Working with Children with Disabilities and with the General Education Teachers: Towards Recommendations for Successful Co-Teaching

The effective inclusion of learners with special needs depends largely on the collaboration of special education teachers, both in working directly with these learners and in partnership with general education teachers. This study examined the practices of special education teachers in working with children with disabilities and with general education curriculum teachers, as assessed by parents, in order to formulate recommendations for successful co-teaching. Using a descriptive-correlational design, the study surveyed 30 parents of learners with disabilities at Manggahan Elementary School, Division of General Trias City, through a validated 28-item researcher-made questionnaire on a four-point scale. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentage, weighted mean, the t-test, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Most respondents were aged 45–49 (63%), female (67%), and parents rather than grandparents or guardians (57%). Respondents assessed teachers’ practices in working with children with disabilities as “Often True” (M = 3.23, Somewhat Collaborative), with not labeling learners (M = 3.33) and verbal praise (M = 3.30) rated highest and giving one direction at a time (M = 3.10) rated lowest. Working with general education curriculum teachers was likewise rated “Often True” (M = 3.26, Somewhat Collaborative), led by planning ahead at least a week in advance (M = 3.47), while asking when one does not know the answer was rated lowest (M = 3.10). Assessments in both areas did not differ significantly by age or family role but differed significantly by sex (t = 2.58, p = .02; t = 2.68, p = .01). The two areas were not significantly related (r = −.017, p = .929), suggesting that parents evaluate teachers’ special education strategies and their collaboration with general education teachers as independent domains. The study recommends single-step, multisensory instruction and a collaborative culture in which co-teachers openly seek and share knowledge, and proposes a co-teaching implementation matrix to support these practices.