Introduction
At the Department of Andragogy and Educational Management of the Faculty of Pedagogy of the Charles University, the TA CR1 project is being implemented, which develops and investigates the potential of a new method of virtual co-teaching. As part of his research activities, he also analyzes and describes existing forms of co-teaching and their application in practice. One of the possibilities of its use is the special-pedagogical field, specifically in the so-called common and inclusive education. In German countries, co-teaching is most commonly applied in the education of children in the so-called community schools (Gemeinschaftsschulen, Stadtteilschulen), which profile themselves as inclusive schools with the aim of truly educating all children together.
They have emerged in recent years as a response to the long-criticized early segregation of children into different educational streams and offer the alternative of a single follow-up school for all children until the end of the entire secondary education (see e.g. Kříž et al., 2021; Veteška et al., 2020; Svobodová et al., 2021). Of course, joint education places increased demands on pedagogical work in a strongly heterogeneous team, therefore co-teaching based on the cooperation of regular and special pedagogues can be a suitable solution.
Main part
Joint education is a global trend and a topic of educational policies of all developed countries. Statistical indicators are available that compare the number of integrated pupils in individual states, their share and the method of their education (e.g. Zahořáková and Kala, 2014 or Prokosheva, Sidorkin and Zavadilová, 2016) and the gradual trend of reducing the consequences of segregation in education is also enshrined in transnational conceptual documents (e.g. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2006, Statement on..., 2014).
In Germany, on the basis of the ratification of the Convention (in May 2009), there was a gradual reduction of special schools and an expansion of joint education of intact pupils and pupils with special educational needs (SEN)2 (e.g. Hollenbach-Biele and Kober, 2014, Unesco, 2014). Based on the amendment of legislative documents, special pedagogues found employment in standard schools, and some federal states began to create the concept of a unified community school in addition to multi-year gymnasiums and less demanding secondary schools (e.g. Hinz and Boban, 2009, Kultusministerkonferenz, 2010, Kuschnereit, Reichmann and Stessun, 2016, die Gemeinschaftsschule..., undated). In connection with the ratification of the Convention and the adopted legislative changes in Germany, the share of pupils with SEN in the mainstream education is gradually increasing, in some federal states, for example, from 14.5% in the school year 2008/2009 (i.e. before the amended education) to 54%, in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg it was almost 30% of pupils in the mainstream (Hollenbach-Biele, 2014, Unesco, 2014). Currently, the German average of children with SEN educated in the mainstream is around 50%, while in Baden-Württemberg it is 35% (Anders, 2020).
During several stays in Germany, the author had the opportunity to visit and host at several community schools. Specifically, she visited inclusive schools in the federal states of Hamburg in 2018 and 2019 (so-called Stadtteilschulen) and Baden-Württemberg (so-called "Gemeinschaftsschulen") in 2021. In these schools, she observed teaching conducted using the co-teaching method and spoke with teachers, special pedagogues, assistants and school management.
In German inclusive schools, in addition to standard teachers, the teaching staff consists of a relatively large group of special pedagogues3 who are in charge of inclusive education and are responsible for supporting students, teachers and parents in need. A number of classes (all main subjects) are taught by two teachers and led by co-teaching. Class management is conducted in a similar way, which in community schools is shared by special and regular pedagogues. The model of co-teaching as a suitable method of inclusive education is already described by Antia (1999), for example, and confirms the importance of properly set cooperation and the distribution of individual competences between special and regular pedagogues. Co-teaching makes it easier for students with special educational needs to understand the subject matter, guarantees special pedagogical approaches in an inclusive class, allows the teacher to teach different students and individualize (Magiera, Smith, Zigmond and Gebauer, 2005).
In community schools, co-teaching for pupils with SEN pursues the following three goals:
- Optimize and individualize education, forms and methods and thereby develop the potential of all pupils to the maximum - Use these hours for direct special pedagogical intervention - Prevent disruption of the pedagogical process and simplify the work and class management of heterogeneous groups
The following co-teaching models are mainly used in Baden-Württemberg to achieve the set goals (see also Veteška et al., 2020, Kursch, 2021):
- One teaches and the other observes. This model is mainly used for the diagnosis of pupils, when it allows the special pedagogue to monitor the events, the dynamics of the class and the involvement of pupils with SEN in the lesson. It is also used during classroom lessons, where the participation of children with SEN in the class collective is monitored.
