General Education Classrooms Research Articles

Increasing teachers’ behavior-specific praise using self-monitoring and a peer teacher’s feedback: the effect on children’s academic engagement

This study examined the effects of teacher self-monitoring combined with peer teacher feedback on their use of behavior-specific praise (BSP). We also examined its effect on children’s academic engagement. The study was conducted in general education classrooms at a Japanese elementary school using a multiple-probe design across participants. Participants included two teachers and 57 children in first and second grade. After the baseline phase, an intervention based on a self-monitoring procedure and peer teacher feedback was implemented to increase teacher use of BSP. Both teachers’ BSP use and children’s academic engagement increased post-implementation; similar effects were maintained in a follow-up session two months later.

Investigating special education teachers knowledge and skills: Preparing general teacher preparation for professional development

Including students with special needs in the general education classroom requires that teachers adapt their approaches to teaching to meet all students’ needs. However, general education teachers are not always fully aware how best to serve special populations. This study examines what skills and knowledge special education educators feel that general education teachers and teacher candidates need in order to work with students with special needs in the inclusive environment. The researchers interviewed twenty special educators to ascertain which skills and knowledge are most commonly cited as vital to successful general education teacher/student with special needs interactions. Findings suggest that teacher education and professional development programs can benefit by providing a continuum of learning opportunities in three important areas. General educators should: first, make and carry out informed decisions, based on proper assessments data; second, develop appropriate understanding and compassion for students with special needs and their situations and third, learn to foster effective communication in and out of the classroom with all parties involved in educating this specific group of students.

Stimulus presentation versus stimulus removal in the Good Behavior Game.

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is an effective intervention to reduce disruptive behavior. The GBG typically involves immediate stimulus presentation (e.g.., delivery of a token) following disruptions; however, experimenters have also removed tokens contingent upon disruptions. In the present study, we compared the effects of the GBG-stimulus presentation (P) and GBG-stimulus removal (R) on levels of disruptions in a 2nd-grade general education classroom. In addition, we measured student prompts, teacher praise and correctives, and student and teacher preference. The GBG-P and GBG-R versions of the game were similarly effective in reducing disruptions. However, the teacher chose to implement the GBG-R and the majority of students reported a preference for the GBG-R.

Increasing Inclusive Education Through a Learning Center Model: A California Approach

Learning center models offer students with disabilities learning experiences in general education classrooms, while retaining support and services from special education personnel. The learning center approach examines existing educational perspectives, practices and structures, surrounding access to general education for students with disabilities. This study used a document analysis, a qualitative data method, to examine how two California school districts developed a learning center model to transform special education programming from segregated special education classrooms and practices to placement and access to general education. The findings inform educational programming for students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment, to comply with the American federal mandate. Findings suggest that the deep structure of educational practices complicated the ease of a change in practices for both general and special educators. However, the community approach of the learning center model, where all teachers assume the educational responsibilities for all students, forced these educators to be flexible, reexamine structures and practices, and challenge the ethos of traditional schooling.

Enhancing Secondary Students’ Goal Attainment and Self-Determination in General Education Mathematics Classes Using the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction

Almost every state includes content standards that are closely related to skills associated with self-determination (e.g., decision making, planning, problem solving, goal setting and attainment). Additionally, research in both general and special education has demonstrated a close relationship between the promotion of self-determination and positive school (e.g., academic goal attainment) and post-school (e.g., employment) outcomes. Therefore, this study examines implementation of an evidence-based intervention to promote self-determination in inclusive, general education classrooms. This study utilized multilevel linear modeling to examine changes in student self-determination in secondary mathematics classes after a year of exposure to The Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI). Participants included were 81 students ranging from 10th to 12th grade learning in secondary mathematics classes (Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, and Advanced Placement Calculus). The findings demonstrated a small, positive effect on student self-determination and that goal attainment during the first semester predicted second semester goal attainment. Specifically, the inclusion of goal attainment as a predictor explained 10% of the variability in self-determination observed, corresponding to a small effect. Overall, students who attained at higher level of goal attainment had higher self-determination at the conclusion of the study and were expected to grow in their self-determination at a higher rate than those with lower levels of goal attainment. The results from this study suggest that implementing the SDLMI to support all students in secondary mathematics classes positively impacts student attainment of skills that impact self-determination and has the potential to impact mathematical learning in future research.

