Through the eyes of the beholder
de Leeuw, Renske
DOI:
10.33612/diss.113185162
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Publication date:
2020
Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database
Citation for published version (APA):
de Leeuw, R. (2020). Through the eyes of the beholder: unfolding social participation "from within" the
classroom. Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. https://doi.org/10.33612/diss.113185162
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General introduction
INTRODUCTION
1.1 A brief introduction to the history of inclusive education
6LQFHWKHUDWLĆFDWLRQRIWKH6DODPDQFD6WDWHPHQWWZHQW\ĆYH\HDUVDJRWKHLQWHUQDWLRQDO foundation was made to include all students at regular primary schools (UNESCO, 1994). This means that (regular) schools “should realise that all children learn together, wherever
SRVVLEOH UHJDUGOHVV RI DQ\ GLIĆFXOWLHV RU GLIIHUHQFHV WKH\ PD\ KDYH ,QFOXVLYH VFKRROV PXVW recognise and respond to the diverse needs of their students [……] and ensuring quality education to allë S 7KHLPSHWXVRIWKHPRYHWRZDUGVLQFOXVLYHHGXFDWLRQKDVEHHQMXVWLĆHGRQWKH JURXQGVRIWKHIROORZLQJWKUHHMXVWLĆFDWLRQV)LUVWWKHULJKWWRHGXFDWLRQKDVEHHQMXVWLĆHG by policies such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations General $VVHPEO\ DQGWKH:RUOG'HFODUDWLRQRQ(GXFDWLRQ)RU$OO 81(6&2 6HFRQG LWZDVH[SHFWHGWKDWLWZDVOHVVFRVWO\WRHVWDEOLVKDQGPDLQWDLQLQFOXVLYHVFKRROVWKDQ HVWDEOLVKLQJ PRUH VSHFLDOVFKRROV $LQVFRZ6OHH %HVW 7KLUGLQFOXVLYHVFKRROV could not only provide quality education to all students. These educational settings could realise a social change in which all students are part of society (Farrell, 2000; UNESCO, %HFDXVHVWXGHQWVZLWKVSHFLDOHGXFDWLRQDOQHHGV 6(1 ZRXOGEHQHĆWIURPWKH opportunities of the interactions and cooperation with typically developing peers in the SULPDU\FODVVURRP )LVKHU5RDFK )UH\ .RVWHU3LMOYDQ+RXWHQ 1DNNHQ 3LMO)URVWDG )OHP
7KHODWWHUMXVWLĆFDWLRQKLJKOLJKWVWKDWQRWRQO\WKHDFDGHPLFQHHGVRIVWXGHQWVVKRXOGEH met, but also their social needs and development should be adhered to. The importance of social inclusion has also been stated in the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional Protocol (UNCRPD, 2006). The need to belong to a group is a basic human need (Maslow, 1943; R. M. 5\DQ 'HFL 7KLVIHHOLQJRIEHORQJLQJKDVEHHQLQGLFDWHGDVWKHFRQFHSWXDOLVDWLRQ and practical precondition of inclusion (Slee, 2019). Yet, it has been repeatedly established WKDWWKHUHDOL]DWLRQRIVRFLDOLQFOXVLRQDQGWKHIHHOLQJRIEHORQJLQJIRUVWXGHQWVZLWKVRFLDO HPRWLRQDOSUREOHPVRUEHKDYLRXUDOGLIĆFXOWLHV 6(%' LQUHJXODUSULPDU\HGXFDWLRQVHWWLQJV UHPDLQVFKDOOHQJLQJIRUWHDFKHUV $YUDPLGLV$YJHUL 6WURJLORV 3LQWR%DLQHV %DNRSRXORX 6PHHWVGH%RHUYDQ/RRQ'LNNHUV5RVVHQ /HGRX[ ,QWKH UHJXODUSULPDU\FODVVURRPVWXGHQWVZLWK6(%'DUHDWULVNRIH[SHULHQFLQJGLIĆFXOWLHVZLWK their social participation in inclusive education systems (Adderley et al., 2015; Henke et DO 7KHFKDOOHQJHVUHJDUGLQJVRFLDOSDUWLFLSDWLRQFDQEHFRQWH[WXDOO\VSHFLĆFSHU HGXFDWLRQV\VWHP 'HOOè$QQD3HOOHJULQL ,DQHV *¸UDQVVRQ 1LOKROP \HW WKHLQVLJKWVJDLQHGLQWKLVGLVVHUWDWLRQUHODWLQJWRWKH'XWFKHGXFDWLRQDOFRQWH[WFDQEH applied and are of value on a global education level.
