An examination of general and special education teachers' knowledge and perceptions of differentiated reading instruction in a co-teaching setting

This mixed methods study focused on an analysis of the special education and general education teachers' perceptions of differentiated instruction and differentiated training. The researcher examined special education and general education teachers' use of differentiated instruction curriculum through classroom observations. The participants consisted of special education and general education teachers from two suburban elementary schools in a southern school district. After reviewing the data from the quantitative and qualitative questions from the survey, teacher interviews, observation, and open-ended questions, these implications emphasize that teachers need to receive continued support from the district. This study found teachers used differentiated instruction, but only at a basic level. Some general education teachers used the same differentiated instruction strategies or methods for the entire class. Based on the teachers perceptions in this study differentiated instruction tools provided a good foundation for teacher to use with students in learning to read.