Inside but still on the outside? Teachers’ experiences with the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs in general education

Abstract

The central issue of this article is teachers' experiences with the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in primary and lower secondary schools, both in terms of the teachers' own challenges and the situation of the pupils. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with general and special education teachers in four local schools in Norway. The results indicate a limited degree of cooperation and coordination between general and special education. This in turn means a lack of adequate adaptation and an academic standardisation of the general education, which reduces the potential to meet the needs of pupils with SEN.Teachers find that pupils with SEN have a greater tendency than other pupils to fall by the wayside and be left to their own devices when participating in general education. It particularly seems to affect pupils who are quiet and withdrawn. Teachers point out their challenging work situation with a large number of pupils to follow up, which can lead to them not having enough time for and not giving enough attention to those pupils who need additional support.

Teachers’ strategies for enhancing shy children's engagement in oral activities: necessary, but insufficient?

“…This emphasis on attending to the psychosocial needs of shy children with appropriate support is found in other studies (Bosacki, Rose-Krasnor, and Coplan 2014;Coplan et al 2011;Deng et al 2017;Thijs, Koomen, and Van der Leij 2006). The teachers in the present study aimed at creating inclusive classrooms and were acknowledging that inclusion can comprise several dimensions (Nilsen 2018) including responding to psychosocial dimensions of students' engagement. They also involved other students in creating conducive environments for their shy peers, placing psychosocial demands on these pupils.…”

“…In common with many other countries, Norway aims at offering inclusive learning environments for its school students. Inclusion through adapted education is a fundamental educational principle and enshrined in law (Ministry of Education and Research 1998;Nilsen, 2018). This principle applies to all students, as well as those with recognised special needs.…”

“…Adapting the educational environment to ensure that all students are included in the opportunities for learning can be challenging for teachers (Florian and Black-Hawkins 2011;Nind and Wearmouth 2006) and is particularly so when teachers are tailoring pedagogies for children with needs that require quite specific adaptations, whether on organisational, academic or social dimensions (Nilsen 2018). Teachers, however, can find that they are making these adaptations without specialist support.…”

Leading for School Inclusion and Prevention? How School Leadership Teams Support Shy Students and Their Teachers

“…The behaviors displayed can be quiet, withdrawn, anxious and inhibited (Mjelve et al, 2019). Although these behaviors are not necessarily problematic in themselves, Nilsen (2018) found that teachers experienced withdrawn and shy children to be struggling both socially and academically, an argument substantiated in international research (Hughes & Coplan, 2010;Hymel et al, 1990). The threshold for when shyness is problematic and when it is not, and for whom, have to be seen in interaction between the subjective experiences of the individual, and the demands of the context (Lund, 2016).…”

“…Importantly, childhood shyness may also lead to later difficulties, especially lower selfesteem, anxiety, loneliness, and fewer positive coping strategies (Findlay et al, 2009). However, teachers can find it challenging to adequately meet the needs of these students, both because they are more easily ignored, and because they might make themselves invisible (Nilsen, 2018).…”