Abstract
Over the past decade, there has been a societal push for social inclusion in Ireland for students with special educational needs (SEN). As a result, the number of dedicated special needs schools has dramatically decreased across the country as students with SEN enrol, instead, in mainstream schools. Dedicated SEN schools provided an environment in which students with a general learning difficulty (GLD) could develop at a pace suited to them. However, this developmental pace is different for GLD students in a mainstream school. This research explores the social development of students with a GLD in a mainstream school in postprimary education in Ireland. Informed by educational policies, both national and international, this research aims to find whether we are, as a society, inclusive of all educational needs in postprimary education, specifically students with GLD. The research question explicitly explores if students with a GLD have enhanced social development as a result of being part of a mainstream school setting. Employing a mixed methods case-study methodology, key emergent themes were observed and, overall, it was concluded that in a suitable environment, both physical and cultural, the social skills of students with a GLD can improve, primarily through increased social interaction with their peers.
Highlights
Over the past decade, there has been a societal push for social inclusion in Ireland for students with special educational needs (SEN)
This developmental pace is different for general learning difficulty (GLD) students in a mainstream school. is research explores the social development of students with a GLD in a mainstream school in postprimary education in Ireland
Introduction is research focused on the social development of students with a general learning difficulty (GLD) in a mainstream, postprimary school in Ireland. e school was governed by the EPSEN Act 2004 [1], which states that “a child with special educational needs shall be educated in an inclusive environment with children who do not have such needs.”
Summary
There has been a societal push for social inclusion in Ireland for students with special educational needs (SEN). Dedicated SEN schools provided an environment in which students with a general learning difficulty (GLD) could develop at a pace suited to them. 1. Introduction is research focused on the social development of students with a general learning difficulty (GLD) in a mainstream, postprimary school in Ireland. Vygotsky highlighted the importance of social play and interaction in the development of atypical students’ communication and behaviour [2] Building on this framework, this research aims to understand the communication skills learned by GLD students in a mainstream school as “schooling constitutes a form of collective social activity with specific forms of interpersonal communication” [3]. In order to ground this research, the scholarly literature surrounding inclusive education was surveyed, as it is known to be extensive and well reported It is predominantly focused on students with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, and visual and physical impairment. The literature review presented here is contextualised, both in terms of the geographical location and GLD categorisation, to support the subsequent research
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