Inclusion

Quality inclusion in the classroom is not merely the placement of a student with special

educational needs (SEN) within a general classroom. Rather, it is based on the creation of a

classroom environment that supports and includes all learners equally (Soodak, 2003). The

research regarding inclusive classrooms is extremely helpful in providing teachers with

strategies to create a more inclusive classroom learning environment, both socially and

academically. This essay will focus primarily on the research undertaken by Soodak (2003),

Nilholm & Alm (2010), and Kurawa (2010). The themes and strategies that emerge from the

research will be discussed and analysed in conjunction with supporting literature.

Focus literature

Soodak (2003) focuses on classroom management strategies that foster inclusion through the

promotion of diversity and community. In particular, those that facilitate friendships,

collaboration, parent involvement, and address challenging behaviours in a positive,

proactive and educative manner. Nilholm & Alm (2010, p. 243) report on a case study of

what they consider to be an inclusive classroom in Sweden. Three criteria were used when

analysing the inclusiveness of the classroom. The extent of: (1) differences being viewed as

ordinary; (2) all students being part of the social community of the classroom; and (3) all

students being part of the learning community of the classroom. These criteria essentially

present ideal goals for an inclusive classroom, as well as providing direction and guidance in

selecting strategies. Kurawa (2010) concentrates on effective inclusive pedagogic strategies

that support and welcome diversity, as well as the practical implications of these strategies in

the classroom.

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Overview of themes

There are a few underlying and reoccurring themes throughout the research, which underpin

the strategies recommended for creating and fostering an inclusive classroom. It is clear from

the research that the teachers attitude towards inclusion is paramount, and that the success of

the recommended strategies is dependent on the teachers values and attitudes (Kurawa,

2010; Hilholm & Alm, 2010). Understanding that every student has a special learning need,

not just those labelled as having special educational needs is really important in order to

support and include all learners (Ashman, 2012). Furthermore, inclusion requires the teacher

to positively value these differences and hold the belief that every child can thrive and

achieve success in an inclusive classroom (Hilholm & Alm, 2010).

An inclusive classroom environment or climate is an essential element in creating an

inclusive classroom, as Soodak (2003, p. 328) identifies, philosophically and pragmatically,

inclusive education is primarily about belonging, membership, and acceptance. The teacher

plays an important role in fostering a classroom climate that reflects these characteristics, and

therefore a large number of the strategies identified in the research are aimed at promoting

belonging, membership and acceptance through various pedagogical approaches.

Another theme that regularly emerges in the research is the idea that developing effective

pedagogical practices will benefit everyone, not just SEN students. The definition of

pedagogy used for the purpose of this essay is that suggested by Sheehy et al. (as cited in

Kurawa, 2010, p. 1586): The term pedagogical approaches is used to mean, in the broadest

sense: classroom practices, personnel deployment, organisation, use of resources, classroom

environment and curriculum, that is, what occurs in classrooms that can be seen to impact on

participation and learning. An inclusive pedagogical approach should not be separate from

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the existing pedagogy, rather it should develop to become good pedagogy for a more diverse

group of learners (Kurawa, 2010, p. 1586). Finally, the collaboration between teachers and

parents often arises within the research as a significant factor in enhancing inclusion in the

classroom.

Classroom climate

A classroom climate in which all students feel a sense of "belonging, membership and

acceptance are necessary prerequisites in order to talk about inclusive classrooms (Hilholm

& Alm, 2010, p. 250). Inclusive education requires building a learning community that values

student differences, and makes them feel welcomed, safe, and supported (Hilholm & Alm,

2010; Soodak, 2003; Kurawa, 2010). However, it would be nave to assume that an

appreciation of diversity and individual differences of their classmates comes naturally to

students. Rather, it is up to the teacher to provide learning experiences that teach students to

respect and learn from each others similarities and differences and facilitate friendships and

peer supports (Saland & Whittaker, 2012).

