with high quality instruction. Co-teaching is the teaching strategy where two or more people share the responsibility for delivering instruction to students. In other words, co-teaching involves a distribution of teaching responsibilities among two teachers that include planning, evaluation and instruction within a teaching environment. Co-teaching is an instructional and teaching arrangement where a special education teacher and general education teacher deliver specialized instruction along core instruction to a diverse group of students within a single space. Co-teaching requires educators to make joint instructional decisions and share responsibilities for pupils and learning. One of the benefits of co-teaching is that it reduces a stigma for special needs students, increase respect and understanding for special needs students. Moreover, co-teaching improves a sense of heterogeneous classroom community. In a co-teaching environment, instructional and teaching fragmentation that often occurs in other teaching delivery option is minimized. The option makes students to benefit from high quality instructional delivery. In a co-teaching environment, all students will receive improved instruction that include academically talented students with average ability, and students who at risks of school failure. In a co-teaching environment, special co-teachers or service providers have a better understanding of the expectation of both students' behaviors and academics.

The study develops the research objective to enhance a greater understanding of an appropriate co-teaching approach for the high social study.

Research Objective

To learn in a positive way the co-teaching strategies that will work in the high school social studies class.

Research Organization

The project is organized in 6 chapters.

Chapter 1 provides the introduction, the research objective and research questions.

Chapter 2 discusses the previous studies that discuss overview of co-teaching model and different type of co-teaching models using in the high schools.

Chapter 3 provides the research methodology that reveals the method of data collection and analysis.

Chapter 4 provides the results that identify that Parallel Teaching as the best co-teaching method for high schools.

Chapter 5 presents the discussion revealing the summary of the results.

Chapter 6 provides conclusion.

Rationale for Choosing the Study

Major reason for choosing the co-teaching approach is the challenges the researcher faces when carrying out the sole teaching responsibility. The traditional solo teaching approach is a teaching strategy where one teacher takes the responsibility of teaching and planning of the whole class. Typically, a traditional teaching approach is being identified as a takeover classroom teaching approach because the teachers is responsible for all activities and assume all classroom responsibilities. (Bacharach, Heck, & Dahlberg, 2010; Badiali & Titus, 2010).

Moreover, at the national level, the model of NCLB (No Child Left Behind) is unwilling to accept the traditional sole teaching approach because the traditional teaching approach is unable to prepare students for the collaborative practitioners. (Darragh, Picanco, Tully, and Henning, 2011). Other problem that the researcher faces with the traditional teaching approach is the inability to foster teacher-student development to satisfy the school timeline. Thus, the researcher has identified the co-teaching as a teaching strategy that fosters effective teaching environment. Since 1970, collaboration has become a popular approach to deliver special values to students. The rationale for choosing co-teaching approach is the benefit that students derive from the teaching approach. One of the benefits of co-teaching approach is that it reduces the teacher-students ratio which assists in enhancing concentration of teachers towards students. Moreover, the co-teaching assists teachers to share their expertise in order to enhance teachers' values. Co-teaching format also assists teachers to work collaboratively and freely to enhance students" learning environment. Moreover, the co-teaching strategy makes the participating teachers to jointly involve in decision making, teaching, planning, and student assessment. More importantly, co-teaching has emerged as a promising and effective instructional strategy for K-12 students. (Bacharach, Heck, & Dahlberg, 2010; Roth & Tobin, 2001).

Despite the benefits that students can derive from the co-teaching environment, different co-teaching models exist that include parallel Teaching, One teach One support approach, Station Teaching, Team Teaching, One teach One observe, and Alternative Teaching approach. However, a co- teaching model appropriate for social science subjects may not be appropriate for science subjects. Moreover, the previous literatures on co-teaching focus on roles of co-teachers rather than impact of co-teaching on students' learning outcomes. (Friend, Cook, Hurley-Chamberlain, & Shamberger, 2010). This study attempts to solve the problems by investigating the co-teaching strategy that will work for social studies classes in the high school.

Research Question

Learning in a Positive Way: What Co-teaching Strategies Will Work in the High School Social studies classroom environment?

The review of the literature is very critical to enhance a greater understanding on different co-teaching approaches that has worked in different learning environments in the United States.

Literature Review

Overview of Co-Teaching

Titus (2013) argues that the shortcomings identified in the traditional teaching approach make the policy makers to implement the co-teaching model in many schools in the United States. For example, the traditional teaching format makes teachers to dominate all emphasizes of students' learning. If a teacher is weak in teaching, it will influence the overall students' learning. Moreover, the traditional teaching approach makes students to be exposed to the monotony system of teaching, which can make student's learning experience to become boring for both students and teachers. Based on the shortcomings identified in the traditional teaching approach, many teacher education programs started implementing the co-teaching principles in their teaching approaches. Co-teaching is defined as a teaching strategy where two teachers work together, share planning, deliver instructions and assessments. (Titus, 2013).

