Luận văn Investigating how general education middle school teachers support the social inclusion of students with special needs

INVESTIGATING HOW GENERAL EDUCATION MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS SUPPORT THE SOCIAL INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS by Rebecca Lee Canges A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF EDUCATION August 2010 Copyright 2010 Rebecca Lee Canges UMI Number: 3418003 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 3418003 Copyright 2010 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 i DEDICATION I am under no illusion that I could have accomplished this without the unwavering support of my family and I dedicate this to them. To Thien, I cannot fully express the depth of my appreciation for your support during this process. Not to mention all of the other "projects" I've taken on within the years that you have known me. You have made many sacrifices...and I appreciate every one of them. Can you believe it? No more school! To Cooper, you have served as my inspiration from the beginning. Your laughter kept me going when I felt overwhelmed...and watching you grow has inspired me to be a better person, a better teacher, and the best mother I can be. You are everything I ever hoped for and more. To my mom, your faith in me is truly amazing. Thank you for providing me with a lifetime of encouragement and strength so that I could accomplish this goal. My success is truly a reflection of the principles you instilled in me. Finally, to my dad. You are always on my mind. When I began this journey it never occurred to me that you would not be here to celebrate its completion. However, I know that you are watching and would, if you could, tell everyone about your daughter...the doctor. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee; Dr. Margo Pensavalle, Dr. Kim Hirabayashi, and Dr. Shireen Pavri, for their guidance and support throughout this process. It was truly a journey...a journey that led me back to what inspired me to become a teacher in the first place; helping kids feel accepted. I would also like to thank the teachers, students, and school that participated in this study. Your openness and acceptance of me was truly appreciated. I would like to acknowledge my family at California State University, Long Beach. From the beginning (literally) you were all there for me. Your ongoing support and guidance helped me realize that I could achieve great things. Thank you for always understanding...always listening...and always providing me with the encouragement I needed throughout this process. Thank you to my family and friends who have stuck with me during these three years. It fills my heart to know that I have such caring, supportive and loving people surrounding me. Finally, to the educators that shared this three year journey with me. Thank you for the laughs and words of encouragement along the way. I am proud to call you my friends...and look forward to calling you doctor! iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ..................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. ii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iv CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW ...........................................................................................1 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................14 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .....................................................15 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................51 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS ..........................................................................................66 FIGURE 1 ……………………………………………………………………….69 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................101 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................124 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................136 Appendix A: Social Support Interview: Teacher ....................................................136 Appendix B: Social Support Interview: Student .....................................................137 Appendix C: Observation Field Notes Template................................................... 138 iv ABSTRACT Because of the focus on inclusion in public schools today, the interest regarding how to effectively support students with special needs in the general education environment, both academically and socially has been ignited. While we have witnessed an increase in the academic success of students included in general education classrooms, we have not yet successfully identified specific strategies a teacher can use to meet the social needs of students with special needs included in their classroom. Because of this, the research question used to guide this study asked how general education teachers promote the social inclusion of students with special needs in their classroom so that effective strategies may be established for other teachers to implement. Through a combination of teacher interviews, interviews with students with special needs, and classroom observations, the findings of this study offers insight into the strategies general education teachers identify as important to promote the social acceptance of students with special needs included in their classrooms. Collectively, the general education teachers that participated in this study reported that the following strategies were essential to increasing the social acceptance of students with special needs in their classrooms (1) Arranging the Environment, (2) Establishing a Tone of Respect in the Classroom, (3) Providing Instructional Support, (4) Providing Peer Support, and (5) Providing Direct Instruction for Social Support. However, classroom observations and results from student interviews revealed significant discrepancies between the teacher's knowledge of the strategies and their practice. 