Perceptions of High School General and Special Education Teachers Regarding Principal Leadership Practices in Support of Co-teaching

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to identify the perceptions of general and special education teachers currently participating in collaborative co-teaching team models regarding the leadership practices of principals in support of co-teaching as a service delivery model in high schools. The literature review findings indicated the importance of administrative leadership and support being essential for the implementation of co-teaching. Therefore, the two research questions for this qualitative study focused on administrative practices that support co-teaching. The two research questions for this qualitative research study were a) What are the leadership practices of principals, as perceived by general education teachers, in support of co-teaching as a service delivery model in high schools? and b) What are the leadership practices of principals, as perceived by special education teachers, in support of co-teaching as a service delivery model in high schools? This research study utilized a qualitative phenomenological research approach which was an interview protocol used to collect data from high school general and special education teachers participating in the study. The criteria for participation included: a) high school general and special education teachers currently participating or had participated in a collaborative co-teaching team model servicing students with disabilities, and b) high school general and special education teachers participating or had previously participated in a collaborative co-teaching team model servicing students with disabilities in core-content areas. The findings for school divisions and high school principals are common vision, expectations for co-teaching, ongoing, job-embedded professional development, and amenities that support co-teaching. The findings in this study resulted in five implications for school divisions and high school principals. Implications for practice were provided at the conclusion of the study and focused on identifying the practices of principal leadership, as perceived by general and special education teachers, in support of co-teaching in high schools. Also, suggestions for future research were addressed in this study.