General Education Classes Research Articles

Opinions of Primary School Teachers Working in Inclusion Education Settings on the Behaviors of Students with and Without Disabilities

Primary school teachers are important mediators in terms of creating a positive climate and displaying appropriate behaviors in inclusion classes. The fact that primary school teachers are good observers of the behavior of students in their classrooms is a very important factor in eliminating or preventing problem behaviors. For this reason, it is important to examine the views of teachers working in inclusion education settings on the behavior of students in their classrooms. The purpose of this research is to reveal the opinions of primary school teachers working in inclusion education settings about the behaviors of students with and without disabilities in their classrooms. The study was conducted using phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews with primary school teachers working in inclusion settings. The data was analyzed with content analysis, and six themes and 17 sub-themes were found. It was seen that the problem behaviors seen in the inclusion classes were similar to the behaviors seen in the general education classes. According to the findings, most of the teachers did not receive training in problem behaviors. So, courses related to behavior management can be taught in undergraduate programs.

The effects of small class sizes on students' academic achievement, socioemotional development and well-being in special education: A systematic review.

The effects of small class sizes on students' academic achievement, socioemotional development and well-being in special education: A systematic review.

Pulling It Together: A Mixed-Methods Study of Integrated Thinking Within a General Education Program

ABSTRACT To enable students to navigate the “wicked” problems of the world, many universities have introduced integrative learning as a significant component of their general education programs. Despite recognition of the value of teaching students to make connections, apply, and synthesize information from multiple sources, relatively few studies exist that explore how students experience this form of thinking across the curriculum. The present study analyzes the open-ended responses to a student survey (n = 1,967) to gain insight into how students at a large, public research university perceive the integrative learning that takes place in their general education classes. Through the application of three methods of discourse analysis, our findings suggest that the majority of students were able to make connections across disciplines. By looking at the language they used to describe these connections, we were able to identify linkages between integrative learning, course attributes (such as size), and gender. Based on these linkages, we suggest potential new lines of inquiry and practice related to the development of a shared language for integrative learning and thinking.

Collaborative Partnerships between General and Special Education Teachers

It is impossible to meet the requirements of kids with varied abilities without the close collaboration of general and special education teachers. the importance of inclusive practises and the results of joint collaborations between general and special education instructors in ensuring that students with disabilities have access to the general education curriculum and receive the required help. In inclusive classrooms, teachers from both general and special education classes collaborate to help all students succeed. Teachers can better accommodate students with special needs and accommodate students of varying learning styles by working together to develop effective lesson plans. The education system as a whole benefits when people work together to share resources and best practises.

Exploring the Significance of Promoting General Physical Education and the Utilization of Digital Technology after COVID-19

This study explored the significance of promoting college general physical education in the era of COVID-19. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, college general physical education classes and various activities have faced numerous challenges and changes. It has become necessary to approach the intrinsic value and importance of college general physical education from a new perspective, considering the disrupted opportunities for students to engage in diverse interactions and experiences. This situation presents an opportunity to develop a new educational paradigm. To address this, previous studies were analyzed and synthesized, leading to the proposal of enhancing college physical education through the active utilization of digital technologies such as new teaching methods, remote learning tools, AR, AI, VR, and big data, which are familiar to students with positive digital experiences. Additionally, an emphasis was placed on the development of new college general physical education programs that apply specialized digital platforms, content, and devices.General physical education, which is based on bodily movement more than any other subject, is highly suitable for integration with various digital devices. Therefore, through various attempts and efforts, it is expected that positive synergies can be created, and that the utilization of such digital technologies can enhance student participation and learning outcomes, thereby elevating the value of physical education as a part of general education.

Observations of Students With and Without Severe Disabilities in General Education Classes: A Portrait of Inclusion?

Inclusive education is now advocated as best practice in schools. However, the extent to which adolescents with severe disabilities access the abundant social and academic experiences available in general education classes remains uncertain. We conducted multiple observations of 146 U.S. high school students with severe disabilities (including intellectual disability, autism, or multiple disabilities), who were enrolled in at least one general education class. Peer interactions with classmates tended to be very infrequent for most students with severe disabilities. Moreover, rates of peer interaction were the lowest during large-group instruction and when students were sitting next to paraprofessionals or special educators rather than with their peers. Academic engagement also varied across students and was highest during small-group instruction, during 1-on-1 work with adults, and when students sat near their peers. Observations of a comparison sample of peers attending these same classes revealed striking overall differences in social and academic participation. We offer recommendations for research and practice aimed at bolstering inclusive education in high schools.