1 CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW Securing acceptance in society can be a major obstacle for individuals with special needs. Before the passage of Public Law 94-142, commonly known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975, students with special needs were educated in learning environments that were segregated from their non-disabled peers, often receiving a sub-par education within institutions and specialized schools. In some cases, parents were forced to pay for private schools because public schools did not provide appropriate educational settings for their children (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2010). Schools are, possibly, the most important venue for social opportunities for children and youth. Yet, through their use of labeling and segregation, schools unintentionally foster the development of negative attitudes towards students with special needs. More often than not, individuals with special needs are viewed as different and treated as somehow less than others making it increasingly difficult for them to be socially accepted and viewed as equal members of the school community (Swaim & Morgan, 2001). Perhaps one of the greatest challenges faced by individuals with special needs lies in the barriers created as a result of society’s adverse attitudes and persistent prejudice toward them. Many sociologists agree that society plays a role in the development and maintenance of prejudicial attitudes (Johnson, 2006). Generally each society maintains its impermissible and permissible prejudices. Impermissible prejudices are those most people recognize as such. However, permissible prejudices are those that may be inherent and not recognized as prejudice. Instead, the prejudicial views are seen as truths based on 2 historical and cultural views (Johnson, 2006). According to Shapiro (1999), negative attitudes about individuals with special needs are learned early in life through cultural influences such as family, school, the media, and literature. For example, many children are introduced to stereotypical images that portray people with special needs as those to be ridiculed, feared, or dismissed when watching movies or reading classic fairy tales. Examples of this can be seen in the Disney animated version of Victor Hugo’s (1831) The Hunchback of Notre Dame where the title character is berated and ridiculed by the townspeople who hail him as “the ugliest face in Paris”. Laughter fills this scene as the Hunchback is mocked for his appearance and crowned the “King of Fools” teaching children that those who look different from the mainstream public are different and should be treated as such. Views such as these can also be seen in other childhood tales such as Beauty and the Beast, The Frog Prince and The Ugly Duckling. The consequences of such beliefs result in segregation and avoidance of individuals with special needs and because there is no real pressure from society to think any differently, the negative attitudes become permissible prejudice. Though societal barriers persist, structural changes within schools have provided individuals with special needs an avenue toward equality and acceptance. While many school districts continue to segregate children with disabilities by placing them in special education classrooms separate from their typically developing peers, mandates like IDEA remind us that “the education of students with disabilities can be made more effective by having high expectations for such children and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum to the maximum extent possible” (IDEA-2007, Sec. 601 (c) (5) 3 (A)).As a result of legal mandates to protect the rights of individuals with special needs, the move toward full-inclusion and educating students with special needs in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) has become more prevalent. Full inclusion refers to providing education for students with special needs, regardless of the severity or type of disability, in the general education classroom for the entire school day (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2010). Advocates of inclusion maintain that all students have the right to be educated along-side typical peers, and believe that by being included in a general education classroom, students with special needs will experience stronger academic and social achievements (Bunch & Valeo, 2004). Simultaneously, proponents of inclusion feel that the stigma that exists about individuals with special needs can be reduced when students with special needs are educated with their typical peers (Scruggs & Mastropieri, 1996).Studies have shown that when students with special needs are included in general education classrooms they improve their test performance, have a higher rate of meeting Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals, and increase their chances of completing high school and attending college (Rea, McLaughlin, & Walther-Thomas, 2002). Family members of individuals with special needs that are included in general education classrooms have pointed out that their children have greater access to positive role models, increase their self-esteem, are more likely to form friendships, and are better prepared for the real world (McLeskey, 2007). While our education system continues to move toward more inclusive practices, some fear that placement in the general education classroom is neither effective nor appropriate for every student with a special need. Opponents of the inclusion movement 4 express concern stating that general education teachers are not prepared to educate students with special needs and, therefore, cannot provide them with the specialized curriculum and accommodations that they require (Dymond & Russel, 2004). Limited materials and support in addition to the large class sizes are additional reasons related to why some oppose inclusion. Furthermore, parents of students with special needs have expressed concern that if placed in a general education classroom, their children will not have access to an individualized education or instruction for functional life skills. Finally, studies have noted that students that are included may feel frustrated, unsupported, and isolated (Eisenman & Tascione, 2002). While many teachers often assume that the mere physical presence of students with special needs in the classroom is enough to foster the student's social acceptance research has revealed that without specific