COLLABORATIVE ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT 1

Collaborative Action Research Project

Bianca Eggers, Paola Falfan, Heather Soden, Winston Tu

California State University, Long Beach

EDSP 355B: Collaborative Models of Inclusive Education

Dr. Sanderson

December 1st, 2020

Compare and Contrast

For our research project, we observed three classroom teachers in different settings,

which we will be referred to as Teacher A, Teacher B, and Teacher C. Teacher A’s classroom

was a Special Education high school classroom setting designed to teach the students life skills.

The class was taught by Mrs. Guenther, a special education teacher with instructional aides and

general education students used as support. The class consisted of 8 male students where one

student was black and the rest were predominantly white. The video does not specifically state

the disabilities of the students, but they all share characteristics of intellectual disabilities. The

class begins in a gym setting with the students exercising in the pool or aerobically on land and

moves into a modified classroom setting. The classroom atmosphere was specialized to fit the

needs of the students by incorporating couches and a refrigerator to make the environment more

comfortable. Various supports were observed such as a Smart Board, calculators, instructional

aides and peer tutors. The teacher facilitated student centered skills by tailoring the lessons

around practical tasks such as vacuuming, shirt folding, sweeping and shredding. The use of

these devices allowed the students to learn by practicing these skills as a part of the lesson.

Teacher B's is Mr. Bolster, who taught a high school communications class. The class

was taught solely by a general education teacher; there were no instructional aides present in the

video. The class consisted of approximately 30 students predominantly white with a few ethinic

minority students present. The special education students and general education students are

mixed in together in one classroom. The teacher mentions that without looking at the IEP

paperwork, he wouldn’t know which students have disabilities or not. The classroom atmosphere

was traditional of a general education class with students scattered throughout the classroom in

desks facing the white board. Various supports were observed such as use of the white board for
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visual support, student’s choice for participation and teaching about culturally relevant

information. The students are able to choose the topic of discussion each day, making the

information culturally relevant to them.

Teacher C's name is Mr. Todnem, whose classroom was a middle school health class.

Resiliency was the topic of the day, also taught solely by a general education teacher. The class

appeared to be a little smaller than classroom B, with 20 students present in the video. The

classroom setting appeared typical of a general education classroom with students sitting in

desks pointed at each other and the teacher. The demographics observed in the video consisted of

1 white female, 3 Indian boys, 2 Mexican females and 1 black male student. The teacher utilized

a range of supports including various balls to illustrate the concepts in the lesson. He used a

tennis ball, ping pong ball, squish ball and bowling ball to represent resiliency. He allowed the

students to throw the balls around to incorporate tactile, hands on learning into his lesson. At the

end of the lesson, he utilized the white board and paired interactions to discuss the concepts of

the lesson in small groups. The lesson was culturally relevant as it discussed topics relevant to

the students such as cyberbullying and recognizing personality traits in people the students

interact with.

Collaborative Strategies

The teachers used a variety of collaboration strategies for working with other

professionals and related service providers. Teacher A utilized the alternative teaching

collaboration strategy by having the instructional aides work with smaller groups while she

addressed the majority of the students as a group. She also incorporated a push in model of

delivering special education by including general education students into her classroom to aid in

peer teaching. Teacher B also utilizes a push in model of delivering instruction by mixing in the
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special education students with the general education students. He does not have any

instructional aides or peer support in his classroom, but he does mention having to collaborate

with related service providers for the special education students in his classroom. Teacher C does

not have any aides or supports as well and does not mention having to collaborate with other

professionals.

Compare and Contrast Classrooms

In classroom A, each student had a lesson plan and curriculum carefully catered to each

of the students. This meant that while some of them were working on mathematics with a

calculator, others would work on spelling or important life skills. As these students progress

through their work, they are assisted with other general ed. Students who volunteered to help

them out. In classroom B, the classroom mostly consisted of a basic general education

communications class. Unlike class A, there does not appear to be any kind of utilized

modifications, let alone accommodations. If there was anything that was made to assist the needs

of students with disabilities, it would probably be the entire class lesson itself. In the video, the

teacher made the lesson so that anybody can speak out their mind however they want. By doing

so, he can understand what is going on in their heads along with what ails them so he can, like he

said in the video, “do what a doctor does and that is diagnose and prescribe.” Meaning, by

knowing how they work, he can cater the lesson plan and curriculum that can suit every student

in the classroom. Much like classroom B, classroom C is taught in a general education setting.