1.2 The Dutch education system and inclusive education
The Dutch education system has a long history of differentiated and segregated special education (Pijl, 2016), but also the Dutch educational system is changing towards a more inclusive one. Although the Netherlands is one of the countries that signed the Salamanca Statement, this was not the biggest impulse to change the Dutch education system. The foremost reason for the changes in the Dutch education system was aimed at decreasing the QXPEHURIVWXGHQWVEHLQJUHIHUUHGWRVHJUHJDWHGVSHFLDOVFKRROVDQGWKHDIĆOLDWHGĆQDQFLDO FRVWVRIWKLVVHJUHJDWHGVSHFLDOHGXFDWLRQV\VWHP /HGRX[ 7KHVHĆQDQFLDOFRVWV were related to how the education system was organised. Students would receive funding IRUH[WUDHGXFDWLRQDOVXSSRUWDWVFKRROEDVHGRQDIRUPDODVVHVVPHQW7KLVĆQDQFLDODQG educational support system has led to an increase in formal diagnosis to provide students ZLWK6(1WKHH[WUDHGXFDWLRQVXSSRUWWKH\UHTXLUHG *XEEHOV&RSSHQV GH:ROI Pijl, 2016). Schools that could provide the appropriate education to these students were not in the region where students lived. Special commuting facilities were organised and funded to arrange that students could go to the special school (Pijl, 2016).
In 1995, the act “Together to School Again” (in Dutch: :HHU 6DPHQ 1DDU 6FKRRO) was
implemented, to stimulate the inclusion of students with mild types of SEN to be integrated into regular education and change the educational funding system (Gubbels et al., 2018; Pijl, )ROORZLQJWKLVDFWWKHê&HQWHUVRI([SHUWLVH$FWë LQ'XWFK :HWRSGHH[SHUWLVHFHQWUD) ZDVLPSOHPHQWHGLQ:LWKWKLVDFWWKHLQFOXVLRQRIVWXGHQWVZLWKPRUHVHYHUHW\SHV of SEN, in regular education was stimulated (de Boer, 2012). Despite the intention of these educational acts stimulating inclusion in regular primary education, the referral of students WRVSHFLDOHGXFDWLRQVHWWLQJVNHSWRQJURZLQJ .RRSPDQ/HGRX[.DUVVHQ0HLMGHQ 3HWLW 3LMO $QH[SODQDWLRQIRUWKLVJURZWKFRXOGEHWKDWVFKRROVZHUHQRWobligated to include and educate students with SEN (Pijl, 2016). To overcome this issue, the act for ê%HĆWWLQJ(GXFDWLRQë LQ'XWFK 3DVVHQG2QGHUZLMV) was implemented in 2014 (Ministery of Education Culture and Science, 2014). Now a collaborative network of primary schools share the responsibility and obligation to provide qualitative and equitable education within WKHUHJLRQRIVWXGHQWVZLWKPLOGDQGVHYHUHW\SHVRI6(1 (3,& 81(6&2 :LWK this new act, students with SEN should be included in regular schools when possible and UHFHLYHH[WUDHGXFDWLRQDOVXSSRUWLQRUGHUWRDGKHUHWRWKHLU VSHFLDO HGXFDWLRQDOQHHGV (Ministery of Education Culture and Science, 2014). Students should only be referred to (segregated) special schools when this is in the best interest of their development (Smeets et al., 2017).
