General Education Teacher Planning: What Can Students with Learning Disabilities Expect?

TLDR

The study examined how general education teachers plan content‑area instruction for students with learning disabilities. Twelve elementary‑through‑high‑school teachers were interviewed, observed, and surveyed, and their planning was analyzed with the Flow of the Planning Process Model to examine pre‑planning, interactive planning, and post‑planning activities. Elementary teachers engaged in more inclusive planning and collaborated more with special education teachers than teachers at other levels, while also offering varying amounts of special help and reporting curriculum‑coverage pressures.

Abstract

This in-depth study addressed the nature of general education teachers' planning for content area instruction for students with learning disabilities. Participants included 12 teachers, elementary through high school. Through interviews, classroom observations, teacher reflections, and surveys, we used the Flow of the Planning Process Model to investigate teachers' preplanning, interactive planning, and postplanning activities. Elementary general education teachers did more planning to include the needs of diverse students—and collaborated more with special education teachers—than did teachers at other levels. Other results indicated the extent of special help offered by teachers, as well as the pressures felt by teachers to cover the curriculum.