Co-teaching: review and guidelines for practice

Co-teaching has become widely used as one of the key strategies for providing inclusive education for learners with special educational needs. This literature research review on co-teaching in schools is presented with the aim of identifying recommendations for best practice. The implementation of co-teaching in the USA, Australia, Finland, Ireland, Greece and Germany, is discussed. Five key recommendations considered best practice when implementing co-teaching are: embed peer coaching in evidence-based practices within the co-teaching partnerships; establish consistent structured routines and protocols for planning and reviews; provide ongoing teacher professional development and structured peer coaching; encourage teachers to avoid over-reliance on only one model of co-teaching; and ensure that interventions are aligned with the needs of the supported children with special educational needs.