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Co-teaching is a resource for inclusive classes, which includes the shared instruction of general and special education teachers. Against the background that the inclusive school system in Germany is currently developing, we investigated secondary school co-teachers' perspectives on the conditions for successful implementation of co-teaching. We interviewed general teachers (n = 17) and special education teachers (n = 16) about their individual experiences and their ideas about good practice implementation of co-teaching. The qualitative content analysis summarised the teachers' statements on 13 categories that refer to the educational system, the single school, or the teaching dyad. The teachers expressed their belief in the benefits from co-teaching. They stated the need for resources (time, equipment) and concepts for co-teaching and teaching in inclusive classes. The co-teachers found it necessary that principals, professionals within school, and experts from outside school develop a shared responsibility for inclusive schooling. The teachers' statements reflect the idea of a collaborative relationship and the need for general and special education teachers to negotiate the dyad's self-organisation and task assignments. In sum, the successful implementation of co-teaching seems to be a process of school development and professional development based on organisational structures and resources that support collaboration.

Cooperative learning is an evidence-based teaching strategy that has positive effects on students' academic and social learning, but teachers use the strategy in class infrequently. Teacher collaboration has the potential to support teachers in the transformation of knowledge into the implementation of new teaching methods. In an experimental pre-test-post-test design (N = 53), an in-service teacher training with teacher collaboration for the implementation of cooperative learning in class was compared to a training without teacher collaboration. At both points of measurement, teachers' knowledge about cooperative learning was tested and they reported on their self-efficacy beliefs for the implementation of cooperative learning and their use of cooperative learning in class, including the frequency, quality, and challenges of cooperative learning implementation. In both conditions, teachers' knowledge and self-efficacy beliefs, and the quality of their use of cooperative learning increased strongly, whereas perceived challenges decreased. A significant interaction effect occurred only for the frequency of teachers' use of cooperative learning in class. These results are discussed against the background of the efficacy of collaboration in in-service teacher training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the development of general teachers' and special education teachers' cooperation in teaching dyads in inclusive classes. At the beginning, the middle, and the end of the school year, 13 dyads reported on their cooperation behavior and 184 students rated their perception of these teaching dyads' cooperation. Multilevel analysis revealed no change in cooperation behavior for general and special education teachers. No reciprocal effects between the dyad members' cooperation behavior occurred. Students' perception of the dyadic cooperation decreased. The results indicate that the dyad members failed to harmonize as an effective teaching dyad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]