The contributions of group work, utility value, and self-assessments of learning to student performance in a general education class

We triangulated self-assessments of learning, course grades, and course evaluations from 28 students in a general education class to examine the effects of group work and perceptions of utility on learning, investigating three hypotheses: 1) self-assessments of learning provide triangulating information that deepens interpretations of traditional assessments; 2) group experiences influence students’ views of the course’s utility value; 3) students who believe the course has high utility value will learn more than students who believe the course has low utility value. We found support for all hypotheses. Triangulating information about learning provided a more nuanced understanding of learning than any single source did in isolation. Group work was associated with beliefs that the class was professionally useful. Stronger academic performance was present for students who believed the class was professionally useful, or reported more different types of class utility value. We discuss the implications of these findings for teaching and assessment of student learning.

Z세대의 디지털사회학적 시각에 대한 사례연구

This study aims to explore the application of digital sociology in higher education. By using the word cloud, generation Z's digital sociological perspective is analyzed, which is called digital native, for freshmen in 2022. To this end, the results of Korean students who took general education classes at C-University were analyzed. Based on the three research questions, (1) Gen Z showed a receptive attitude to text-mining techniques. (2) Gen Z experienced differences in data processing from the perspective of digital sociology according to the degree of humanities background knowledge. (3) It was possible to capture the common perception of “employment” of Gen Z.

The initial impact of per-capita school funding on teaching students with special educational needs in Kazakhstan

  This article examines the impact of per-capita school funding in Kazakhstan on the improvement of instruction of students with SEN. It offers an extensive literature review on inclusive education funding models internationally and interprets Kazakhstan’s experience in this context. Data in this article comes from a survey of almost 500 urban general day school directors in Kazakhstan’s regions. The article answers three research questions. First, how do urban day schools differ in terms of presence of students with SEN? Second, how do urban day schools that teach students with SEN differ in their policies and practices towards this group of students, and whether they differ by the type of funding that they receive? Third, how do schools that receive PCF assess the impact of this funding on the improvement of instruction of students with SEN? This research finds that factors that determine whether students with SEN are enrolled at the school are the selectiveness of admission to school, the language of instruction, the presence of school-level policy towards students with SEN, and additional staff hired for students with SEN.  It shows that schools, which receive PCF, controlled for the size of the urban location, are two times more likely to have students with SEN in general education classrooms compared to schools that do not receive PCF. Schools that have home-schooled students with SEN are less likely to include these students in general education classes. Further research should examine what is the role of schools in maintaining students with SEN in homeschooling. Findings in this research indicate that teacher professional capacity, the quality of school infrastructure, and the decision-making freedom of school principals form important bases for the effectiveness of per-capita school funding to enable the development of inclusive education in Kazakhstan. Keywords: Per-capita funding, throughput funding, outcomes-based funding, school finance, students with special needs, inclusive education, policy analysis.

A comparison of elementary teachers' verbal supports for students in inclusive and general classroom contexts during an NGSS‐aligned science, engineering, and computer science unit

AbstractElementary teachers are tasked with the challenge of implementing Next Generation Science Standards‐aligned projects that integrate science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (STEM + CS) in a variety of classroom contexts. This study investigates how teachers verbally support students in two classrooms, one general education class and one inclusive class with a larger proportion of students with individualized educational plans, to engage in a Next Generation Science Standards‐aligned, STEM + CS unit. Teachers' verbal support for students to understand how (pragmatic) and when and why (epistemic) to use practices was examined during whole‐class discussions for a 4‐week unit in science, engineering, and computer science‐focused lessons. Bi‐weekly teacher surveys and weekly teacher interviews provided insight into the teachers' perceptions of students and project activities in each class section. Teachers reported instructional decisions to modify their enactment of the interdisciplinary curricular materials for the Inclusive Class and discussed their rationales for these modifications. Results suggest that instructional decisions that teachers made in how to verbally support students may depend upon their own knowledge of the different disciplines being integrated, their prior beliefs of students in different classroom contexts, and their in‐the‐moment perceptions of student needs. These factors may have led to different learning experiences for the students in each class section. Findings underscore the need for more research to better understand what kinds of support students and teachers need to be able to integrate engineering, science, and computer science content and practices within their elementary classrooms and provide equitable learning opportunities for all students.

Self-Contained Special Educators’ Perceptions toward Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in General Education Classes

ABSTRACT Teachers’ perceptions play a critical role in defining and giving meaning to new initiatives and policies in schools. However, very little is known about the perceptions of self-contained special educators responsible for students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) pertaining to the inclusion of students with SCD in general education classes and how those perceptions impact educational programming. In this qualitative study, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 special educators responsible for students with SCD who taught in self-contained classes within traditional public schools. The interview was designed to explore special educators’ perceptions pertaining to including students with SCD in general education classes and possible personal and environmental factors that may influence their perceptions. The findings suggest that self-contained special educators responsible for students with SCD are tentatively supportive of including their students in general education classes. However, several factors (e.g., lack of support, student abilities and skills, general educator attitudes) and reservations appeared to impact special educators’ decision-making pertaining to including their students with SCD in general education classes.

