Conference Agenda

While multi-professional collaboration is an essential component of inclusion in many European education systems, co-teaching (also referred to as team teaching) is a central structural feature of inclusive education in only some of those systems. Despite extensive research evidence and strong policy commitments to inclusion, a persistent research–practice gap remains regarding how co-teaching is conceptualized, implemented, and sustained in everyday classroom practice. This symposium brings together scholars and practitioners from Finland, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, and France to examine how co-teaching research is interpreted, contextualized, and enacted across diverse European educational systems. The symposium is chaired by an internationally recognized co-teaching scholar from the United States to facilitate cross-national dialogue and support comparative understanding across contexts.

Guided by the overarching research question—How is co-teaching conceptualized, supported, and implemented across European contexts, and what factors contribute to persistent research–practice gaps?—the symposium adopts a comparative, cross-national perspective grounded in inclusive education theory, sociocultural perspectives on collaboration, and organizational change frameworks. Methodologically, the symposium integrates qualitative policy analysis, comparative document analysis, surveys, case studies, classroom observations, and interview-based research.

The symposium consists of four co-presented papers, each intentionally pairing researchers from neighboring or culturally connected countries. Each presentation models collaborative co-teaching principles while examining empirical findings related to policy alignment, professional roles, leadership structures, and classroom practices. Together, the papers explore how co-teaching is legitimized or marginalized within national policy frameworks, how professional collaboration is structured in practice, and how educators experience the effectiveness of co-teaching for inclusive instruction.

• Session 1 (Finland & Sweden) examines differences in how co-teaching is represented in policy documents and research traditions, highlighting why the practice is formally established in Finland but remains largely absent in Sweden.
• Session 2 (Austria & Germany) investigates the tension between multi-professional cooperation and co-teaching, identifying structural and conceptual barriers within highly segmented school systems.
• Session 3 (Switzerland & Denmark) focuses on practitioner experiences, analyzing how policy frameworks either support or constrain sustainable co-teaching practices.
• Session 4 (Belgium & France) provides quantitative and qualitative evidence on implementation patterns and perceived instructional effectiveness of team teaching.

As chair and moderator, Dr. Wendy W. Murawski (2Teach Global; California State University Northridge) facilitates coherence across sessions and supports integrative dialogue. Dr. Bea Zumwald (University of St. Gallen, Switzerland) serves as discussant, offering a European scholarly synthesis of the papers and reflecting on implications for future European research, policy, and practice.

This paper examines how co-teaching emerges, is interpreted, and is legitimized within Finnish and Swedish education systems through policy documents and research literature. In Finland, co-teaching between general and special education teachers has become increasingly established and is explicitly recommended in national legislation and the core curriculum as a means of providing group-based support. Research from Finland reflects this policy emphasis, documenting growing implementation and leadership engagement with co-teaching practices. In contrast, while Swedish policy and research strongly emphasize teacher collaboration, co-teaching as a distinct concept and practice is largely absent from both national policy documents and empirical research. This absence is notable given the substantial international evidence base supporting co-teaching as an effective inclusive practice. The study addresses the research question: How and why does co-teaching become institutionalized in Finland but not in Sweden? Using a comparative qualitative document analysis, the authors examine national legislation, curriculum frameworks, government reports, and peer-reviewed research from both countries. The analysis highlights differences in how professional roles, support structures, and special education responsibilities are conceptualized. Findings suggest that variations in historical policy trajectories, professional role definitions, and interpretations of collaboration contribute to divergent pathways. The paper offers Nordic comparative insights that deepen understanding of how co-teaching is positioned within inclusive education systems and provides implications relevant to broader European contexts seeking to strengthen collaborative instructional models.

