Differential effects of a peer-tutoring intervention on the academic achievement of 203 7th-grade science students with and without disabilities in co-teaching and non-co-teaching settings were examined over an 8-week period. Impact of peer tutoring was assessed using a 2 condition by 2 settings by 2 types of students analysis of covariance with pretests as covariates. Results indicate that the peer-tutoring intervention was associated with improvements in student performance, and students in co-teaching settings perform better than those in non-co-teaching settings, but no additional value was added when peer tutoring was implemented in co-taught classrooms. Because co-teaching is increasingly used for teaching students with disabilities in general education classroom settings, implications of these findings for current practice and the need for future research are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AndermanE. M. (1998). The middle school experience: Effects on the math and science achievement of adolescents with LD. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 31, 128–138.
2.
BakkenJ. P.MastropieriM. A.ScruggsT. E. (1997). Reading comprehension of expository science material and students with learning disabilities: A comparison of strategies. Journal of Special Education, 31, 300–324.
3.
BauwensJ.HourcadeJ. J. (1995). Cooperative teaching: Rebuilding the schoolhouse for all students. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
4.
CawleyJ. F. (1994). Science for students with disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 15, 67–71.
5.
CookL.FriendM. (1995). Co-teaching: Guidelines for creating effective practices. Focus on Exceptional Children, 28 (3), 1–15.
6.
Coolidge-StoltzE.Graff-HaightD.JennerJ.CronkiteD.HoltzclawF.JonesL. C. (2002). Life Science. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
7.
DelquadriJ. C.GreenwoodC. R.StrettonK.HallR. V. (1983). The peer tutoring spelling game: A classroom procedure for increasing opportunity to respond and spelling performance. Education and Treatment of Children, 6, 225–239.
8.
DiekerL. A. (2001). What are the characteristics of “effective” middle and high school co-taught teams for students with disabilities?. Preventing School Failure, 46, 14–23.
9.
FlandersN. A. (1970). Analyzing teaching behavior. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
10.
FriendM.CookL. (2003). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals (4th ed.). New York: Longman.
11.
FuchsL. S.FuchsD. (2001). Principles for sustaining research based practice in the schools: A case study. Focus of Exceptional Children, 33 (6), 1–14.
12.
HortonS. V.LovittT. C.BergerudD. (1990). The effectiveness of graphic organizers for three classifications of secondary students in content area classes. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 23, 12–29.
13.
KleinbaumD. G.KupperL. L.MullerK. E.NizamA. (1998). Applied regression analysis and other multivariable methods (3rd ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Duxbury Press.
14.
MagieraK.ZigmondN. (2005). Co-teaching in middle school classrooms under routine conditions: Does the instructional experiences differ for students with disabilities in co-taught and solo-taught classes?. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 20, 79–85.
15.
MaheadyL.Michielli-PendlJ.MalletteB.HarperG. F. (2002). A collaborative research project to improve the academic performance of a diverse sixth grade science class. Teacher Education and Special Education, 25, 55–70.
16.
MastropieriM. A.ScruggsT. E. (1994). Text-based vs. activities-oriented science curriculum: Implications for students with disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 15, 72–85.
17.
MastropieriM. A.ScruggsT. E. (2000). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.
18.
MastropieriM. A.ScruggsT. E.GraetzJ. (2005). Cognition and learning in inclusive high school chemistry classes. In ScruggsT. E.MastropieriM. A. (Eds.), Cognition and learning in diverse settings: Advances in learning and behavioral disabilities (Vol. 18, pp. 99–110). Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
19.
MastropieriM. A.ScruggsT. E.GraetzJ.NorlandJ.GardiziW.McDuffieK. (2005). Case studies in co-teaching in the content areas: Successes, failures and challenges. Intervention in School and Clinic, 40, 260–270.
20.
MastropieriM. A.ScruggsT. E.LevinJ. R. (1985). Mnemonic strategy instruction with learning disabled adolescents. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 18, 94–99.
21.