:LWKWKHUHFHQWHGXFDWLRQDOFKDQJHVLQWKH1HWKHUODQGVWKH'XWFKHGXFDWLRQV\VWHPLV making a move towards a (more) inclusive education system. The Dutch education system cannot be labelled as an inclusive education system because the Dutch education system contains multiple types of education systems. Also known as a multitrack education system (both regular and special education). By maintaining special segregated schools in the education system, the description of inclusive education does not apply (UNCRPD, 2016; see for details p.4). In this dissertation, the term regular education will be used when referring to regular classrooms in which at least one student with SEN is included. Thereby UHćHFWLQJWKH'XWFKHGXFDWLRQDOFRQWH[W
6WXGHQWVZLWKVRFLDOHPRWLRQDOSUREOHPVRUEHKDYLRXUDOGLIĆFXOWLHV
7KHVWXGHQWSRSXODWLRQZLWKç6(%'èLVGLIĆFXOWWRGHĆQHVLQFHWKHUHLVQRĆ[HGGHĆQLWLRQRI WKLVWHUP(YHQEHWZHHQ UHVHDUFK ĆHOGVVXFKDVPHGLFDODQGHGXFDWLRQ &RRSHU.DNRV -DFREV DQGEHWZHHQFRXQWULHVGHĆQLWLRQVYDU\ YDQGHU:RUSYDQGHU.DPS3LMO %LMVWUD YDQGHQ%RVFK 7KHWHUPLVIUHTXHQWO\XVHGDVDQXPEUHOODWHUPZLWKWZR PDLQGLPHQVLRQV LQWHUQDOLVLQJDQGH[WHUQDOLVLQJEHKDYLRXUDOGLIĆFXOWLHV &RRSHUHWDO *UHVKDP&RRN&UHZV .HUQ .DXIIPDQ /DQGUXP 6WXGHQWVZLWK 6(%'FDQSRUWUD\DZLGHUDQJHRIERWKLQWHUQDOLVLQJ HJVRFLDOZLWKGUDZDODQ[LHW\DQG GHSUHVVLRQ DQGH[WHUQDOLVLQJ HJQRQFRPSOLDQFHDJJUHVVLRQDQGLPSXOVLYHEHKDYLRXUV EHKDYLRXUSUREOHPV .DXIIPDQ /DQGUXP /DQGUXP $W\SLFDOFKDUDFWHULVWLF of students with SEBD is that they have problems in social functioning, such as starting DQGPDLQWDLQLQJUHODWLRQVKLSV %DXPLQJHU .DVDUL DQGGLVSOD\QRQDJHDGHTXDWH VRFLDOVNLOOV )URVWDG 3LMO /DZV%DWHV)HXHUVWHLQ0DVRQ$SSV :KLWH 7KHVHSUREOHPVDQGGLIĆFXOWLHVLQćXHQFHWKHLUIXQFWLRQLQJLQWKHHGXFDWLRQDOFRQWH[WDQG FRXOGWKHUHIRUHQHJDWLYHO\LQćXHQFHWKHLURSSRUWXQLWLHVIRUSRVLWLYHVRFLDOSDUWLFLSDWLRQ (Avramidis, 2010). The broad description of SEBD implies that students with SEBD are a KHWHURJHQHRXVSRSXODWLRQRIVWXGHQWVZLWKDYDULDWLRQ LQWKHVHYHULW\ RIGLIĆFXOWLHVDQG SUREOHPV &DQQRQ*UHJRU\ :DWHUVWRQH &RRSHUHWDOIn educational research the term SEBD is commonly used to refer to students “who have mental health problems that disrupt the effective regulation of their social interactions, EHKDYLRXUDQGRUHPRWLRQDOIXQFWLRQLQJWKDWLQWHUIHUHVZLWKWKHVWXGHQWVèRZQGHYHORSPHQW DQGRUOLYHVRIRWKHUVë &DQQRQHWDO &RRSHU &HIDL .DXIIPDQ /DQGUXP 2013). This definition places students and their emotional, affective problems and EHKDYLRXUDOGLIĆFXOWLHVLQWKHVRFLDOFRQWH[WZLWKRXWWKHQHHGIRUDIRUPDODVVHVVPHQW
In this dissertation, the term SEBD is used to refer to individual students who portray a wide range of challenges in their social-emotional development and behaviour, which DUHLGHQWLĆHGE\WKHLUWHDFKHUVRUDVVHVVHGWKURXJKIRUPDODVVHVVPHQWV 0LQLVWHU\RI (GXFDWLRQ&XOWXUHDQG6FLHQFH ([DPSOHVRIIUHTXHQWO\XVHGFDWHJRULHVRUODEHOVRI social-emotional development and behaviour challenges are hyperactivity, aggressiveness, SHUIRUPDQFHDQ[LHW\DQGH[WUHPHVK\QHVV3OHDVHQRWHWKDWLQWKHFXUUHQW'XWFKHGXFDWLRQ system a student can be indicated as having social-emotional problems and behavioural GLIĆFXOWLHV LQFOXGLQJDIIHFWLYHGLIĆFXOWLHV ZKHQWKH\UHFHLYHH[WUDHGXFDWLRQDOVXSSRUW DWVFKRROVSHFLĆFDOO\IRUWKHLUVRFLDOHPRWLRQDORUEHKDYLRXUDOGLIĆFXOWLHVZLWKRXWDIRUPDO assessment (Zweers, 2018).
