The Functionality of Special Education Inclusion: A Phenomenological Study of Teachers' Perceptions of Inclusion, Collaboration, and Co-Teaching

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of educators utilizing inclusive collaborative teaching models within co-teaching environments to develop positive student academic experiences for students with disabilities and their peers without disabilities at various locations within the Long River School District (pseudonym) located in the Mid-South of the United States. The theory that guided this study was Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which underpins the postulation that a student can learn through the help of a more knowledgeable other with the aid of the zone of proximal development, which correlates to collaborative co-teaching as a mode to deliver inclusion to students with disabilities (SWD). The central research question was: What is the lived experience of special education teachers regarding inclusive, collaborative co-teaching services to SWD? This transcendental phenomenological study aimed to examine the lived experiences of special education teachers regarding the functionality of inclusion in secondary schools, grades K-12, located in a Long River School District (LRSD). Non-probability sampling was utilized in this study. To capture an information-rich study, 10 special education inclusion teachers with 5 to 35 years of service were selected through purposeful and heterogeneous sampling as non-probability sampling. Data for this study were collected through a questionnaire, individual interviews, focus groups, and surveys. The findings of this study revealed the importance of administrative support, co-teaching relationships, and functional professional development in collaborative environments. The study concluded that the requirement of administrative support, functional co-teaching environments, and targeted professional development are fundamental for the effective implementation of inclusion within SEI environments.