Mainstream teachers’ perceptions of individual differences among students in inclusive education settings of China

ABSTRACT This paper explores how mainstream teachers, in mainland China with experience of inclusive education, perceive individual differences (ID) among students in general education classrooms. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and employed purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews. It was found that the mainstream teachers tended to conceptualise ID among students in accordance with five categories: perceived student ability; perceived student behaviour and motivation; perceived students’ personal attributes; perceived family factors and observed learning outcomes. The mainstream teachers’ particular concerns in relation to catering for ID were also revealed and discussed.

Planning Supports for Students With Intellectual Disability in General Education Classrooms

Abstract For most students with intellectual disability (ID), education in the least restrictive environment has been determined to be separate special education classrooms. One means to promote greater participation in general education classrooms is for educators to identify and arrange individualized supports that students need to be successful. We conducted focus group interviews with 33 educators in 6 schools from 3 states to explore how they currently plan supports for their students, obtain their opinions on the usefulness of a systematic problem-solving process for supports planning, and gather their perspectives on resources, including the nature of technical assistance, that would be most helpful in planning individualized supports. Themes from the focus group interview transcripts were identified and recommendations for increasing educator competencies in planning and monitoring individualized supports for students with ID in general education classrooms are provided.

Why Aren’t Students With Severe Disabilities Being Placed in General Education Classrooms: Introduction to the Special Issue

Why Aren’t Students With Severe Disabilities Being Placed in General Education Classrooms: Introduction to the Special Issue

Tier I implementation supports for classroom management: A pilot investigation targeting teachers' praise.

Evidence-based classroom management practices have profound effects on student outcomes. Yet teachers commonly struggle to effectively implement these practices, imploring the provision of implementation supports within a multitiered framework for promoting teachers' practices. Few studies have examined the effects of Tier I implementation supports for classroom management, and none have examined universal implementation within naturalistic school contexts and used strategies that go beyond a "train and hope" approach. Employing a sample of urban, elementary, general education classrooms, this study offers a pilot evaluation of a Tier I implementation support package for promoting teachers' delivery of effective praise for students' behavior. Preliminary results suggest the implementation support package was linked with increases in teachers' behavior-specific praise, heightened praise-to-correction ratios, and increases in students' on-task behavior. Future directions of empirical and practical development are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Empowering Teachers with Low-Intensity Strategies: Supporting Students At-Risk for EBD with Instructional Choice during Reading

ABSTRACT Teachers may benefit from using classroom-delivered, low-intensity strategies to increase engagement of students at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders and academic failure in the general education classroom. This project focused on empowering teachers to be involved in every step of the research process: screening, planning, data collection, and intervention implementation. Six teachers utilized instructional choice to improve engagement during reading for one targeted student in their second- or third-grade class. Teachers implemented practices with high levels of treatment integrity and collected momentary time sampling data with high levels of reliability. Using a withdrawal design, we observed a clear functional relation between instructional choice and increases in student’s academic engagement for three students with improved outcomes for five. Both teachers and students rated intervention goals, procedures, and outcomes as acceptable. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

The Effects of a Multicomponent Self-Monitoring Intervention on the Rates of Pre-Service Teacher Behavior-Specific Praise in a Masked Single-Case Experimental Design

The effects of self-monitoring (SM) on teacher behavior are well documented, but previous research does not attempt to control for reactivity as a threat to internal validity. This study examined the effects of a multicomponent SM intervention on the use of a classroom management practice with participant masking to address this absence in the literature. Participating teachers selected between two practices (behavior-specific praise and opportunities to respond). A multiple baseline design across four pre-service teacher interns occurred in general education classroom settings. Participant masking to the purpose of the study precluded exposure to SM, performance feedback, and goal setting. Analyses included an independent visual analysis by three masked raters, an independent quality review for What Works Clearinghouse standards, a nonparametric statistical analysis based on data characteristics, and correspondence reporting between visual and statistical analyses. Overall results indicated an increase in the rate of classroom management practice use by the participants and good social validity across the three constructs. Student outcome data for on-task behavior were inconclusive. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed.

