Co‐teaching is extra help and fun: perspectives on co‐teaching from middle school students and co‐teachers

In this interview study, three middle school students with disabilities and seven without disabilities were interviewed about their experiences in a co‐taught classroom. Also, data from their co‐teachers who taught mathematics, social studies and science were gathered. Both students and teachers reported that co‐teaching provides extra help for all students and that co‐teachers’ positive interactions in the class benefit students’ learning and social participation. Although some results matched other researchers’ findings that special educators are less frequently the lead teacher, our results indicated that supportive co‐teaching can be effective under certain conditions. We call for a deeper examination of the supportive co‐teaching model because it can be effective when there is active support provided for all students. As reported by these co‐teachers and their students, aspects of parity were evidenced in the relationships between and among the co‐teachers and students, even when the general educator led most of the instruction.