Social Inclusion Through the Eyes of Teachers and Students in Inclusive Classrooms

• In Event: Inclusive Education: Outcomes, Challenges, and the Perspective of Students and Educators

Abstract

Children with disabilities experience social inclusion in school at lower rates than their typically developing peers. This multi-case explanatory sequential mixed methods study seeks to better define and understand social inclusion in the inclusive classroom—where students with and without disabilities are educated together. Students in three fourth-grade classrooms completed surveys to understand their feelings of belonging, mattering, and social support in the classroom. Additionally, teachers and students in these classrooms were interviewed about their perception and definition of inclusion. Survey data indicates that students with and without disabilities experienced similar levels of belonging, mattering, and social support. Interviews suggest that teacher and classmate support are an important component to ensuring students feel included in the classroom.

Authors

• Melissa Stoffers, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Tia Navelene Barnes, University of Delaware