Using Qualitative Methodologies in Speech-Language Pathology: An Example From Serving Students With Hearing Loss

This article demonstrates the use of qualitative methodologies to provide a description of an intervention framework and goals for students with hearing loss in general education. Because of advances in technology, the majority of students with hearing loss are now educated in general education classrooms. Many of these students are not eligible for special education services although their hearing loss does compromise their functioning in many areas of daily life. This investigation employed two qualitative methods—the biographical narrative interpretive method and ethnography—to provide insight into the personal experiences of a speech-language pathologist with a hearing loss and the way her experiences influenced the nature, rationale for, and content of the intervention program she implemented for students with hearing loss in general education programs. The qualitative methods are described, examples of qualitative analyses are provided, and the components of the program for elementary school students are presented.

Analyzing the word-problem performance and strategies of students experiencing mathematics difficulty

The purpose of this study was to examine the word-problem performance and strategies utilized by 3rd-grade students experiencing mathematics difficulty (MD). We assessed the efficacy of a word-problem intervention and compared the word-problem performance of students with MD who received intervention (n = 51) to students with MD who received general education classroom word-problem instruction (n = 60). Intervention occurred for 16 weeks, 3 times per week, 30 min per session and focused on helping students understand the schemas of word problems. Results demonstrated that students with MD who received the word-problem intervention outperformed students with MD who received general education classroom word-problem instruction. We also analyzed the word-problem strategies of 30 randomly-selected students from the study to understand how students set up and solve word problems. Students who received intervention demonstrated more sophisticated word-problem strategies than students who only received general education classroom word-problem instruction. Findings suggest students with MD benefit from use of meta-cognitive strategies and explicit schema instruction to solve word problems.

İlköğretim Kaynaştırma Uygulamalarında Sınıf İçi Geçişleri Kolaylaştıran Stratejiler

Kaynaştırma uygulamalarının yürütüldüğü sınıflarda eğitim alan gelişimsel yetersizliği olan öğrenciler gün içinde birçok etkinlik, ders ve ortam arasında farklı geçişler yaşamaktadır. Tipik gelişen öğrenciler için bu geçişler çok az bir çaba ve destekle gerçekleşirken gelişimsel yetersizliği olan öğrenciler bu geçişleri yerine getirebilmek ve bu yönde beceri kazanabilmek için genellikle daha fazla desteğe ve rehberliğe gereksinim duymaktadırlar. Geçişlerde yaşanan zorluklar arttıkça uygun olmayan davranışlarda da artış gözlenmekte ve akademik öğrenmelere ayrılan süre boşa harcanmaktadır. Öğretmenlerin etkili öğrenmeyi sağlamak ve başarıyı arttırmak için akademik etkinlikleri planlamasının gerekliliği kadar sınıf içi geçişlerin planlanması ve bu geçişleri kolaylaştırmak için etkili geçiş stratejilerinin kullanılması da öğrenme ve başarı üzerinde etkilidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, kaynaştırma uygulamalarının yürütüldüğü ilkokul ve ortaokul sınıflarında sınıf içi geçişleri desteklemek amacıyla kullanılan geçiş stratejilerini tanıtmaktır. Bu kapsamda bu çalışma ilgili alanyazında etkililiği kanıtlanmış geçiş stratejilerini ele alarak ve gelişimsel yetersizliği olan öğrencilerin eğitim gördüğü genel eğitim sınıflarında görev yapan öğretmenler için kılavuzluk etmeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Including Students with Moderate Learning Difficulties in Mainstream Schools in the Context of Kuwait

Inclusive education has become a global trend in the provision of services for students with disabilities. While attitudes towards inclusion have been studied widely in some countries, little research in this area has been conducted in Kuwait. This study responds to this need by researching pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education. This study examined Kuwaiti pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards including students with Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) in general education classrooms. Questionnaires were distributed to 452 Kuwaiti pre-service male and female teachers at the College of Basic Education. Several factors, such as teachers’ knowledge, were found to be related to pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion. The results of the study indicated that, overall, Kuwaiti pre-service teachers hold positive attitudes towards inclusion.

