The purpose of this study was to explore in depth the lived experiences of teachers who implemented co-teaching in inclusive physical education classes at the elementary school level and to develop a theoretical framework for understanding co-teaching...
The purpose of this study was to explore in depth the lived experiences of teachers who implemented co-teaching in inclusive physical education classes at the elementary school level and to develop a theoretical framework for understanding co-teaching practices and their facilitation. Accordingly, the research questions were as follows: (1) What are the experiences and perceptions of elementary general education teachers and special education teachers regarding co-teaching in inclusive physical education? (2) Under what conditions and strategies is co-teaching in inclusive physical education structured? and (3) How do teachers’ implementation types and situational contexts interact within the process of structuring co-teaching in inclusive physical education?
The participants in this study were 20 elementary school teachers, including 10 general education teachers and 10 special education teachers, who had experience implementing co-teaching in inclusive physical education classes. Participants were selected through purposive sampling based on theoretical saturation, and data were collected between November and December 2024. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews, which were conducted either face-to-face or online via video conferencing depending on participants’ locations. The interview data were analyzed following the procedures of grounded theory as proposed by Strauss and Corbin(2008), including open coding, axial coding, selective coding, type analysis, and situational analysis.
The findings revealed that teachers reinterpreted the meaning of collaboration through the co-teaching process in inclusive physical education and experienced various challenges and adjustments. These experiences interacted with personal, organizational, environmental, and institutional conditions, leading to distinctive patterns of implementation. In particular, a developmental progression was identified, ranging from exploratory attempts to practice-oriented collaboration and further to change-leading forms of co-teaching. Such differences influenced both the ways in which co-teaching in inclusive physical education was structured and the patterns of teachers’ professional growth.
This study contributes to the field by presenting a theoretical framework that enables a multidimensional understanding of the co-teaching process in inclusive physical education, thereby providing a foundation for facilitating co-teaching practices in school settings. Furthermore, the findings offer practical implications for strengthening collaborative systems among teachers and fostering inclusive school cultures, while also serving as an important evidence base for improving co-teaching practices in inclusive physical education and informing directions for policy-level support.