Curriculum issues and benefits in supportive co-taught classes for students with intellectual disabilities

Objectives: The aim of this qualitative study is to identify and evaluate the benefits of supportive co-teaching with regard to the access of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) to the general education curriculum according to co-teachers' and parents' opinions, and researchers' observations. Methods: Seven co-taught teams in seven Greek general schools were investigated under a multiple case study research design. Data were collected through 35 semi-structured interviews and 28 class observations. Results: Teachers and parents provided several academic and social benefits of supportive co-teaching to students with ID. However, observation findings revealed that these students did not always receive education according to their needs due to lack of suitable teaching materials and poorly modified instructional strategies. Conclusions: The study provides preliminary evidence that the benefits of supportive co-teaching for students with ID are hindered when co-teachers work under traditional teaching roles using undifferentiated teaching materials and poorly modified instructional practices. © 2015 The British Society for Developmental Disabilities