MastropieriM. A.ScruggsT. E.NorlandJ.BerkeleyS.McDuffieK.TornquistE. H. (2006). Differentiated curriculum enhancement in inclusive middle school science: Effects on classroom and high stakes tests. Journal of Special Education, 40, 130–137.
22.
MastropieriM. A.ScruggsT. E.SpencerV.FontanaJ. (2003). Promoting success in high school world history: Peer tutoring versus guided notes. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 18, 52–65.
23.
MathesP. G.FuchsD.FuchsL. S.HenleyA. M.SandersM. (1994). Increasing strategic reading practice with Peabody classwide peer tutoring. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 9, 44–48.
24.
McDuffieK. A.LandrumT. J.GelmanJ. (2008). Co-teaching and students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Beyond Behavior, 17 (2), 11–16.
25.
McDuffieK. A.ScruggsT. E.MastropieriM. A. (2007). Co-teaching in inclusive settings: Results of qualitative research from the United States, Canada, and Australia. In ScruggsT. E.MastropieriM. A. (Eds.), International perspectives: Advances in learning and behavioral disabilities (Vol. 20, pp. 311–338). Oxford, UK: Elsevier.
26.
MurawskiW. W.SwansonH. (2001). A meta-analysis of co-teaching research. Remedial and Special Education, 22, 258–267.
OrmsbeeC. K.FinsonK. D. (2000). Modifying science activities and materials to enhance instruction for students with learning and behavioral problems. Intervention in School and Clinic, 36, 10–21.
29.
PadillaM. J.MiaoulisI.CyrM. (2002). Science Explorer [Computer software]. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
30.
PugachM.WessonC. (1995). Teachers' and students' views of team teaching of general education and learning-disabled students in two fifth-grade classes. The Elementary School Journal, 95, 279–295.
31.
RipleyS. (1997). Collaboration between general and special education teachers. Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED409317).
32.
ScruggsT. E.MastropieriM. A. (1993). Current approaches to science education: Implications for mainstream instruction of students with disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 14, 15–24.
33.
ScruggsT. E.MastropieriM. A.BakkenJ. P.BrighamF. J. (1993). Reading versus doing: The relative effects of textbook-based and inquiry-oriented approaches to science learning in special education classes. Journal of Special Education, 27, 1–15.
34.
ScruggsT. E.MastropieriM. A.McDuffieK. A. (2007). Co-teaching in inclusive classrooms: A metasynthesis of qualitative research. Exceptional Children, 73, 392–416.
35.
StenhoffD. M.Lignugaris/KraftB. (2007). A review of the effects of peer tutoring on students with mild disabilities in secondary settings. Exceptional Children, 74, 8–30.
36.
UtleyC. A.ReddyS. S.DelquadriJ. C.GreenwoodC. R.MortweetS. L.BowmanV. (2001). Classwide peer tutoring: An effective teaching procedure for facilitating the acquisition of health education and safety facts with students with developmental disabilities. Education and Treatment of Children, 24, 1–27.
37.
VaughnS.SchummJ. S.ArguellesM. E. (1997). The ABCDEs of co-teaching. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 30 (2), 4–10.
Walther-ThomasC. S. (1997). Co-teaching experiences: The benefits and problems that teachers and principals report over time. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 30, 395–408.
40.
WeichelW. (2001). An analysis of student outcomes on co-taught settings in comparison to other special education service delivery options for students with learning disabilities. Dissertation Abstracts International, 62 (07), 2386A. (UMI No. 3021407).
41.
WeissM. P.LloydJ. L. (2002). Congruence between roles and actions of secondary special educators in co-taught and special education settings. Journal of Special Education, 36, 58–69.
42.
WechslerD. (1991). Wechsler intelligence scale for children (3rd ed.). San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.
43.
ZigmondN.MattaD. (2004). Value added of the special education teacher on secondary school cotaught classes. In ScruggsT. E.MastropieriM. A. (Eds.), Research in secondary schools: Advances in learning and behavioral disabilities (Vol. 17, pp. 55–76). Oxford, UK: Elsevier Science/JAI.