1.4 Social participation
The consequences and importance of positive social participation have been well GRFXPHQWHG HJ%XNRZVNL0RW]RL 0H\HU /DGG(WWHNDO .RFKHQGHUIHU/DGG 5XELQ%XNRZVNL /DXUVHQ 6RFLDOSDUWLFLSDWLRQLVDQLPSRUWDQWDVSHFWRI LQFOXVLYHHGXFDWLRQ$FFRUGLQJWRPXOWLSOHUHVHDUFKHUV HJ%RWWUHOO *RRGZLQ Farrell, 2000; Slee, 2019), an inclusive school is realised when all students actively participate in school activities and are valued as members of the school community. 7KHIROORZLQJIRXUDVSHFWVFKDUDFWHUL]HDSRVLWLYHVRFLDOSDUWLFLSDWLRQ VWXGHQWVKDYH reciprocal friendships, 2) positive contact and interactions, 3) accepted by their peers, and 4) having an accurate self-perception of their social participation in the classroom (Bossaert, &ROSLQ3LMO 3HWU\ .RVWHU1DNNHQ3LMO YDQ+RXWHQ 7KHVHDVSHFWVDUH LQVXIĆFLHQWO\SUHVHQWZKHQWKHVRFLDOSDUWLFLSDWLRQRIDVWXGHQWLVORZRUQHJDWLYH6WXGHQWV ZKRH[SHULHQFHSUREOHPVZLWK RQHRIWKHDVSHFWVRI WKHLUVRFLDOSDUWLFLSDWLRQDUHDWULVNIRU negative academic outcomes, such as early school dropout, and negative social-emotional outcomes, such as depression and other mental health issues (e.g. Bierman, 2004; Rubin HWDO ,QDGGLWLRQWKHVHVWXGHQWVDUHDWULVNRIJHWWLQJLQWRFULPLQDOLW\ .DXIIPDQ /DQGUXP 7KRPSVRQ 0RUULV 'XHWRWKHVKRUWDQGORQJWHUPFRQVHTXHQFHV of low or negative social participation, it is important to aim to facilitate social participation in primary schools effectively.
Most studies regarding the topic of social participation and inclusive education, in regular primary settings, consists out of research conducted on the classroom and the classroom actors, instead of with the classroom actors (teacher and students). Because of this, little is known about how social participation “from within” the regular classroom is approached and, above and beyond, how these approaches are perceived and preferred by the classroom actors themselves.
The aim of this dissertation is, therefore, to unfold the perspectives “from within” the regular primary classroom. In this dissertation, the studies are focussed on how the social participation of students with SEBD is facilitated and how teachers and students perceive different approaches. Therefore, the following three perspectives will be unfolded: the perspective of regular primary teachers, the perspective of students with SEBD and a literature perspective. By taking these diverse perspectives together, this dissertation will come to an overview of empirically-based approaches that adhere to the needs of the teacher and students. This overview is meant to support regular primary teachers in facilitating the social participation of students with SEBD in the regular primary classroom with a (student-oriented) needs-based approach.