Theoretically, the co-teaching is based on knowledge-in-practice and Knowledge-for-practice. In a knowledge-in-practice approach, teachers drive knowledge from their teaching experiences. However, in knowledge-for-practice, it is believed that teachers acquire knowledge from a formal setting. When co-teaching model is implemented using the knowledge-in-practice, it has a potential to foster and enhance deeper understanding for K-12 students, mentors, teachers and supervisors. Typically, the teaching structure assists in creating opportunities for teachers and constructing knowledge in classroom.

Increase in the emotional support is another benefit of co-teaching model. For example, when teachers work together, they share concerns and issues with one another, which assist in reducing an emotional stress. Moreover, co-teaching approach enables teachers to acquire social capital by establishing social networks with the co-teachers.

Murawski & Dieker (2004) point out that co-teaching is the only teaching approach that can satisfy the spirit of "No Children Left Behind" (p 52) because the strategy will ensure the success of both normal and disabled students. The co-teaching approach is likely to "increase the outcomes for all students in the general education setting, while ensuring that students with disabilities receive necessary modifications yet are provided instruction by a content expert." (Murawski & Dieker, 2004 p 53).

Shumway, Gallo, Dickson, et al. (2011) in their argument reveal that the IDEA (Individual with Disabilities Act) was passed into a law in 2004 to put pressure on educators to ensure that students with disabilities receive high quality instructions from high quality teachers. The pressures on educators have made schools to search for an effective service delivery option that will enhance high quality instruction for students with disabilities. Co-teaching is the service delivery model that can address the needs of student with disabilities. The co-teaching approach ensures that students receive high quality contents from highly qualified teachers with differentiation strategies. Shum way, et al. (2011) further argue that teachers, students and administrators can derive benefits

"When there is a well constructed co-teaching model(s) in place which is supported by strong, ongoing professional development and a supportive administrator. Listed below are possible benefits for students, teachers, and schools." (Shum way, ET al.2011 p2).

The new section reviews the literatures that discuss different types of co-teaching models to identify the appropriate co-teaching model for the social studies class in the high school.

Different Types of Co-Teaching Model

Parallel co-teaching occurs when co-teachers facilitate, instruct or monitor the work of different set of students in the classroom. Parallel co-teaching is beneficial to students and teachers because it decreases the teachers-to-students ratio, increase differentiation, data collection and individualization to meet student's need. Moreover, the approach assists co-teaching personnel to establish closer relationships with students. Parallel co-teachers may split classes evenly. One teacher may take up majority of the students while other teachers may work with small-group of students. In parallel co-teaching environment, one co-teacher may work with a group of students while another group of students work with a support personnel that include paraprofessional, or special educator. Moreover, another group of students may work with another support person while fourth group work independently. Over the course of the class period, students rotate among respective co-teachers. Parallel co-teaching facilitates student-to-student interaction and provides the opportunity for co-teachers to facilitate the work of other teachers. The parallel co-teaching is beneficial because it avoids stigmatization of teachers and students which might have arisen if only one teacher takes up the whole classroom. Moreover, parallel co-teaching is beneficial to students because they are exposed to different teachers with different instructional approach and expertise. Despite the benefits that students and teachers can derive from parallel co-teaching approach, the system can elevate noise levels when different activities are taking place at the same time in the same classroom, which can become uncomfortable for students and teachers. Moreover, other co-teachers may not be adequately prepared to monitor or deliver instruction to other group. (Sage, 2013).

Teaming is another co-teaching model where two teachers are delivering instructions at the same time. The feature of this approach is that both teachers are fully engage in delivering core instruction. Moreover, both teachers are responsible for students' behavior and classroom management. The benefit of teaming approach is that it allows the two co-teachers to work collaboratively, which assists them to demonstrate their level of expertise. (Cook, 2004). When teaming is properly implemented, it reveals a clear evidence of the outcome of two teachers planning together and integrates their roles. However, team co- teaching is considered the hardest model to implement because both teachers must be knowledgeable and prepared equally for the teaching content. In reality, two teachers may not possess equal knowledge of teaching contents, which may make the implementation of the model to be challenging.

