The Co-Teaching Model - Research Paper Example

Co-teaching model keeps the implementation of these policies intact. The discussion contained in this article shall emphasize on the nature of co-teaching, the mode of instructional delivery, and its effectives in general and special education. While there had already been signs of the implementation of co-teaching models during the 1950s, it was only recently that co-teaching models are much more adopted in private and public schools. Several reasons can be counted as substantial in transpiring the employment of co-teaching models in schools: (1) The No Child Left Behind Act, which insisted that educators must guarantee that every student, "including those with disabilities and other special needs", develops competitiveness irrespective of physical circumstances. (2) The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975), which required educators to employ educational inclusiveness by providing less restrictive learning environment (LRE) especially for students with serious disabilities.

In fact, many strategies have been fashioned to realize these policies including, but not limited to, co-teaching. Over the last few years, co-teaching has "surfaced as a topic of discussion in schools throughout the country" (Cook, 2004). Hence, Marilyn Friend (2008) expresses that with the incrementing prevalence of co-teaching and "implied legislative stimulus for it", educators should go beyond simply knowing that such practice exists; educators must improve their understanding and competence concerning this practice.

Generally, according to Cook (2004), co-teaching is an instructional approach that comprises two or more educators or other certified staff contracted to share instructional responsibility, "primarily in a single classroom or workplace and for a specific content". In contrary to the prevalent misconception regarding co-teaching, it is not necessarily collaborative, a team teaching or an inclusion (Cook, 2004). The