Implementing co-teaching in pre-primary education – a Finnish multiple case study

Abstract

Abstract

This study examined co-teaching between early childhood special education teachers (ECSETs) and early childhood education teachers (ECTs) in two Finnish pre-primary education groups, aiming to understand how ECSETs and ECTs can implement co-teaching as a teaching approach that benefits children’s learning and participation as well as teachers’ professionalism in pre-primary education. A multiple case study design was used. The study included two different cases comprising two co-teaching pairs (ECSET and ECT), who co-taught in two different pre-primary education groups. The results showed differences and similarities between the cases. Both co-teaching pairs chose one co-teaching approach to which they adhered. One pair decided to split the group and teach the children in different rooms, while the other pair chose to teach all the children together in the same room. Both co-teaching pairs also found that it became easier to meet the children’s individual needs in a common group. The pair which taught all children together also experienced that co-teaching benefited the teachers’ professional development, which was not evident in the experiences of the pair that divided the group. The need for flexible organization of co-teaching and enhanced interaction between children and between adults to develop the quality of co-teaching is discussed.