Linking self-rated social inclusion to social behaviour. An empirical study of students with and without special education needs in secondary schools

Abstract

Successful inclusive education creates a learning environment that supports not only the cognitive abilities of all children but also their social and emotional development. The present study focuses on the development of social participation of students with and without special education needs (SEN). A longitudinal study with two measurement times was conducted. The first measurement (T1) took place at the end of fifth grade, the second (T2) one year later. The sample consisted of 35 SEN students and108 non-SEN students from mainstream classes in Graz, Austria. For assessing the self-perception of social inclusion, items from the ‘dimensions of integration’ questionnaire (FDI 4–6) were used. Social participation does not seem to be a very stable phenomenon; its retest reliability was only .47 for SEN students and .54 for non-SEN students. Results indicate that children with SEN experienced less social participation than children without SEN at T1 and T2. To identify the predictors for social participation, a multiple regression analysis was conducted. Next to social participation at T1, indirect aggressive behaviour (self-assessed) also appears to predict social participation at T2.

Keywords:

• social participation
• longitudinal study
• social behaviour
• students with special needs
• mainstream schools

Notes

1. The terms ‘integration’ and ‘inclusion’ often are used differently. Depending on the cultural background, they are difficult to differentiate. For this reason, several studies use the terms in a synonymous way, as the review of Avramidis and Norwich (2002) shows. In some American studies, inclusion is understood as collective school attendance of children (of the same age) with and without disabilities (Reynolds and Fletcher-Janzen 2000). However, this corresponds rather to the German understanding of integration (Sanders 2005). In German-speaking areas, inclusion is understood as an optimised form of integration, in which all children are regarded as individuals with different initial positions. Differences are perceived as benefits (Sanders 2005).

2. Austrians’ students start school at the age of six. They attend primary school during four years and then they attend the secondary-level one for four years (generally at the age of 10 to 14).