1.5 Teachers’ perspectives and strategies to promote social participation
Teachers are acknowledged to have a key role in the facilitation of social participation in WKHLUFODVVURRP $YUDPLGLV 1RUZLFK GH%RHU3LMO 0LQQDHUW 0RQVHQ )UHGHULFNVRQ :LWKWKHLQWHUQDWLRQDODQGQDWLRQDOHGXFDWLRQDOSROLF\FKDQJHVWKH classroom setting has changed due to the large diversity of the student population. Teachers KDYHLQGLFDWHGWKDWWHDFKLQJDQLQFOXVLYHFODVVURRPLVGLIĆFXOW $OJHPHQH2QGHUZLMVERQG *RHL .OHLMQHQ 6PHHWVHWDO 6ZDLQ1RUGQHVV /HDGHU-DQVVHQ The most heard challenges of teaching an inclusive classroom are that teachers lack time, additional classroom support, hands-on strategies, and knowledge to provide adequate support to students who require additional educational support, such as students with 6(%' $OJHPHQH2QGHUZLMVERQG *RHL .OHLMQHQ
7KHVFLHQWLĆFOLWHUDWXUHSURYLGHVDVXEVWDQWLDOERG\RI HGXFDWLRQDO UHVHDUFKGHVLJQLQJ evaluating and recommending interventions and strategies to support teachers teaching DQ LQFOXVLYH FODVVURRP HJ %HOOLQL 3HWHUV %HQQHU +RSI 'XUODN :HLVVEHUJ '\PQLFNL7D\ORU 6FKHOOLQJHU 7KRPSVRQ 0RUULV $ćDZLQERWKLQFOXVLYH education literature and research is that these mostly focus on controlling the disruptive DQGFKDOOHQJLQJEHKDYLRXURIVWXGHQWVZLWK6(%' %URSK\ %URSK\ 0F&DVOLQ &RRSHU 'XUODN:HLVVEHUJ 3DFKDQ WKHUHE\QRWSURYLGLQJLQWHUYHQWLRQV and hands-on strategies for teachers to facilitate social participation. New interventions DUHQRWQHHGHGWRDGGUHVVWKHFKDOOHQJHVWKDWWHDFKHUVH[SHULHQFHEXWWRDVVHVVZKDW is being done by teachers to facilitate the social participation of students with SEBD. However, little is known about what teachers do in the regular classroom to facilitate the social participation of students with SEBD. Additionally, there are no insights regarding the (perceived) effectivity of these teacher strategies, as perceived by teachers.
9RLFHVRIVWXGHQWZKRH[SHULHQFHGLIĆFXOWLHVLQVRFLDOSDUWLFLSDWLRQ
Another important perspective from within the classroom is the perspective of the student $LQVFRZ 0HVVLRX 0HVVLRX 3HDUVRQ 'HVSLWHDQLQFUHDVHLQWKH acknowledgement of students’ voices and participation, educational reforms are still mainly conducted on students, rather than withVWXGHQWV *LOOHWW6ZDQ 6DUJHDQW The importance and need to include students in the development of education has been XQGHUOLQHGLQPXOWLSOHSROLFLHVDQGFRQYHQWLRQVRYHUWKHSDVW\HDUV([DPSOHVDUH$UWLFOH of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNICEF, 1989), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional Protocol (UNCRPD, 2006) and, more recently, the Incheon Declaration: Education 2030 (UNESCO, 2015). Although unfolding students’ perspective has gained increased attention, studies addressing social SDUWLFLSDWLRQIUHTXHQWO\XVHGVHOIUHSRUWTXHVWLRQQDLUHV HJ%DXPLQJHU .DVDUL 6WXGLHVLQFOXGLQJWKHSHUVSHFWLYHVRIVWXGHQWVZLWK6(%'FRQWLQXHWREHUDUH &HIDL &RRSHU 0LFKDHO )UHGHULFNVRQ 7KLVLVQRWLQOLQHZLWKWKHDERYHPHQWLRQHG declarations, which underline that it is not a question whether students should participate and should be included in educational research and developments, but rather how this can be accomplished and that it is necessary to follow up on gained insights based on the perspectives of students.