The inclusive classroom climate as described above will be beneficial for every student in the

class, however, it is particularly important for students with special educational needs, as they

are often socially excluded and have fewer relationships (Hilholm & Alm, 2010). They often

have trouble interpreting facial expressions and body language, and can therefore have

difficulty in group situations, which can affect their adjustment to the inclusive class

environment (Mumford & Chandler, 2009). Therefore, strategies that foster friendships and

social acceptance are essential in creating an inclusive classroom.

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Strategies:

Strategies for creating and fostering an inclusive classroom environment aim to create a sense

of community, form a safe and responsive learning environment for all members of the

classroom community, and focus on social as well as academic outcomes for children by

facilitating friendships (Soodak, 2003).

Rules & Boundaries

A strategy that is regularly suggested throughout the research is the use of rules and

boundaries in specifying expectations for the behaviour of students. It has been found that

where rules are clearly set out and faithfully followed, students learn very quickly to function

within the boundaries established (Kurawa, 2010, p. 1588). There are a number of

guidelines and practical suggestions regarding the establishment of classroom rules for the

maximum benefit of the students, that have the potential to foster a more inclusive classroom.

Firstly, it is important that the rules and expectations cater for all students in the class, so that

all students are expected to comply with the rules, but the rules have been designed so that all

students can achieve success. For example, Soodak (2003) describes a teacher who made

changes to their classroom rules and procedures to make their classroom more inclusive. The

teacher felt it was unrealistic to expect all students to remain seated at all times, and therefore

guidelines about where and for how long students can take breaks were established (p.

327).

Secondly, it is important to set up classroom rules that encourage respect, such as turn-taking,

or not permitting any child to be left out. However, this must be paired with explicit teaching

that people dont have to always agree and its actually a good thing that people have

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different opinions, and therefore everyone has the right to voice their opinion and should

respectfully listen to others opinions (Hilholm & Alm, 2010, p. 246). Rules should be

framed positively, for example raise your hand before speaking, rather than dont call out

(Mitchell, 2014). Furthermore, it is beneficial for students to actively participate in the

creation of the rules and the monitoring of their own behaviour (Kurawa, 2010; Mitchell

2014).

Behaviour Management

Soodak (2003) suggests that school discipline issues are minimized when students feel

welcomed, safe, and supported (p. 238), however still recognises the need for teachers to

address challenging behaviors in a positive, proactive, and educative manner (p. 327). An

inclusive strategy recommended by Soodak (2003) to achieve this goal is the positive

behavioural support approach, which involves the use of behavioural interventions and

teaching strategies that reflect an understanding of and respect for the student. Other

behaviour management strategies that emerge throughout the research include taking

immediate action, avoiding confrontational relations, thus not letting the child lose face, and

making an effort to include choices for the student (Hilholm & Alm, 2010; Kurawa, 2010).

Facilitating Friendships

The extent to which all students are part of the social community of the classroom is a key

indicator of the inclusivity of a classroom, and therefore promoting and facilitating

friendships is essential for fostering an inclusive classroom climate. There are a number of

strategies that are well supported by the research in promoting positive social interactions

between students. Firstly, opportunities for students to interact positively that allow for

discussion, joint problem solving, cooperation or collaboration should be integrated into

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academic activities (Hilholm & Alm, 2010; Soodak, 2003; Salend & Whittaker, 2012;

Kurawa, 2010). These cooperative learning strategies are well supported in fostering

friendships and an inclusive classroom climate, and will be discussed further in this essay as

an effective pedagogical strategy.

Teachers can also explicitly teach about friendships and social networks by using childrens

literature as a starting point for discussion and offering social skill instruction (Soodak, 2003;

Salend & Whittaker, 2012). Community building activities, whole class rituals, and fostering

peer supports by implementing positive peer reporting, peer mentoring, buddy and partner

systems, and peer support committees can also contribute to the facilitation of friendships and

positive social outcomes for all students (Soodak, 2003; Salend & Whittaker, 2012).

