Helping Pre-Service Teachers Transition to the Role of Teacher Through Co-Planning

Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act IDEIA, reaffirmed that students with disabilities should be taught in their least restrictive environment. This emphasis on inclusion has led to a stronger focus on collaboration and co-teaching practices between general and special-education teachers. Utilizing a co-planning process, this study sought to identify the barriers, strategies, and resources that pre-service teachers (PSTs) recommended for students on Instructional Education Plans (IEP). The authors used a qualitative data analysis framework to examine extensive data from 14 groups (n = 28) of mathematics and special education pre-service teachers. Results found that most math and special education PSTs identified mathematical content barriers aligned to IEPs, yet were not specific regarding the instructional practices they would employ while utilizing few research-based resources.