Poster #64 - Promoting Cohesion in (Inclusive) German Primary School Classes: First Results From an Intervention Study

• In Event: 75.043 - MTCC Poster Session 17
  In Poster Session: 75.043-9 - Learning and Motivational Dynamics in Social and Cultural Contexts

Abstract

Children with special educational needs (SEN) are less well accepted and integrated in comparison to their typically developing classmates. Trainings aimed at strengthening the social participation of SEN children focus on the child with SEN and thus accept the risk of stigmatisation. We developed an intervention that focuses on the class as a whole, expecting that individual participation should increase in line with class cohesion. We present the intervention and its theoretical foundation – in particular an elaborated four facets model of cohesion. We report first results from an intervention study with 1065 students showing only small numerical changes in cohesion in both control and experimental group. We discuss possible explanations and give hints for further research in this field.

Authors

• Stefanie van Ophuysen, WWU Münster

• Sina Schürer, WWU Münster

• Sophie Michalke, WWU Münster