Digital Learning: Differentiated teaching models using ICTs to students with vision problems – Good practices: I add by playing from 1 to 10

The idea of inclusion encourages an inclusive, open-door school. By adapting formal instruction to standard instruction that is acceptable for everyone while taking into account the requirements, quirks, skills, interests, and experiences of each student, the use of ICTs aids in this direction. One such group is the visually challenged, whose inclusion in general education classes is made possible with the use of ICTs. In the current study, a method of individualized education in the field of mathematics is developed and put into practice, allowing all students-visually impaired or not-to master the mathematical operation of adding to the first ten at their own speed and time. Results show that differentiated instruction improves students' ability to understand mathematical operations: ADDITION from 1 to 10.

Teachers' perspectives toward integrating special education need learners in normal classrooms: A case study of Arab teachers in Israel

This paper constitutes a relatively new area that has emerged from the relationship between Special Education Need (SEN) students in normal classrooms and teachers’ perspectives. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that could contribute to differences in attitudes of public-school teachers toward the inclusion of students with special needs in general education classes in the Arab schools in Israel. The study used a quantitative methodology, adopting an online survey method of data collection, addressed to a total number of 237 teachers working in government public schools. The findings indicated that teachers who hold a master’s degree were more likely to accept the idea of integrating SEN students in regular settings and suggested that teachers' education level affected their emotional attitude towards SEN integration. These findings embody significant practical meanings. A change is needed in the way Arab society perceives students with SEN, and how this society treats their integration into the framework of regular students. A practical recommendation of this study is that the Ministry of Education should offer intensive training for a wide range of teachers to be able to deal with students with special needs.

How Diagnostic Labels Affect Preservice Early Childhood Teachers' Responses to Inclusion of Children with Disabilities: A Vignette Study

This study aims to examine the effect of diagnostic labels on the responses of preservice early childhood teachers to the inclusion of children with special needs in general education classes. 228 preservice early childhood teachers, who participated in the study, answered the Demographic Information Form and the Teachers’ Comfort and Concern Scale (TCCQ). The questionnaire consists of two formats in which vignettes are presented with and without a diagnosis label. As a result of the t-test and the Mann Whitney-U test applied to the data obtained from the six-points scale questions of TCCQ, it was observed that the comfort levels of the preservice teachers and their classroom adaptation and the need for support did not differ according to the presence or absence of the diagnostic labels, the type of child’s disability, the grade level and the undergraduate program of the preservice teachers. According to the results of the inductive analysis conducted to the open-ended questions in the TCCQ, the participants felt positive/comfortable, negative/concerned and responsible for being teachers of children with special needs. They wanted to learn about children’s characteristics and previous educational life before they attended the early childhood classroom.

Academic achievement for students with and without disabilities in co-taught classrooms: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis examined achievement of students with and without disabilities in co-taught compared to solo-taught general education classes. Using eight databases and six terms, a systematic search of peer-reviewed and gray literatures was conducted. From 99 studies about co-taught students’ achievement, 28 studies met eligibility criteria, including disaggregated data for 21,717 students. Achievement was not significantly higher for students with or without disabilities in co-taught classes. The combined negative effect regarding co-teaching was weak, implying that the achievement of students in co-taught settings did not vary significantly from that of students in solo-taught ones. The sub-group and moderator analyses revealed differences regarding the type of assessment and the meta-analyzed studies’ publication year. Study quality data regarding descriptions of co-teaching, fidelity, and group assignment highlight the need for more rigorously designed and implemented studies. Results are discussed in relation to the prevalence of co-teaching, considering additional factors beyond academic achievement.