Göransson, K., Lindqvist, G., & Nilholm, C. (2015). Voices of special educators in Sweden: A total-population study. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 30(3). Rönn-Liljenfeldt, M., Sundqvist, C., & Ström, K. (2024). Between vision and reality: Finnish school leaders’ experiences of co-teaching. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 68(4), 647–660. Saloviita, T. (2018). Inclusive practices among Finnish teachers. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 22(5), 560–575. Statens offentliga utredningar. (2025). Delbetänkande av utredningen om en förbättrad elevhälsa. Sveriges riksdag. (2010). Skollag (2010:800).

This paper explores how the research–practice gap shapes co-teaching in Austria and Germany, focusing on both structural barriers and emerging opportunities. Following ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, both countries committed to inclusive education within highly segregated and federally governed systems. Policy reforms emphasize multi-professional cooperation, yet rarely address co-teaching as integrated, joint instruction. Drawing on theoretical distinctions between task-divided cooperation and co-teaching as equitable collaboration, the paper argues that prevailing medical and categorical approaches to special education limit the development of co-teaching. Support services remain tied to disability labels, constraining the possibility that two professionals jointly teach and support all learners. Empirical evidence from both countries demonstrates that while collaborative practices exist, co-teaching remains inconsistently implemented. The presentation synthesizes research findings, policy analysis, and examples of progressive practices from federal states, districts, and schools that are using their autonomy to advance co-teaching. These cases illustrate how structural flexibility, leadership commitment, and professional learning can enable movement beyond compliance-oriented inclusion. The paper contributes to European discourse by clarifying conceptual distinctions, identifying systemic barriers, and highlighting pathways for aligning policy and practice to strengthen inclusive education.

Arndt, A.-K., & Werning, R. (2018). Qualitätskriterien, Bedingungen und Entwicklungsprozesse inklusiver Schule aus Sicht von Lehrkräften, Schulleitungen und Eltern an Jakob-Muth-Preisträgerschulen. In. S. Laux & E. Adelt (Hrsg.) Inklusive Schulkultur: Miteinander. Leben. Gestalten. Grundlagen und Beispiele gelungener Praxis (p. 15-33). Waxmann. Cook, L., & Friend, M. (2004). Co-Teaching: Principles, Practices, and Pragmatics. Participants Guide. Paper presented at New Mexico Public Education Department Quarterly Special Education Meeting, Albuquerque. Santa Fe, NM: New Mexico Public Education Department. Gebhard, S., Wollenweber, K. U., & Castello, A. (2014). Rahmenbedingungen gemeinsamen Unterrichtens in inklusiven Unterrichtssettings. Zeitschrift für Heilpädagogik, 2, 60-65. Jurkowski, S., Ulrich, M., & Müller, B. (2023) Co-teaching as a resource for inclusive classes: teachers’ perspectives on conditions for successful collaboration. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 27(1), 54-71, DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2020.1821449. Kunze, K., Petersen, D., Bellenberg, G., Fabel-Lamla, M., Hinzke, J.-H., Moldenhauer, A., Peukert, L., Reintjes, C., & te Poel, K. (Hrsg.) (2021): Kooperation – Koordination – Kollegialität. Befunde und Diskurse zum (multi-) professionellen Zusammenwirken pädagogischer Akteur*innen an Schulen. Klinkhardt. Lütje-Klose, B., Wild, E., Grüter, S., Gorges, J., Neumann, P., Papenberg, A., & Goldan, J. (2024). Kooperation in inklusiven Schulen. transcript.

This paper examines co-teaching practices in Denmark and Switzerland, focusing on practitioner experiences and policy contexts. Co-teaching is widely recognized as a promising approach for inclusive education and professional learning, yet persistent challenges remain, including role ambiguity, uneven workloads, limited preparation time, and inconsistent institutional support. Guided by the research question—What challenges characterize co-teaching practice in Denmark and Switzerland, and how do policy frameworks support or hinder implementation?—the study draws on qualitative classroom observations, interviews with teachers and school leaders, and policy analysis. Findings reveal that while both systems formally support inclusion, the translation into sustainable co-teaching practices depends heavily on leadership, shared professional language, and organizational culture. The analysis highlights the need for cultural as well as structural change, emphasizing collaborative norms, leadership engagement, and coherent professional development. Comparative insights offer implications for policy refinement, teacher education, and future international research on collaborative instructional practices.