Shumway, et al.(2011) identify Alternative Teaching as another type of co-teaching format where one teacher instructs or teaches a large group of students and others instruct smaller group on different tasks or contents. The teaching approach makes teachers to work together to achieve the same objectives. In an alternative teaching, a large group is asked to complete a practice exercise related to teaching concepts, while the small group receives direct instructions from teachers. In another format, a large group may complete homework while the small group is being taught the vocabulary. Alternatively, the large groups may be asked to work on projects, while the teacher is carried out an assessment on small group. The benefit of alternative teaching approach is that it assists in managing students' behaviors making all students to focus on learning. Additionally, alternative teaching model is appropriate for remediating and enriching instructions of students aligned to a small group. Moreover, the model is appropriate in monitoring students' performances, correction and enhancing positive reinforcement. Despite the benefits that can be derived from the teaching approach, students with disabilities may be placed in the same group, which can lead to a stigmatization.

One Teach, One Observe is another co-teaching format where one teacher teaches and other teacher observes and collects data systematically. After the teaching, the teacher analyzes the information collected to check the outcome of teaching. This model is appropriate to monitor students' progress or compare the target students with other group. The teaching strategy assists in identifying students who do not participate in the class discussion or evaluate students' behaviors. The teaching approach assists teachers to focus on students' needs. The method also makes teachers to collect data for IEP (Individualized Education Program) planning. However, teachers are required to understand the method of data collection and analysis to derive benefits from the model.

One Teach, One Drift is another co-teaching model where one teacher engages in teaching while other circulates the classroom. The model is appropriate when one teacher possesses expertise for the lesson while other teacher's goal is to assist the students. Moreover, the model is appropriate when students need a close monitoring. For example, the model will assist teachers to understand whether all students are following the lessons or taking notes. However, the teaching model may distract the student attention.

Station teaching is another type of co-teaching strategy where teachers divide students and contents. A third or fourth station is also created to deliver opportunities for students to work independently, accessing technology and tutoring. Students rotate from one teacher to other teacher so that each teacher repeats instruction to students three times. The teaching model is appropriate when the content is complex and several topics may comprise instructions. For example, social studies teachers may rotate teaching that contains topics in geography, culture and economy of a country. In essence, the model is appropriate for secondary school teaching, and teachers in order to have opportunity to work with every student in the class. The teaching model also reduces teacher- students ratio. The teaching strategy allows teachers to reduce the social behavior issues during teaching time. The model also assists teacher to monitor students' behaviors. The challenge of the model is that teachers should possess adequate knowledge of pedagogical and content skills to implement the model effectively. Moreover, classroom environment may distract students' attention because of two teachers teaching at the same time may obstruct concentrations.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The chapter discusses the research methodology that the researcher employs to collect and analyze data. The study uses the mixed methods for data collection and analysis. The reason for using the mixed methods is that it combines the strengths of both the quantitative and qualitative research methods. Moreover, the strengths of the quantitative research approach is used to overcome the weakness identified in the qualitative research approach Other reason for choosing the mixed research is that it assists the researcher to enhance principle of triangulation and stronger evidence for the research conclusion. More importantly, the mixed methods are used to produce a complete knowledge to inform theory and practice. Despite the benefits that the researchers derived from the mixed methods, the research approach can be challenging to complete because it requires both qualitative and quantitative skills. Moreover, the research method is more time consuming and more expensive than using either qualitative or quantitative research approach. However, researcher used the mixed methods for the data collection and analysis because the benefits derived from the mixed methods overcome its shortcomings.

The researcher collects qualitative data to understand the co-taught functions from the detailed field notes in 3 different co-taught lessons at the high school level. The data are collected from the teaching practice that the researcher has participated. Moreover, data are collected from three different co-taught classrooms at the high school level. To understand the co-teaching strategy that work best for the social studies class in the researcher's high school, the data are collected to evaluate all the six co-teaching methods that include:

One teach, One observe

One teach, One assist

Parallel Teaching

Station Teaching

Alternative Teaching, and Team Teaching.

The researcher uses quantitative method to collect data from four co-teachers to understand the best co-teaching strategy for social studies class at the high school. The survey method is used to collect data from four co-teachers while the semi-structured interview is used to collect the qualitative data. The quantitative data analysis is carried out by placing the data in a tabular form to enhance effective comparisons of the data collected from the four co-teachers. The qualitative data analysis is carried out by reading through the notes and identifies important statements that can assist in answering the research questions. Moreover, the researcher identifies the concepts from the data collected and categorizes the contents in the order of preferences. The next chapter presents the results that determine the appropriate co-teaching method for the social studies in the high school.

