Adopting a Co-Teaching Model of Student Teaching to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners

• In Event: 14.043 - Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: 14.043-6 - Collaborative Dialogue in Teacher Preparation

Abstract

Carefully designed student teaching experiences, specifically co-teaching, effectively prepare novice teachers while positively impacting achievement of diverse learners. In this study authors examined results of a pilot study of Co-Teaching to determine the impact of Co-Teaching instruction. Drawing from multiple data sources, researchers explored the following two research questions (1) What is the difference in teaching ability of Co-Teaching versus Non Co-Teaching student teachers? (2) What are the opinions of cooperating teachers and student teachers that participated in the Co-Teaching model for meeting the needs of diverse student populations? Findings indicate that Co-Teaching positively influences student teachers, cooperating teachers, and elementary students. In addition, student teachers felt that they were better able to differentiate instruction than their non Co-Teaching peers.

Authors

• Judy Smith, East Carolina University

• Christina M. Tschida, East Carolina University

• Elizabeth A Fogarty, East Carolina University

• Vivian Covington, East Carolina University