Effective Pedagogy

The extent to which all students are part of the learning community of the classroom is a key

indicator of an inclusive classroom, which is why it is important to develop effective

pedagogy. If the teachers attitude is truly inclusive, in that they believe that every child has a

special learning need, differentiated instruction should come naturally as the teacher aims to

respond to students preferred learning styles (Soodak, 2003). However, it is important to

note that this does not mean creating separate programs with different instructional methods

for each student, which would be unrealistic for the teacher, but rather involves developing

instructional styles that accommodate learner diversity (Ashman, 2012, p. 83). Kurawa

(2010) identifies that a strategy that works for most pupils works for all pupils though there

might be differences in application for various types of difficulties (p. 1586), which is a

theme that strongly emerges throughout the literature. Developing effective pedagogical

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strategies will not only benefit for students with special educational needs, but will help

maximise learning for all students.

Strategies:

Differentiation

Kurawa (2010) defines differentiation as a process of providing children with learning

experiences which take due account of their differing abilities, needs and learning styles and

yet which are guided by a common set of principles and purposes which transcend these

differences (p. 1587). Differentiation involves adapting instruction to the individual needs of

children (Niholm & Alm, 2010) through the classroom elements of content, process, product,

affect, and/or learning environment (Salend & Whittaker, 2012, p. 72). This student-centered

approach can be successfully achieved in the classroom by providing students with choices of

task. In order for this to remain manageable for the teacher, Hopkins (as cited in Kurawa,

2010) suggests that teachers who find success in differentiated instruction develop a range

of lesson formats that become their repertoire and from which they create arrangements that

they judge to be appropriate to a particular purpose (p. 1587).

Co-operative learning

Co-operative learning is an inclusive instructional strategy that can be defined as the

instructional use of small groups in which students work together to maximize their own and

each others learning (Kurawa, 2010, p. 1587). It has been shown to be effective in

fostering friendships, self-esteem and the academic performance of students of varied

academic abilities (Salend & Whittaker, 2012). Group activities are beneficial in an

inclusive classroom as they contribute to the strengthening of social processes and learning

(Nilholm & Alm, 2010), and encourage peer support and connection (Kurawa, 2010).

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Interestingly, in their analysis of an inclusive classroom in Sweden, Nilhom & Alm (2010)

found that roughly 50% of the activities in the class were conducted in groups, 15%

consisted of whole-class instruction, and 30% individual work (p. 247).

When students are working in small groups to achieve a shared goal, they are likely to

experience positive interdependence, which is when students believe that their success

depends on the success of the group (Friend and Burscuk, 2011), which helps to encourage

positive interactions and encouragement within the group. Teachers should structure this

positive interdependence in order to help students develop what is called the sink or swim

feeling in a variety of ways, including assigning students to work together in small groups to

maximize the learning of all members, to share their knowledge and skills, to provide mutual

support and celebrate their joint success (Kurawa, 2010, p. 1587). Additionally, assigning

each group member an individual role is a good way to promote individual accountability,

encouraging students to take responsibility for their contribution to the group goal. Other

examples of strategies to employ collaborative learning include peer tutoring and jigsaw

activities (Salend & Whittaker, 2012).

Collaboration

Collaboration is an effective means to enhance inclusivity in the classroom. Ideally,

collaboration among teachers for the purposes of planning, teaching and supporting

students (Soodak, 2003, 329) will be encouraged and facilitated by the school. However,

despite the schools inclusivity, or lack thereof, the teacher has an opportunity to collaborate

with parents to improve inclusion in the classroom. The most obvious way to collaborate with

parents is by purposefully involving them decisions regarding instructional programmes and

support that their child receives (Soodak, 2003; Hilholm & Alm, 2010).

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Parents themselves stress the importance of building trust, which developed from

interactions characterized by honesty, openness, and mutual respect (Soodak, 2003, 329).

