Unlocking Expertise among Classroom Teachers through Structured Dialogue: Extending Research on Peer Collaboration

Abstract

This study represents a replication of prior research on the peer collaboration process, a structured dialogue designed to foster teachers' development and implementation of alternative interventions for students with learning and behavior problems. The study included 95 teachers in the intervention group and 96 in the comparison group. Results indicated that the intervention group had reduced referral rates, increased confidence in handling classroom problems, increased positive teacher affect toward the classroom and more tolerance toward cognitive deficits. Teachers were able to solve 88% of the classroom problems addressed using peer collaboration.