Unfortunately, much like classroom B, no utilized modifications or accommodations are used in

the classroom. The only thing that would assist with the needs of students with disabilities would

be the balls that the teacher uses in his class. Using various balls like tennis balls, ping pong

balls, bowling balls, and rubber puffer balls, he uses them as examples of how to describe the
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various mental mindsets of people. As such, it allows some students to easier understand the

content that is being taught to them. However, it does not affect many of the students with

disabilities as there may be some who cannot understand the analogy outright.

Quality of Education

The quality of education is vital to all students learning within the classroom. I believe

that Mr. Bolster in his Communications class lacked to provide an inclusive environment for all

students. For example, at the start of the class, he had all students share anything they would like

to talk about. For most general education students this does not seem of concern. However, for a

student with a learning disability this might be too out of reach because they need a more

specific instructed task. The aspect that stood out the most was that Mr. Bolster thought it was

not significant to know which of his students had learning disabilities, IEPs, or in need of other

resources. He stated that he believed an inclusive classroom is one where all students are treated

the same regardless of what type of learning disability they might have. This is a very ignorant

view point and results in students with learning disabilities to be left to fend for themselves and

try their best to understand the material. According to David F. Bateman and Jennifer L. Cline

(2016), “Under a least restrictive environment, students with disabilities who are in general

education classrooms are provided with support and services that meet their needs as much as

possible” (pg.11). This indicates that an effective and truly inclusive classroom should cater to

all students, which this Communication class lacked to do.

Moreover, another key component for fostering an inclusive classroom environment is

classroom management. Mrs. Guenther’s classroom management includes assessing behavior,

monitoring the structured environment, and correcting behavior as needed. Mrs. Guenther’s

special ed Life Skills class included special education aids as well as a general education student
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volunteer. At the start of class, the teacher presented the board and asked what day it is to all the

students. The students were very responsive and seemed engaged. However, one student got up

and started to walk around and Mrs. Guenther had to bring the student back to sit down and

listen to her instructions. Bateman and Cline stated that it is essential to focus on factors such as

classroom management, rules, and work assigned to students to address behavior within the

classroom (Bateman & Cline, 2016, pg.112). Hence, in order for Mrs. Guenther to create a better

controlled environment in which she can monitor to ensure that each student is receiving the

proper help they need. To accomplish this she had each student do an individual task at their own

pace alongside paraprofessionals and volunteers. The students had a paraprofessional (special ed

aide) and/or a volunteer from the general ed classroom come assist with their task. One student

was assigned to sweep, another to vacuum, another to shred paper, and another to fold towels.

All these tasks are a great way to set up students to succeed in their work life and daily life after

high school.

On the contrary, Mr. Todnem’s Health class lacked classroom management. The teacher

seemed to focus on a general ed classroom approach in his lesson about different types of objects

and their resiliency rather than check for understanding regarding the analogy. For instance, the

teacher did not monitor the classroom and ask questions to gauge comprehension, rather he

assumed everyone could understand the analogies presented in the discussion regarding the

different objects and their resiliency. In addition, students were having side conversations while

the teacher was presenting to the whole class. This implies that the teacher does not have control

of the classroom, and permitted any type of distracting behavior. As a result, other students who

wanted to listen and engage were hindered by the distraction from their peers.

Multicultural Strategies
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The five dimensions of multicultural education are the following: content integration, the

knowledge construction process, prejudice reduction, an equity pedagogy, and an empowering

school culture and social structure (UW College of Education).

Content Integration

According to Merlin and Chen’s A Survey of School Counselor Multicultural Education

Behaviors and the Obstacles that Impede Them, content integration “refers to the extent that

educators use examples and content from a variety of cultures and groups to illustrate key

concepts ... in their subject area” (p. 9). In regards to content integration, the teacher did not

discuss how they would “infuse ethnic and cultural content from multiple cultures into the

curriculum,” let alone if they are currently doing this or have done it in the past for BIPOC

special education students (Achola). Teacher A could better prepare her BIPOC students by

reaching out to family members and having them apply the life skills learned in class at home.