Gulløv, C., & Murawski, W. W. (2023). How pedagogues support inclusion in Denmark. Journal of International Special Needs Education, 27(1), 36-46. Luder, R. (2021). Integrative support in Switzerland: An empirical study on the practical implementation of special educational support and promotion in integrative regular classes in Switzerland (Doctoral dissertation, University of Fribourg). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10246092 Mejeh, M., & Powell, J. J. W. (2018). Inclusive education in Switzerland: Between global norms and cantonal peculiarities. Bildung und Erziehung, 71(4), 412–431. https://doi.org/10.13109/buer.2018.71.4.412 Murawski, W. W., & Gulløv, C. (2024). Co-teaching og Universal Design for Learning: Differentierende og inkluderende undervisningsstrategier. Dafolo. Pool Maag, S., & Moser Opitz, E. (2014). Inclusive teaching: Fundamental questions and results of an exploratory study. Empirische Sonderpädagogik, 6(2), 133–149. https://doi.org/10.25656/01:9249 Pool Maag, S., & Widmer-Wolf, P. (2025). Strengthening multi-professional teams: Impulses for school principals. hep. Zumwald, B. (2025). Using co-teaching forms in a targeted manner: The potential of co-teaching forms at the depth level. Swiss Journal of Curative Education, 31(1), 8–14. https://doi.org/10.57161/z2025-01-02

This paper presents a mixed-methods analysis of team teaching implementation and perceived effectiveness in Flanders (Belgium) and western France. Quantitative data from a large-scale survey of 479 Flemish teachers across educational levels are complemented by a qualitative case study from a French secondary school with long-standing team teaching practices. Findings indicate that team teaching in Flanders is a relatively recent development, driven primarily by teachers’ desire to better support students and share expertise. Teachers report positive effects on student learning, lesson quality, and instructional flexibility. The French case provides longitudinal insight into how co-teaching practices evolve over time, illustrating flexible use of classroom space and differentiated instructional approaches. Together, the findings offer robust European evidence on implementation patterns and instructional benefits, contributing to research on effective collaborative teaching models.

Baeten, M., & Simons, M. (2014). Student teachers’ team teaching: Models, effects, and conditions for implementation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 41, 92–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2014.03.010 Decuyper, A., Mariën, D., Simons, M., Vanblaere, B., Tack, H., De Weerdt, D., Meirsschaut, M., Vanderlinde, R., & Struyf, E. (2024). Teamteaching in Vlaanderen: De implementatie, beweegredenen en effecten voor leerlingen. (Team teaching in Flanders: Implementation, motivations, and effects on students.) Tijdschrift Voor Onderwijsrecht En Onderwijsbeleid. 2024-2025(1-2). 79-91. Decuyper, A. (2025). Effective teaching behaviour in team teaching : A large-scale survey study and a multiple case study with video observations. Ghent University. Janin, M., Moreau, G., & Toullec-Théry, M. (2021). Le coenseignement dans une classe hétérogène promeut-il une différenciation pédagogique ? Éducation et socialisation. Les Cahiers du CERFEE, 60, Article 60. https://doi.org/10.4000/edso.14674 Moreau, G. (2025). Coenseigner les mathématiques en contexte inclusif. Nantes Université. Moreau, G., & Perraud, C. (2024). Il faut coopérer pour une école inclusive. In M. Toullec-Théry & F. Lacroix, L’école inclusive (p. 85 101). Retz. Toullec-Théry, M., & Moreau, G. (2020). Co-enseignement et difficulté scolaire: Revue hybride de l’éducation, 4(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1522/rhe.v4i3.1038