To our best knowledge, students with SEBD have not been given the opportunity to share their perceptions regarding the facilitation of social participation within the inclusive FODVVURRPVRIDU.QRZOHGJHDERXWVWXGHQWVèSHUVSHFWLYHLVWKHUHIRUHODFNLQJ/LVWHQLQJWR WKHH[SHULHQFHVRIVWXGHQWVZLOOSURYLGHUHVHDUFKRXWSXWWKDWPHHWVWKHQHHGVRIVWXGHQWV EHFDXVHLWLVPHDQLQJIXOIRUWKHP 6DUJHDQW 6DUJHDQW *LOOHWW6ZDQ 7KLVLV also in line with youth (student) participation and voice inclusive practices (Rap, Verkroost, %UXQLQJ 6DUJHDQW 6DUJHDQW *LOOHWW6ZDQ :LWKWKLVGLVVHUWDWLRQZH aim to bridge this gap in knowledge by actively including students with SEBD in the studies and listen to their voices.
1.7 Literature perspective to facilitate social participation within the
classroom
The perspectives mentioned above provide the opportunity to unfold how social participation is approached “from within” the regular primary classroom, using a bottom-XSDSSURDFK1HYHUWKHOHVVLQIRUPDWLRQIURPH[LVWLQJOLWHUDWXUHDERXWLQWHUYHQWLRQVWXGLHV that addressed social participation, should not be discarded. Based on these intervention studies, the following question could be answered: which approaches, and intervention components are effective to facilitate social participation in the inclusive classroom? Review studies have indicated that the answer to this question is rather weak (Durlak et al., 2011; *DUURWH6HUPLHU'HVVHPRQWHW 0RVHU2SLW] 4XLQQ.DYDOH0DWKXU5XWKHUIRUG )RUQHVV 0DQLIROGUHDVRQVKDYHEHHQRIIHUHGWRH[SODLQWKHVH GLVDSSRLQWLQJ results, such as the use of different populations (Maag, 2006); different measurements XVHGWRDVVHVVFKDQJHVDQGHIIHFWLYHQHVV LELG DSSO\LQJDRQHVL]HĆWVDOODSSURDFKE\ LPSOHPHQWLQJDVWDQGDUGL]HGLQWHUYHQWLRQ *UHVKDP *UHVKDP (OOLRWW RU WKDWWHDFKHUVDGDSWHGWKHLQWHUYHQWLRQLQRUGHUWRĆWWKHFRQWH[WXDOYDULDEOHVVXFKDV VWXGHQWWHDFKHUDQGFODVVURRPFKDUDFWHULVWLFV 6XWKHUODQG0F/HRG&RQUR\ &R[ :KLOHDOOWKHVHH[SODQDWLRQVDUHSXWIRUZDUGDVYDOLGLWLVXQNQRZQLIDQGKRZLQWHUYHQWLRQ components are effective to facilitate the social participation of students with SEBD, when implemented by the regular primary teacher. It is known that teachers make adaptations during the implementation of interventions because they need to adapt the intervention WRĆWWKHFODVVURRPFRQWH[W 6XWKHUODQGHWDO 7KHVHDGDSWDWLRQVZLOOLQćXHQFHWKH RXWFRPHRIWKHLQWHUYHQWLRQ )OD\HWDO 0RLU 6PRONRZVNL6WU\FNHU 6HHOH\ 2013) because teachers do not adhere to the LPSOHPHQWDWLRQĆGHOLW\ of an intervention.
7KH FRQFHSW RI LPSOHPHQWDWLRQ ĆGHOLW\ UHIHUV WR WKH GHJUHH WR KRZ DQ LQWHUYHQWLRQ LV implemented and if this is conducted as to how the designers of the intervention intended 'KLOORQ'DUURZ 0H\HUV 'XUODN 'X3UH 0F.HQQD)ORZHU $GDPVRQ 2016; O’Donnell, 2008). This type of information from the literature, about the intervention LPSOHPHQWDWLRQĆGHOLW\ZLOOSURYLGHWHDFKHUVZLWKLPSRUWDQWGHWDLOVWRHIIHFWLYHO\WDLORU WKHLU DSSURDFKHV WR PHHW WKH VRFLDO SDUWLFLSDWLRQ QHHGV RI VWXGHQWV )XFKV )XFKV &RPSWRQ 0DDJ 3DUWRILPSOHPHQWDWLRQĆGHOLW\LVWRLQFOXGHWKHSHUVSHFWLYHV RIERWKWKHLPSOHPHQWDWLRQDJHQW WHDFKHU DQGLQWHUYHQWLRQEHQHĆFHQW VWXGHQWV 0F.HQQD et al., 2016).