Furthermore, family members can give insight to students about their own personal work

experiences. Teacher B could have discussed mannerisms, appropriate speech topics, and

conversational styles with consideration for broader audiences. Teacher C could have explored

what resiliency looks like across different cultures and opened up discussions about the type of

different barriers students face. This would have made the activity more student focused and

culturally responsive.

Knowledge Construction Process

Knowledge Construction is described as “involving a process in which educators help

students to understand, investigate, and determine how the implicit ... biases within a discipline

influence the ways in which knowledge is constructed” (Merlin & Chen, p. 11). In regards to the

knowledge construction process, Teacher A could have talked about implicit biases in the array
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of jobs that they have discussed, such as gender roles, racial stereotypes, and societal norms.

Teacher B could accomplish this dimension by having students compare famous speeches

between historical figures of different identities to investigate general preconceived notions at

the time. Students could also compare speeches heard today with a focus on code switching and

its impact. Teacher C should lead discussions to unpack the cultural and societal pressures and

expectations that come with the word ‘resilient.’ Teacher C should have students identify

privileges that allow certain groups of people to be resilient and contrast that with barriers that

hinder resiliency.

Equity Pedagogy

When it comes to equity pedagogy, Merlin & Chen say “modify their teaching in ways

that will facilitate the academic achievement of students from diverse ... groups” (p.14). Teacher

A has accomplished this by having paraprofessionals in the classroom assisting students and

providing them with individualized support. We see this present in the video when

paraprofessionals sit next to students and individually assist them with assignments, such as math

homework. Teacher B could differentiate learning by using multimodal strategies such as the use

of a Smart Board, providing visuals, giving students the option to type out their journals, and

recording their speeches in a video format. These are UDL (Universal Design for Learning)

strategies that engage students in multiple means of expression. Teacher C should implement this

dimension by having small group discussions and incorporating cooperative learning. Students

in Classroom C can explore different ways of presenting or representing the concept of resiliency

through multiple means of expression such as art, music, podcast, interpretive dance, poetry, and

writing (UDL).

Prejudice Reduction
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With the prejudice reduction aspect, it is defined as “helping students develop positive

attitudes toward different racial, ethnic, and cultural groups” (Merlin & Chen, p. 14). Teacher A

could talk to students about the importance of all jobs, job diversity, and their essential role in

society. Teacher B could implement this dimension by having students brainstorm ideas on how

to be considerate and respectful to differing audiences by taking into account the perspectives of

diverse opinions. Teacher C should have students unpack the challenges others face with regards

to their cultural, religious, socioeconomic, and educational background, as well as their primary

language, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity. This could open up discussion how this

relates to mental health and resiliency. Furthermore, students could discuss possible solutions or

ways to alleviate those challenges so as to support their journey towards being resilient..

Empowering School Culture and Social Structure

Finally, empowering school culture and social structure “entails restructuring school

cultures to promote student equity” (Merlin & Chen, p. 20). Teacher A could implement this by

reaching out to local colleges and organizations to present students with specialized support,

such as job skills, interviewing skills, resume writing, and portfolio building. Teacher B could

implement this dimension by encouraging students to write speeches about local school policies

they would like to see change. Teacher C could implement this dimension by encouraging his

students to plan a mental health day that centers around self care tips, activities, and resources.
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References

Achola, E. O. (2019). Practicing What We Preach: Reclaiming the Promise of Multicultural

Transition Programming. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional

Individuals, 42(3), 188–193. https://doi.org/10.1177/2165143418766498

Bateman, David F., and Jenifer L. Cline. A Teacher's Guide to Special Education. ASCD, 2016.

Merlin-Knoblich, C., & Chen, J. A. (2018). A Survey of School Counselor Multicultural

Education Behaviors and the Obstacles that Impede Them. Journal of School Counseling,

1-33.

Multicultural Education: Goals and Dimensions. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from

https://education.uw.edu/cme/view