McKay School of Education > News > Matching Philosophy the Key to Successful Collaboration
Matching Philosophy the Key to Successful Collaboration
Collaboration is a major component of successful inclusion, according to a recently published article by Nari Carter, a doctoral student in the Educational Inquiry, Measurement, and Evaluation program. When two teachers are brought into a situation in which they need to collaborate, one of the main determinants of their success is a matching philosophy of servicing students with disabilities.
The study was completed during Carter’s work on a master’s degree. She and her colleagues, Mary Anne Prater, Aaron Jackson and Michelle Marchant worked with six pairs of volunteer general and special education teachers, instructing them on a process for collaborating to make accommodations for students with disabilities who were included in general education classes. Participants collaborated, putting these instructions into practice. Carter and her colleagues then interviewed the teachers, studying the structure of the collaboration experience .
They found that differences in educational philosophy strongly influenced collaboration. “It really impacted their experiences,” Carter expressed. “Teachers who had compatible philosophies were able to collaborate well and complete the process. Teachers who expressed different philosophies did not even complete the process.”
Some teachers believe that educators need to make accommodations for students with disabilities and adapt the classroom environment to help students be successful. “Other teachers may think that students should adapt to the teacher’s environment,” Carter explained further.
According to the results, compatibility was the important factor; actual philosophy had little impact on the collaboration. “Particular philosophy did not matter, just so long as it matched,” Carter explained. She described how matching philosophies resulted in successful collaborations, while conflicting philosophies did not. “When teachers encountered philosophical differences, they quit the process altogether,” Carter related. She explained that this held true even though the teachers selected their own partners.
Analysis of the data found that teachers need support to collaborate. Carter described how the teachers, all of whom had time allotted to them for collaborative planning, stated that they did not have enough time, due to faculty meetings and other professional development responsibilities. “Administrators can help resolve these issues,” she said. “They can help resolve time constraints and differences in philosophy.”
Carter briefly explained the implications of her study. “We assume that teachers have the skills to collaborate,” she stated. “Most do, but administrators may need to supply some professional development for addressing differences when collaborating.”
28 September 2009