- Alternative teaching. A model that allows separating a certain group of pupils and educating them separately, i.e. for example, practice problematic areas with pupils with SEN, or practice and explain appropriate social behavior and prepare them for subsequent cooperation with intact pupils.
- One teaches, the other assists. This is a similar model known from Czech schools in which teaching assistants are involved. However, in German schools this is really a special pedagogical assistance, which complements any personal assistance that some students with more severe disabilities also use.
- Parallel teaching. A model that is similar to alternative teaching, but implemented mainly in one room, where pupils with different needs can directly use an internally differentiated approach in joint teaching.
In general, German inclusive schools have a system in which students work according to individual educational programs, which is based on a minimum foundation intended for all students, which is developed and expanded individually according to the abilities and possibilities of individuals. A similar approach to the curriculum is also described by Vomáčková et al. (2015), which emphasizes that the correct adaptation of the curriculum and the individual progress of the individual will enable even pupils with special educational needs to experience success in a mainstream school. German teachers also have, for example, textbooks from one publisher, which exist in three versions and are processed in such a way that they are accessible to pupils of all abilities, i.e. for example, simplified content for pupils with mild cerebral disabilities and extended content for gifted pupils, which will enable them to adapt the material discussed to the needs of individual pupils relatively easily. In addition to team teaching, personal assistants are also available for pupils with significant difficulties and needs. The materials intended for working with pupils with SEN are well developed, focused on mastering the subject matter and developing the necessary competences, pupils have the opportunity to attend peer support groups at school focused on practicing social skills, learn about the possibilities of future employment and have their own therapeutic groups. 4
Conclusion
In the Czech Republic, a number of research studies and large-scale projects dedicated to inclusive education and inclusive didactics have also been implemented (e.g. Bartoňová and Vítková, 2013, Vomáčková et al., 2015 or the extensive investigation System support for inclusive education in the Czech Republic carried out at Palacký University in 2013-2015), which focus on the topic of inclusive didactics and the education of pupils with SEN in regular schools. The role of the teacher is defined as key (e.g. also Čadová, 2015) and it is he who is an important actor of a successful inclusive approach, while the high-quality preparation of the teacher for this role is essential, which is not adequately ensured in the teacher training system of the Czech Republic (Vomáčková et al., 2015).
The importance of cooperation between a standard teacher and experts from the field of special pedagogy, i.e. school counseling facilities, school special pedagogues or teacher's assistants are considered essential support for inclusive education (e.g. Čadová, 2015, Morávková Vejrochová et al., 2015). The aforementioned investigations and projects clearly show the necessity and necessity of teamwork for the implementation of successful inclusive education. Within the framework of the documents prepared in the Czech Republic, team cooperation is generally considered to be the cooperation between the school and the school counseling facility or between the teacher and the teaching assistant. Co-teaching, ie occupation of teaching by a team of special and regular teachers is not standardly established in our environment.
The special pedagogical field is therefore another suitable field for the use of the co-teaching method and the possibility of truly individualized work in a heterogeneous environment of children with different educational needs. In the context of the current deepening differences between individual children due to distance education (see also Pavlas, Zatloukal and Andrys, 2021), co-teaching could also appear as a suitable support during the return to face-to-face education.
Author: Mgr. Zuzana Svobodová, Ph.D., DBA Department of Andragogy and Educational Management, Faculty of Education, Charles University in Prague
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1 New method of education for the 21st century: Virtual-Co-Teaching, no. project TL03000133 2 In Germany, they are referred to as pupils with a need for support (Schüler mit Förderbedarf) 3 For example, the school has about 100 teachers for about 1200 pupils, supplemented by 16 special and 3 social pedagogues. Other team members are personal assistants and educators 4 These data were obtained through interviews with teachers during visits to him