1.8 Objectives and outline of the dissertation
As set out above, there is a lack of insights into how social participation “from within” the regular classroom is facilitated, how these different approaches are perceived by teachers and students and how effective these approaches are. These insights, “from within” the classroom, are needed to increase the social participation of students with SEBD. Notwithstanding, an overview of approaches “from within” the classroom will contribute to the request by teachers for hands-on strategies to facilitate social participation.
The objective of this dissertation is, therefore to gain more insights regarding how the social participation of students with SEBD is (effectively) facilitated and how teachers and students perceive different approaches. In pursuance to acquire these insights “from within” the classroom, a bottom-up approach is applied to bridge theory to practice and to enhance the social participation of students with SEBD by unfolding three perspectives: 1) teacher perspective, 2) student perspective and 3) literature perspective. This dissertation consists RIVHYHUDOVWXGLHVLQZKLFKWKHVHSHUVSHFWLYHVDUHH[SORUHGDQGLVRUJDQLVHGDVIROORZV
The dissertation starts with a focus on teachers’ perspectives on the social participation of students with SEBD (Chapters 2 and 3). Using a qualitative focus group study (Chapter 2) the aim was to identify which strategies are suggested by regular primary teachers to facilitate the social participation of students with SEBD in the regular classroom and to investigate whether different strategies were suggested for students with internalising DQGH[WHUQDOLVLQJEHKDYLRXUDOGLIĆFXOWLHV%DVHGRQWKHDQDO\VLVRIWKHIRFXVJURXSVWXG\ a conceptual model of teacher’s strategies for promoting social participation (TS-SP) was constructed. This model consists of 44 teacher strategies and is used to develop and evaluate an instrument to measure the perceived teacher effectiveness. The development and evaluation of the instrument and the assessment which strategies are applied by regular primary teachers are presented in Chapter 3 via two interlinked quantitative studies.
The perspective of students with SEBD on their social participation in the classroom has EHHQH[SORUHGLQ&KDSWHUVDQG%RWKFKDSWHUVSUHVHQWDTXDOLWDWLYHVWXG\,QChapter 4, students from grade 5 and 6 (age range 10 – 13 years), with SEBD, were interviewed to share WKHLUSHUVSHFWLYHVDERXW WKHLUH[SHULHQFHVZLWKYLFWLPLVDWLRQDQGVRFLDOH[FOXVLRQLQWKH regular classroom and 2) the approaches they applied and preferred resolving these social problems. The students participating in this study either attended regular primary education or segregated special primary education. In Chapter 5WKHĆQGLQJVRIDQH[SORUDWLYHVWXG\ are presented. In this study, perspectives and needs of students from grade 1 and 2 (age range 6 – 8 years) with or at-risk of SEBD, were unfolded via interactive interviews.
,Q RUGHU WR H[SORUH WKHLU SHUVSHFWLYHV DQG QHHGV WKH VWXGHQWV VRUWHG VWDWHPHQWV RXWOLQLQJ DSSURDFKHV IRU UHVROYLQJ VRFLDO H[FOXVLRQ DQG YLFWLPLVDWLRQ VLWXDWLRQV 7KHVH statements were deduced from the students’ perspective study in Chapter 4.
7KHĆQDOSHUVSHFWLYHDSHUVSHFWLYHIURPWKHOLWHUDWXUHLVWDNHQLQWKHODVWFKDSWHU Chapter 6). In this chapter, a systematic literature review is reported of intervention studies that have been implemented by regular primary teachers and includes details regarding WKH LPSOHPHQWDWLRQ ĆGHOLW\ RI WKH LQWHUYHQWLRQV :LWK WKH FULWHULRQ WKDW WHDFKHUV KDG implemented the intervention, the literature perspective stems “from within” the classroom.
This dissertation ends with a general discussion (Chapter 7) in which the results of the studies representing the three different perspectives, are integrated and discussed. In DGGLWLRQUHćHFWLRQVVWUHQJWKVDQGOLPLWDWLRQVRIWKHGLVVHUWDWLRQVWXGLHVDUHGLVFXVVHG The general discussion ends with implications and recommendations for future research and educational practice.
