 Development funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs |
NEWS BRIEF
Put on Your Listening Ears:
Students Speak Out on Inclusion
A synthesis of 20 studies indicates that students with disabilities
in inclusive classrooms want the same activities, books, homework, grading
criteria and grouping as their peers without disabilities. Students
without disabilities agreed, citing fairness as their main reason. One
very significant finding indicated that most general education students
do not see instructional accommodations for students with learning disabilities
as problematic. These findings dispute the notions teachers sometimes
have regarding students' perceptions of accommodations as being "unfair."
This recent analysis funded by the U.S. Office of Special Educational
Programs and conducted by researchers at the University of Miami and
the University of Texas, Austin, included 4,659 students' grades K-12.
Of the 4,659 students in the 20 studies surveyed, 760 were identified
as have learning disabilities.
Qualitative interviews and surveys were the primary sources of data.
An analytic method requiring sensitivity analysis was applied for summarizing
findings. Seven categories of findings were generated in a cross-study
analysis: Grading Practices, Homework, Assignment Routines, Helping
Practices, Instructional Practices, Grouping Arrangements and Adaptations.
All students agreed that good instructional practices include:
- Recognition of learning styles and rates
- Slowing down instructional pace when indicated
- Clear explanations of concepts and assignments
- Instruction in learning strategies
- Use of multiple strategies for teaching
Overall, students preferred an active learning style, mixed grouping,
opportunities for peer tutoring, consistency, and equality.
For more information about this study, see "Students' Perceptions
of Instruction in Inclusion Classrooms: Implications for Students with
Learning Disabilities" by Janette K. Klingner, University of Miami,
Sharon Vaughn, University of Texas, Austin Exceptional Children,
v. 66, n. 1, Fall 1999.
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