strategies to create a socially accepting classroom environment, students with special needs struggle to develop authentic friendships with their typically developing peers (Siperstein, Parker, Norins-Bardon, & Widaman, 2007; Swaim & Morgan, 2001). While much of the research has focused on ways general education teachers can support the academic needs of students with special needs that are included, over the last decade there has been an increased interest in the social functioning of students with special needs in inclusive settings (Anderman, 2003; Chadsey & Gun Han, 2005; Korinek, Walther-Thomas, McLaughlin, & Toler Williams, 1999; Meadan & Monda- Amaya, 2008; Pavri & Luftig, 2001; Pearl, Van Acker, Rodkin, Bost, Coe, & Henley, 1998). Although studies have found that placement in an inclusive setting can improve a student’s school experience by enhancing their self-esteem (Mastropieri& Scruggs, 5 2010), barriers hindering the social acceptance of students with special needs continue to exist. Widespread implementation of inclusion programs has been paralleled by the realization that children’s attitudes about their peers with special needs are a key element in the success of inclusive education. In fact, negative attitudes held by students without disabilities about their peers with special needs are generally recognized as a key barrier to successful social inclusion at school (McDougall, DeWitt, King, Miller, & Killip, 2004) and are often the cause behind students with special needs feeling socially isolated. Children bring a set of social interaction skills to social settings, such as a classroom. However, many children with special needs possess social difficulties which may prohibit their ability to engage a peer and establish friendships (Court & Givon, 2003). Teachers have revealed that typically developing students are unsure as to how to enter into a relationship with their peers with special needs (Colwell, Thompson, & Burke, 2001) and admit that they struggle with providing the skills and strategies to facilitate these relationships in their classroom. These findings raise a variety of questions about the availability of social supports for students with special needs that are included in general education classrooms as well as how educators can assist in promoting the social acceptance of students with special needs. Since one of the principal goals of inclusion for children with special needs is to develop social acceptance and increase positive social interactions with typical peers, research is needed to identify effective skills and strategies that general education teachers can utilize to promote the social acceptance of their students with special needs. 6 Over the past three decades, attempts to generate increased opportunities for social inclusion and acceptance for students with special needs has focused on teaching social skills to the target student with special needs (Sapon-Shevin, Dobbelaere, Corrigan, Goodman, & Mastin, 1998). Although appropriate social behaviors typically increase as a result of social skills interventions (McIntosh, Vaughn, & Zaragoza, 1991) studies have shown that there is little correlation between the implementation of social skills interventions and an increase in social acceptance of students with special needs (Vaughn, McIntosh, & Spencer-Rowe, 1991). School-wide programs such as Circle of Friends (Patterson, Liu, Goodvin, Hummel, & Nance, 2008) and Best Buddies (Grenot- Scheyer, Staub, Peck, & Schwartz, 1998) have also been implemented to aid in the social acceptance of students with special needs. These programs center on recruiting students without disabilities in “befriending” a student with special needs. While such programs continue to be implemented in schools as a way to promote social interactions between students with and without special needs, a noted concern is that the programs fail to produce true reciprocity and preservation of friendships (Sapon-Shevin et al., 1998). Without a means to foster the social inclusion and acceptance of students with special needs so that friendships can occur naturally within the classroom, the relationships that are formed may remain superficial and one-sided (Sapon-Shevin, et al., 1998). One fundamental building block to the successful inclusion of students with special needs is to ensure that the classroom possesses essential elements of an effective inclusive program with a culture of acceptance. Educators have agreed that some of the critical components required in an inclusive classroom that may facilitate a student’s 7 social development include: a) creating an environment that embraces a sense of community where differences are valued; b) employing a range of strategies that will assist students in developing natural and ongoing social relationships; c) Implementing an array of strategies to develop students pro-social skills; and d) structuring the classroom and instruction to allow for flexible grouping and authentic learning experiences (McLeskey, 2007). Given this, research must now focus on the skills and strategies educators can use to consistently facilitate social learning opportunities in these settings so that students with special needs are no longer seen as an inclusion student, but as a valued and equal member of the classroom community. Statement of the Problem Inclusive schools and classrooms afford numerous opportunities for students with special needs to develop social relationships with their typically developing peers. However, time and time again, research reveals that students with special needs are socially rejected by their typical peers both in and outside of the inclusive classroom (Heward, 2006; Krajewski & Flaherty, 2000; Lucas, 1999; Pearl et al., 1998; Vaughn & Haager, 1994). Being socially isolated from your peer group can result in depression that can deepen over time; eventually contributing to a negative self-image and issues with proper social functioning as an adult (Court & Givon, 2003). While schools have recognized that peer rejection is a persistent problem for students with special needs, there have been inadequate methods implemented to prevent it. Although numerous policies and legislation for including stud