Results of Quantitative Data

The results of the quantitative data reveal that two participants are teachers of general education while other two participants are the teachers of special education. Moreover, all teachers have at least 5 years of teaching experience where two of the years have more than 10 years of teaching experience. All the teachers have co-teaching experience of more than one year. The Teacher A has between 1 and 2 years of co-teaching experience, while Teacher B. And Teacher D. have more than 5 years of co-teaching experience. However, the Teacher C. has between 3 and 4 years of co-teaching experience. Based on the data collected, it is revealed that all the teachers have sufficient co-teaching years of experience to make them identify the best co-teaching strategy that will work better for high school students. Based on the outcome of the data collected, two of the participants agree that One Teach One Assist is the commonly used model within the co-teaching environment. Moreover, one teacher selected One Teach One Observe while the other co-teacher selected Team Teaching. However, all the participants agree that lack of time and scheduling issues are the barriers that many co-teacher face with the co-teaching environment.

Table 1

Results of Quantitative Data Collected

Survey

Teacher A

Teacher B

Teacher C

Teacher D

1

Are you a general educator?

Yes

No

Yes

No

2

Are you a special educator?

No

Yes

No

Yes

3

How many years have you been teaching?

10+

10+

5-10 years

5-10 years

4

How many years have you co taught?

1-2 years

5+

3-4

5+

5.

"Do you think co-teaching with only one special educator per course to be beneficial?

Why or why not? Please explain in 2-3 sentences."

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

6

"Have you co-taught with the Same teacher each year"?

Yes

No (Co-taught with multiple teachers yearly)

No (Co-taught with different teachers)

No (Co-taught with different teachers)

7

"Do you and your co-teacher have a common planning period?"

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

8

"If you do have a common planning period, do you find the time beneficial?"

Yes

Yes

Yes

Sure it would be

9

"If you do not have a common planning period, when/how do you plan with your co-teacher?

N/A

Have common planning period

N/A

N/A

10

"How many hours a week do you spend with your co-teacher on lesson planning and assessment?"

1-5 hours

1-5 hours

1-5 hours

1-5 hours

11

"Are you aware of the

6 co-teaching approaches?"

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

12

"If you answered yes to the previous question, which approach do you and your co-teaching partner use most?"

One Teach, One Observe

One Teach, One Assist

Parallel Teaching

Station Teaching

Alternative Teaching

Team Teaching

I am unfamiliar with the 6 co teaching approaches

One Teach,

One Assist

One Teach,

One Observe

Team Teaching

One Teach one Assist

13

"What do you think are the greatest barriers to co-teaching at _Clay_

____ HS?

(Please circle your top three barriers)

Lack of training or professional development

Limited resources

Scheduling issues

Reluctance to lose control

Lack of Time

Lack of administrative support

Reluctance to lose control,

Lack of Time,

Lack of administrative support.

Scheduling

Issues

Lack of time

Scheduling

issues,

Lack of Time,

Lack of Admin support

Scheduling

issues,

Lack of Time

14

"Share your most successful experiences here with co-teaching."

Overwhelming achievement is high

Teacher to student ratio is reduced

Enjoy working together with other co-teachers

Assisting general education students succeeding

15

"Share your most difficult experiences with co-teaching."

Problem of conflicting with instruction.

Splitting up teaching time

Happy with working with co-teacher

Too many students on an IEP . Some students do not have the work ethics.

16

"Share any advice you have for me in becoming a better co-teacher."

Never afraid to try new things.

Share role when you able. Depend on another expertise.

The more you teach, the more comfortable with co-teaching.

Be flexible. First year can be difficult but it gets better as the year proceeds.

Results of Qualitative Data

The results of qualitative data collected are based on the teaching experience that the researcher has undergone. The results are based on 3 different co-taught lessons at the high school level. Based on the data collected, the first class consisted of 27 students, 14 males and 13 females. The class was an English class; however, the researcher used the Parallel Teaching model to engage student in learning. In the Parallel Teaching model, both the researcher and other co-teacher split the class into two and taught different groups at the same time. The benefits derived from the Parallel Teaching model is that it decreases teacher-to-student ratio. Moreover, the model made students to actively engage in learning.

The second lesson consisted of 23 students, 16 males and 7 females. The class was also an English class. However, One Teach One Observe was used as the co-teaching model. However, the model did not make students to be fully engage in learning. The math was the subject taught in the classroom. In the third lesson conducted, there were 22 students, 9 male and 13 female. Team teaching was the co-teaching model used for the lesson. Based on the observation of the research, the students somewhat engaged in learning revealing that they were not fully engaged in learning. However, the Teaming model assisted students who were struggling with concepts. Moreover, one teacher moved around the class to assist students who were having challenges with contents.