The Level of Understanding of Tajwid Knowledge on Al-Quran Reading Skills

Describe the level of knowledge of tajwid science on the ability to read the Koran in the Ahsanul Qolbu Mushallah Griya Sehati Housing which is the aim of this study. This investigation is a field study that combines relevant subjectivity with contextual investigation methodology. Subjective analysis that highlights important aspects of the research cycle and develops a thorough understanding of people, encounters, or situations that have occurred, are occurring, or will occur. The consequences of this study, in particular the level of understanding of information on the Tajwid Jama'ah Mushallah Ahsanul Qolbu housing at Griya Sehati Housing, is divided into two classes, namely the first: the category of low congregation capacity; a), regarding mastering the Al-Qur'an starting from mastering the quality of hijaiyah letters. b), how to pronounce hijaiyah letters, how to use punctuation, how to speak lam ta'rif, qolqolah, laful jalalah, gunnah, waqaf, and ibtida', the law of breadfruit or tanwin, namely mim breadfruit, pious, special, and the law of reading frantically far'i is reckless, reads idghom, reads gharib b), namely in memorizing Juz 30, which is only allowed a maximum of 5 to 10 letters. d), the use of drill and exhibition, talakqi, question and answer, critical thinking, and lecture strategy. Second: "Classes have moderate to good capacity in this Tahsin class in general. The standards for assessment skills are the same as general education classes, but there are several advantages, such as the ability to understand textbooks that include challenging material, such as reading naql, nun wiqoyah, saktah, and tahsin. This indicates that the subject matter is well understood, so the teaching begins by discussing the law of tajwid directly, starting from lam ta'rif to reading gharib, and they also memorize Juz 30.

Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in a Socio-Cultural Perspective: What is the Perception of Physical Education Teachers?

This study aims to examine teachers' perceptions of inclusive physical education in Pekanbaru City and the identity of the factors that influence their perceptions from a socio-cultural perspective. This research is qualitative. The research subjects recruited were physical education teachers in Pekanbaru City. The selection of participants is based on two criteria: (i) teachers who have earned a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education and (ii) teachers who teach students with disabilities in public and private junior high schools. Based on these criteria, only five physical education teachers were found. Individual interviews were conducted with each teacher. Deductive and inductive analysis processes are used to organize and report the data. The results showed that teachers believed general physical education classes were a good place to develop students with disabilities. Teachers realize that students with disabilities can have equal opportunities to participate in general physical education programs and develop social skills. Although the teachers recognized these benefits, they also expressed concern about the instructional and environmental barriers to the inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream sports programs. Future research should address the importance of teachers' beliefs and practices about effective teaching in inclusive.

Examination of Contextual Variables Across and Within Different Types of Placement for Elementary Students With Complex Support Needs

Research has begun to identify the breadth and complexity of contextual variables that impact the opportunities, services, and supports students with complex support needs receive across different classroom placements. Indeed, as research has suggested, placement in and of itself may determine the schooling experiences of these students in ways that can enhance or constrain the outcomes of the educational process. This study examined an array of contextual variables in relation to four types of placement in which students with complex support needs might be placed for educational services by their Individualized Education Program teams. Placements were defined in terms of percent of the school day students had access to age-level general education classes, ranging between no access (separate school) to 80% or higher (“inclusive”). The investigation used surveys completed by a national sample of special and general educators and administrators. Completed surveys were obtained for 117 students with complex support needs across all four types of placement. The findings revealed potential relationships between a number of contextual variables and placement, suggesting that: (a) student opportunities and experiences vary systematically in relation to the amount of access they have to general education classrooms and (b) the application of the Least Restrictive Environment process, with its tacit endorsement of segregated settings and specialized programs, may in fact negatively impact the education of many of these students. Implications of these findings and future research needs are discussed.

Between Special and Regular Settings: The Teachers Attitude towards Inclusion

A large number of teachers have expressed concern about their ability to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities in general education classes. For the time being, there is little evidence to support the divergent opinions on inclusive education held by general and special education teachers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the attitude towards inclusive education held by general and special education teachers in Indonesia. Multidimensional Attitudes toward Inclusive Education Scales (MATIES) will be used to examine the attitudes about inclusive education. It consists of 18 items that are designed to test the emotive, cognitive, and behavioral elements of attitudes toward inclusion in an effective manner. Using Google Forms, the instruments were sent to participants through the internet survey platform. The T-Test and ANNOVA test was used to evaluate the data.

Highlights of the ESC 2014 Conference

Coverage of the 2014 Annual Conference of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, featuring
 
 The keynote address from Dr. Rajesh Tandon
 Poster Session Award Winners
 
 First Place—Integrating High-Impact Scholarship into a General Education Class. By Careen Yarnal and Hsin-Yu Chen (The Pennsylvania State University)
 Second Place—The Impact of Homelessness and Incarceration on the Health of Women. By Louanne Keenan and Rabia Ahmed (University of Alberta)
 Third Place—Does Service-Learning Make Graduates (Feel) More Employable? By Paul H. Matthews and Jeffrey H. Dorfman (University of Georgia)
 Honorable Mention with Distinction
 
 Illustrating the Impacts: Global Community Engaged Design. By Rebekah Radtke and Travis Hicks (University of North Carolina-Greensboro).
 Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service: Building an Interculturally Competent Community. By Maria G. Fabregas Janeiro and Jorge Atiles (Oklahoma State University).
 Characteristics of Effective Practice by Faculty in Service-Learning Courses. By Paul H. Matthews (University of Georgia) and Andrew J. Pearl (University of North Georgia).