Inclusive co-teaching with teachers with intellectual disabilities in teacher education

Abstract

A new model of teacher education in inclusive methodology was studied: co-teaching with teachers with intellectual disabilities in pre-service teacher education. The main objectives were to understand how this educational experiment was perceived by three teachers (one tenured and two with intellectual disabilities) and trainees on a postgraduate course on inclusive education, and to identify implications for teacher education. The methodology was qualitative and phenomenological. Individual interviews were conducted with the three teachers, and a focus group with three trainees. The main conclusions were: (1) the co-teaching experience had a significant and positive impact on the teachers’ concept of inclusion, teaching identity and personal and professional development; (2) having teachers with intellectual disabilities contributed to education on inclusive approaches; (3) the teaching model needed to be further developed. As an outcome of the results analysis, the characteristics of an inclusive co-teaching model for university teaching are defined.