Self-regulation difficulties are on the rise in classrooms, disrupting learning and contributing to teacher stress.
Self-regulation is the ability to manage our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in order to achieve goals, adapt to situations, and cope with challenges. In the classroom, it is needed in order to learn.
New research from Dr Anne Southall, Senior Lecturer in Inclusive Education, in collaboration with the Olga Tennison Research Centre, has trialled an eight-week co-taught, teacher and occupational therapist program to support student self-regulated learning.
“The pandemic intensified challenges with self-regulation,” Dr Southall explains. “It exposed gaps in traditional one-on-one therapy models, which can’t keep up with demand.”
While previous research has explored educator-led programs or separate occupational therapy interventions, few studies have developed approaches to co-teaching with occupational therapists in the classroom.
Dr Southall’s research fills this gap by investigating the impact of co-taught, in-class self-regulation programs from the teacher’s perspective.
“Teachers told us that working alongside occupational therapists not only supported student outcomes, but also deepened their own ability to self-regulate,” she says.
The program fostered a shared language in the classroom, improved teachers’ confidence in managing behavioural responses, and enhanced their ability to embed self-regulation strategies into everyday practice.
“Our findings show that when allied health professionals are embedded in classrooms, it supports inclusive education and builds teacher capacity at the same time,” says Dr Southall.
The research supports a shift toward universal, co-taught self-regulation programs as a scalable solution to growing classroom needs.
“We need to provide space for co-planning and co-design so that teachers and therapists can work together meaningfully. That’s what makes the difference,” Dr Southall says.