Hilholm & Alm (2010), found that good relations with parents involved letting them take

part in the goals of the schooling, and meeting them often not only when problems arise

(p. 247). Parents can be made to feel welcome through the use of an open-door policy and by

maintaining informal and open communication with professionals (Soodak, 2003). It is

important that educators advocate for them and their children, protect and respect their legal

rights and confidentiality, and provide them with educational programmes that enhance their

active involvement in their childrens education (Salend & Whittaker, 2012, p. 70).

Analysis of articles

Although the articles used as the basis of this essay were of a generally high quality, there are

some considerations that a teacher looking to implement the strategies discussed should keep

in mind. The research undertaken by Nilholm & Alm (2010) is very extensive, and provides

teachers with insight into the perceptions and experiences of children in an inclusive

classroom. However, the extensive study was only conducted on one fifth grade class of 15

children in Sweden, which is a very narrow context and small sample. Although the strategies

used in this inclusive classroom and suggested by the author are backed up by other literature

as best practice, the teacher should keep in mind that the strategies were successful for a

particular set of students in Sweden. They must be aware of other influences that may affect

their implementation in their own Australian classroom, such as culture, age of students,

individual student needs, and school policies.

Although Soodaks (2003) research is somewhat older, it is still widely referenced in recent

literature, inferring that the research is still applicable. Two students with special educational

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needs and their teachers are introduced at the start of the research, as an example of an

inclusive classroom, but then these students and their teachers are only occasionally

mentioned throughout to back up some strategies. The author could have referenced their

research on the experiences of these students and teachers more consistently in order to better

justify the usability of the recommended strategies.

Kurawa (2010) provides a range of well supported inclusive strategies that are supported by

other research and literature, as well as their own research. It provides first hand experiences

and insights from teachers of various levels of experience. This is really helpful in addressing

the practicalities, challenges and reasoning behind many of the strategies by teachers that

have been successful in their implementation. However, the research lacks the perspective

from the students in the class, and the reader is forced to rely on the assumption that the

teachers are correctly perceiving how included each child feels, both socially and

academically.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are a range of strategies that teachers can use in classrooms to include

students of all abilities. These strategies rely on the classroom teacher viewing differences as

ordinary and valuable, and should aim to include all students in both the social and learning

community in the classroom. Strategies that foster a more inclusive classroom climate as

identified in the literature include the use of rules and boundaries, behavior management, and

the facilitation of friendships. Developing effective pedagogy is also important in the creation

of an inclusive classroom, and such strategies include differentiation and co-operative

learning. Finally, collaboration between teachers and parents can enhance the inclusivity of

the classroom.

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Reference List

Ashman, A.F. (2012). Facilitating inclusion through responsive teaching. In K. Topping & C.
Boyle (Ed.), What Works in Inclusion? (pp. 81-97). Maidenhead, Berkshire: McGraw-
Hill Education.
Friend, M., & Bursuck, W. (2011). Including students with special needs: A practical guide
for classroom teachers (6 ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Kurawa, G. (2010). Teaching diversity in a primary school: examining teachers classroom
strategies for inclusion. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 5, 1585-1591.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.07.329
Mitchell, D. 2014. What Really Works in Special and Inclusive Education (2nd ed.).
Abingdon, OX: Routledge. Retrieved from http://www.eblib.com
Mumford, V. E., & Chandler, J. P. (2009). Strategies for Supporting Inclusive Education for
Students with Disabilities. Strategies, 22(5), 10-15.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08924562.2009.10590834
Nilholm, C., & Alm, B. (2010). An inclusive classroom? A case study of inclusiveness,
teacher strategies, and children's experiences. European Journal of Special Needs
Education, 25(3), 239-252, DOI: 10.1080/08856257.2010.492933
Salend, S. and Whittaker, C. (2012). Inclusive education: best practices in the United States.
In K. Topping & C. Boyle (Ed.), What Works in Inclusion? (pp. 81-97). Maidenhead,
Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education
Soodak, L. C. (2003). Classroom Management in Inclusive Settings. Theory Into Practice,
42(4), 327-333. DOI: 10.1207/s15430421tip4204_10

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