Trouble in Paradise: A Study of who is Included in an Inclusion Classroom

Abstract

Background/Context This study is based on prior research regarding the need for explicit social instruction for children with special needs, cooperative educational models, and the goals and relative successes of inclusive educational practices. The author refers to several studies on these subjects, including those by Kavale and Forness; Salend; and Sapon-Shevin, Dobbelaere, and Corrigan. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study This teacher analyzes how truly “inclusive” her class was during 1 year of collaborative team teaching in a second-grade inclusion classroom. Employing research-based methods of cooperative education, she considered how successful she was in facilitating meaningful relationships between special education students from all backgrounds, and their peers. She also examined whether it was possible, despite differences in academic and social skills, to fully incorporate those children with special needs into a classroom so that their general education peers would value and include them in their activities and social life. Population/Participants/Subjects/Setting In this study, a second-grade teacher took on a new position as the general education teacher in a New York City school's inclusion team. Seven of the 24 students in the new class were special education students. These children struggled with a variety of developmental delays, such as expressive and/or receptive language processing disorders, physical disabilities, and social/emotional issues. Five of these children were bused from less affluent neighborhoods near the school to attend the program. Whereas the general population at the school consisted of upper-middle-class White and Asian families, these 5 children were from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and were either African American or of Latin American descent. Research Design This action research was conducted by a practicing teacher who collected data through interviews, sociograms, observations, and other anecdotal means.