Collaborating to meet the needs of English learners

Term

2012

Capstone

Thesis

Degree Name

MAT

Abstract

The research question addressed in this project was, how can a collaborative co-teaching model improve the language development of English learners? The motivating factor for this Capstone was to investigate how English instruction could be embedded into grade level content to minimize the time students are pulled from the mainstream classroom. The author uses related research to understand the need for collaborative co-teaching, the benefits and challenges, and the components necessary for making co-teaching successful. Teacher questionnaire responses, direct observations made by the author, and student test results inform this study. The data collected supports that co-teaching requires specialized knowledge of both teachers, adequate planning time, professional development opportunities, organized leadership, positive interactions between teaching partners, and realistic expectations. The author concludes that collaborative co-teaching, when done in a purposeful and informed manner, is a useful model of instruction for meeting the needs of English learners.

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