Professional Learning About and Through Schoolwide Co-Teaching: A Path to Develop Adaptive Expertise

This nine-month instrumental case study examined the development of adaptive expertise in the context of professional learning about and through schoolwide co-teaching in an elementary school. Data from co-teachers, an administrator, and students included interviews, surveys, and field notes. Analysis identified evidence of adaptive expertise in schoolwide co-teaching and conditions that supported its development. Teachers' learning was supported through a session led by university faculty, individual conferences with an administrator, and a voluntary book club. Additional professional learning occurred during the act of co-teaching. Teacher participants demonstrated deepening knowledge of co-teaching approaches, flexible, responsive instruction, and individualized academic support for students. Conditions that supported this growth included a culture of supported risk-taking in the school, learning through action in the classroom, and dialogue. These conditions allowed teachers to build mutual understanding and trust, which contributed to a supportive culture in which to introduce productive dissonance. This study suggests that creating layers of dialogue and action in a culture of supported risk-taking to build consonance and introduce productive dissonance within and outside of the classroom can lead to responsive innovations and the enactment of adaptive expertise. Findings also highlight co-teaching itself as a potential avenue for professional learning.