Diverse Voices: Middle Years Students’ Insights into Life in Inclusive Classrooms

Abstract

Thirty-one middle school students (grades 4–7) were interviewed at length about their perspectives regarding academic and social inclusion of students with disabilities; the barriers they perceive to a compassionate, inclusive learning community; and what they believe helps overcome these barriers. In discussing the inclusion of students with disabilities, participants were eloquent in their empathy for the challenges students with disabilities faced, while also articulating barriers to their willingness to include students with disabilities in their academic life based on pressures of the current school system, such as grades and pace, and the stigma associated with the presence of an educational assistant.

On Deciding to Accelerate: High-Ability Students Identify Key Considerations

“…We use the term high-ability to refer to students who have the cognitive ability to reach the highest levels of academic achievement in school. In the context of acceleration, this term focuses on students’ academic potential (Dare & Nowicki, 2015) and deemphasizes definitions such as gifted or talented that rely on discrete categories of exceptionality (Katz, Porath, Bendu, & Epp, 2012). In addition, this term reminds us that students may benefit from acceleration in areas of individual strengths, even if they do not meet locally defined criteria for gifted identification (National Work Group on Acceleration, 2009).…”

Exploring the participation and agency of students with special education needs in a Macau‐Chinese secondary school

“…The narratives of the students in this study suggest that general education teachers seldom provided specific supports for the students according to their needs, relying instead on the special education team to do so. Although the students enjoyed the benefits of one‐on‐one support provided by the pull outs, where individual requests were promptly responded; academic inclusion requires that students are included in the social life of the classroom and have extensive opportunities to interact and work with their peers under the guidance of the general education teacher, not mainly through an adult‐child support and a parallel system of pull outs (Katz et al., 2012). The findings of this study agree with previous research (Prunty et al., 2012) where students with SEN appreciated teachers who understood their difficulties and proved their ability to provide clear explanations and promoted a safe and welcoming classroom environment to group work and practical activities being developed.…”

“…Research findings indicate that students with SEN face a larger risk of being victimised regarding their academic and social achievements, being teased, rejected, and bullied (Katz et al., 2012; Mamas et al., 2019, Wong, 2017). These findings are corroborated by the current study, whose participants revealed socio‐emotional distress from perceived rejection from peers.…”

Teachers’ Efforts and Barriers to Implementing Empirically-Based Practices in Addressing Disability Stigma

“…Social rejection is another great risk for individuals targeted by stigma (Bell et al, 2011;Bellanca & Pote, 2013;Chen & Schwartz, 2012;Corrigan & Penn, 1999;Dorsey et al, 2016;Katz et al, 2012;Ventieri et al, 2011;Wahl et al, 2011;Weisman et al, 2016). In some cases, the discriminatory behavior caused by the stigma of individuals with disabilities is then compounded by symptomatic social and emotional impairments, making social isolation an even larger risk (Bellanca & Pote, 2013;Dorsey et al, 2016).…”

“…Stigmatization is known to adversely affect individuals' academic and professional achievement (Bell et al, 2011;Chen & Schwartz, 2012;Corrigan & Penn, 1999;Corrigan & Shapiro, 2010;Dorsey et al, 2016;Katz et al, 2012;Mann & Himelein, 2008;Morrow, Hubbard, & Swift, 2014;O'Driscoll et al, 2012;Ventieri et al, 2011;Weisman et al, 2016).…”