Typically Developing Preschoolers’ Behavior Toward Peers With Disabilities in Inclusive Classroom Contexts

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate typically developing preschoolers’ behavior toward peers with disabilities in inclusive classrooms, focusing on the co-occurrence of the interactions between children with and without disabilities with various classroom contexts. Behaviors of 22 typically developing preschoolers were observed and coded on two different days in both indoor and outdoor classrooms during free play, small group activities, transitions, and meals/snack. Typically developing children interacted with peers with disabilities for a small amount of time; the interactions were significantly more likely in the outdoor classroom, in either child- or teacher-directed activities, and in play activities. There was a lack of adults’ intentional scaffolding for social interactions between children with and without disabilities even when they were near the children. Activity contexts contribute to children’s social behavior, and teachers need more support and training with inclusive and collaborative practices.

Factors Affecting the Perception of Disability: A Developmental Perspective

“…Furthermore, typically developing children may socially exclude peers with disabilities due to the nature of activities in which they participate. More social exclusion of children with disabilities is observed indoors rather than outdoors ( Hong et al, 2020 ); outdoors likely provides more space to allow multiple playmates and encourage social interactions ( Verhaegh et al, 2006 ). Children were also more exclusive of peers with disabilities during academic activities rather than play; play activities may provide more opportunities for children to engage in collaborative games ( Hong et al, 2020 ).…”

“…More social exclusion of children with disabilities is observed indoors rather than outdoors ( Hong et al, 2020 ); outdoors likely provides more space to allow multiple playmates and encourage social interactions ( Verhaegh et al, 2006 ). Children were also more exclusive of peers with disabilities during academic activities rather than play; play activities may provide more opportunities for children to engage in collaborative games ( Hong et al, 2020 ). However, play activities requiring mobility resulted in more social exclusion of children with disabilities ( Diamond and Tu, 2009 ; Diamond and Hong, 2010 ).…”

Pursuing Justice-Driven Inclusive Education Research: Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) in Early Childhood

“…When children’s perspectives have been included in ECE/ECSE research, studies tend to focus on the perspectives of (primarily white) en/abled children. For example, ample peer acceptance research examines the attitudes and behaviors of en/abled children toward children with dis/abilities (e.g., Hong et al, 2020; Yu et al, 2015). While such research typically collects sociometric or observational data from both en/abled children and children with dis/abilities, research questions and discussion often center around en/abled children’s play behaviors toward children with dis/abilities and how children with dis/abilities compare to en/abled children in peer ratings.…”

The Impact of Evidence-Based Dialogic Training of Special Education Teachers on the Creation of More Inclusive and Interactive Learning Environments

“…From the focus on responding individually to the needs of students with special needs—which often implies withdrawing them from the general classroom, thus limiting their opportunities for social interaction with their typically developing peers—recent conceptions of the role of specialist teachers are evolving toward more inclusive approaches, aimed at promoting opportunities for collaborative work and social participation among diverse peers within the general classroom (Rose and Shevlin, 2020 ). Consequently, if the goal is to transform classrooms into interactive environments that offer the maximum opportunities for learning and development for all students, it is necessary to better prepare and support teachers to offer adequate scaffolding to students, so that high-quality interactions among diverse students can take place (Hong et al, 2020 ). In fact, the pedagogical competence of professionals working in the field of Special Education has been highlighted as a determining factor in promoting interaction between peers to improve the communicative and social skills of children (Syrjämäki et al, 2017 ).…”