Fine Motor Activities in Elementary School Children: A Replication Study.

The educational landscape is continually changing in response to legislation and the adoption of new standards, such as the Common Core. Currently, little is known about how these changes have influenced the school day. To examine the motor and technology requirements of kindergarten, second-, and fourth-grade general education classrooms. For 6 full school days, we made unobtrusive observations of and took notes that described classroom activities throughout the day. Data were coded by a committee, allocating each minute of the day into 1 of 10 activity categories. Kindergarten, second-, and fourth-grade classrooms. Three general education classrooms with approximately 20 students in each class. Students spent between 37.1% and 60.2% of the school day performing fine motor activities, with handwriting accounting for 3.4%-18.0% of the day. Time spent using technology was relatively sparse in kindergarten (4.8%) and second grade (3.1%) compared with fourth grade (14.3%). Transitions between activities (18.9%-23.4% of time spent) exceeded time spent handwriting. This article provides an updated estimate of motor demands throughout the school day. Estimates of fine motor activities were consistent with previous research, but the focus on handwriting appears to have substantially diminished. Within the context of their own school, occupational therapists may find transitions to be a good opportunity for providing services within the classroom. In addition, handwriting practice outside of school may be more necessary in the current educational climate than in previous years.

Placement of Students with Extensive Support Needs in California School Districts: The State of Inclusion and Exclusion

Access to general education settings for students with disabilities varies greatly among and within states across the United States and worldwide. The variability in placement and lack of access to general education for students with disabilities, particularly students with extensive support needs, are reasons to identify factors associated with placement and then address the role of current policy. Explored in this study were the placement of students with extensive support needs in 938 school districts across the State of California in the United States and therelationship between placement and economic and demographic factors. Results suggest alarmingly low access to general education classrooms for students with extensive support needs, significant variability in placement, and relationships between placement and factors, such as total enrollment, race, and expenditure.

Why Students with Severe Disabilities Are Not Being Placed in General Education Classrooms: Using the Frame of a Basic Change Model to Expand the Discussion

This article addresses particular aspects of the Agran et al. identified determinants related to inclusive educational practices for students with severe disabilities. More specifically, this article focuses on perceptions of competency in students with severe disabilities and the resulting placement decisions, as well as facilitating systemic change to build inclusive systems. The discussion focuses on how the determinant related to perceptions of competency and the four elements of systems change identified by Agran et al. play a part in the ongoing lack of inclusion for these students. This response uses the frame of a basic change model to further the discussion on the important question of why students with severe disabilities are not being placed in general education classrooms.

STRIVE to improve educational outcomes: supporting students with disabilities in the general education classroom

Increasingly, students with a variety of disabilities are being included in general education settings; however, many of these students have academic, behavioral, and social challenges that can interfere with their participation and performance. Teachers and school professionals supporting students with disabilities need effective and efficient strategies that can improve student outcomes. This paper describes a set of six domains of research-supported practices that can be implemented to support students. These practices are organized using the acronym STRIVE: Social supports, Teaching practices, Rewards and motivation, Independence, Visual supports, and Engagement. We include examples of how these practices can be used class-wide to support all students, and how they can be adapted to support specific students with disabilities. Practitioner-friendly applications and resources are included to support implementation within school settings.

“How Can a Student with Severe Disabilities Be in a Fifth-Grade Class When He Can’t Do Fifth-Grade Level Work?” Misapplying the Least Restrictive Environment

This article briefly responds to the following question: Why aren’t more students with severe disabilities being placed in general education classrooms? I offer five reasons why more students with severe disabilities are not included, because: (a) ableism persists, (b) schools continue to misapply the least restrictive environment provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in placement determinations, (c) too many team members have difficulty conceptualizing curricular inclusion, (d) some professionals pit placement against instruction as an “either/or” proposition, and (e) typical approaches to systems change leave behind students with severe disabilities. The article calls on the field to continue and speed the change process so that more students can benefit sooner from inclusive schooling.