| The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to explore fifth-grade teacher perceptions of ELA co-taught blended inclusion classroom models for SWD academic growth in rural public school systems. The problem was students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment can prove challenging as teachers in the co-teaching situation need to be given time to plan, and need to be trained in co-teaching practices, and education of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment continues to be difficult for school administration to provide the best possible classroom environments while maintaining adequate academic growth. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Vygotsky's social constructivist educational theory. Findings included one major theme: (a) pre-service training was attained prior to district service, and three minor themes (b) in-service training was attained through experience, (c) SWDs academic growth benefited from an inclusion setting due to increased motivation factors, and (d) SWDs benefited from inclusion especially when two professionals provided instruction and guidance. Three recommendations for practice noted educational leadership should (a) require all pre-service teachers regular and special education to take classes in inclusion practices and co-teaching, (b) offer targeted in-service professional development for all teachers in inclusion settings, and (c) conduct an assessment of academic achievement of SWDs over a period of time. Two recommendations for further research included a qualitative grounded theory study of collegiate pre-service programs in education and the inclusion training provided, and a mixed methods study to investigate academic achievement. |
