Problem Statement
Ensuring the inclusion of children with special needs in learning has been a critical topic of conversation for many years. In this context, discussions about the most suitable strategies for teaching science to children with special needs have been abundant. The concept of inclusion originated from such discussions, although its description had been left to the discretion of individual educators and schools until recently.
However, inclusive education predominantly implies that every student is part of the learning community irrespective of their disability, weaknesses, or strengths. In this regard, learners with disabilities do not require being placed in different classes when teaching sciences. Such students deserve to access all educational materials and engage in social discussions, which exist in the mainstream education classroom.
Many European countries, the US, the UK, and Canada, among others, have established policies and implemented practices that encourage inclusive learning. Precisely, the inclusion of children with special education needs in the mainstream classroom has been enshrined in law to promote comprehensive learning. For example, the US implements the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The primary objective of various schools is to establish a learning environment with the fewest restrictions, allowing students to meet their individual needs, regardless of any disabilities they may have. Subsequently, many children requiring special education are currently learning with their peers in the mainstream classroom, reducing the number of special institutions (Leijen et al., 2021). The impacts of inclusion on children with special needs have produced substantial benefits.
While many nations in the Global North and Europe have adopted this trend, numerous challenges remain to this practice. Regrettably, many tutors not only lack training in the appropriate strategies for teaching learners with special needs but also lack the requisite knowledge to ensure the inclusion of learners with special needs in the mainstream classroom. Moreover, there is limited knowledge of the inclusion of children with special educational needs in learning.
Many teachers lack the appropriate skill base to effectively teach students with unusual learning needs. Some tutors do not require learners with special needs in their classes, but others do not feel adequately prepared to instruct this category of pupils. Although these educators may be capable of training students with special needs, they often lack confidence in executing it. This research is significant since it addresses the various tutoring approaches that teachers can use to facilitate the prosperous inclusion of children with special needs in the classroom.
Purpose Statement
Inclusive learning for students with special needs is a vital part of mainstream education. This study, therefore, aims to investigate effective teaching strategies that tutors can use in the classroom to facilitate this inclusion. Educators must be familiar with the necessary inclusion approaches to ensure these learners can fully benefit and achieve their maximum potential. A learning environment that is the least restrictive is usually most advantageous to all learners (Rexroat-Frazier & Chamberlin, 2019).
There is a wide consensus on the benefits of ensuring inclusive learning in a school. Whereas most studies have concentrated on the benefits of inclusion for children with special needs, many studies have also shown that all children benefit in the classroom, as they learn from better pedagogy and high-quality teaching (Frederica, 2020). Education in written and sign languages is significant in satisfying the needs of deaf children.
The benefits to learners with special needs are numerous, including prosperous outcomes, enhanced motor and communication skills, higher academic gains, and better community engagement. Moreover, teachers working in an inclusive environment have more anticipation of their learners with disabilities than those in separate settings (Frederica, 2020). There are greater benefits to integrating students with disabilities in terms of quality of learning, especially in student-centered education and the complete improvement of study outcomes (Van Mieghem et al., 2020). Improvement in teacher skills and knowledge positively influenced the education of every learner. Teachers need to strike a balance between encouraging a classroom environment and guiding a social framework that offers learners shared independence to create peer values that mirror students’ proclivities.
Research Approach
The primary purpose of this research is to explore the various teaching strategies that tutors can employ in the classroom to facilitate inclusive learning. The research seeks to answer one question: “How do tutors establish and sustain effective inclusion in the classroom?” To gather responses to this question, the researcher will employ observational methods in two classrooms of an elementary institution.
During the fall, the researcher will be placed in a third-grade classroom and observe for at least three hours, twice a week, for the entire semester. However, during the spring, the researcher will be stationed in a Grade 1 classroom to observe for the same number of hours and frequency each week for the entire semester. The researcher will record the observations made for further translation.
Reason for Choosing This Approach
The approach has been recommended since it ensures effective teaching strategies tutors can implement to enable fruitful classroom inclusion. Teachers are key in this undertaking, as they act as specialists who ensure learners follow the instructions to gain from the coaching. Apart from teaching, tutors act as facilitators and manage classroom affairs to encourage learners’ social adaptation that aligns with their peers (Farmer et al., 2019). Therefore, teachers remain instrumental in attaining the desired approaches to enabling inclusion in the classroom.
References
Farmer, T. W., Hamm, J. V., Dawes, M., Barko-Alva, K., & Cross, J. R. (2019). Promoting inclusive communities in diverse classrooms: Teacher attunement and social dynamics management. Educational Psychologist, 54(4), 286-305.
Frederica, H.P. (2020). Inclusive education: Children with disabilities. UNESCO.
Leijen, Ä., Arcidiacono, F., & Baucal, A. (2021). The dilemma of inclusive education: inclusion for some or inclusion for all. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(1), 1-10.
Rexroat‐Frazier, N., & Chamberlin, S. (2019). Best practices in co‐teaching mathematics with special needs students. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 19(3), 173-183.
Van Mieghem, A., Verschueren, K., Petry, K., & Struyf, E. (2020). An analysis of research on inclusive education: a systematic search and meta review. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 24(6), 675-689.