Historical Research Review Collaboration
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Arts Humanities
Date
Feb 20, 2024
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11
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Historical Review Project
Historical Review: Issues of Inclusive Classroom Environments for Student Learning
Angela Piergentili
Education, Liberty University
Author Note
Angela Piergentili
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose. Correspondence concerning this article should
be addressed to Angela Piergentili
Email: Apiergentili@liberty.edu
Historical Review Project
Abstract
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act states that all children should have the
opportunity to go to school and receive a fair chance to learn. Students regardless of their
abilities should have fair access to engage in a classroom with rigorous curriculum and
instruction. By gathering evidence and data from numerous scholarly sources, I will evaluate the
effectiveness of inclusive education and least restrictive environments on those with special
needs and those with exceptionalities. It will be important to acknowledge the numerous
definitions of inclusion, varying policies and how these have changed over the years, and teacher
collaboration and preparedness for implementation. This research paper will provide an
overview of research findings, the significance and impact of this research, the importance of
inclusive practices and properly creating least restrictive environments, and finally what this
research means for students.
Keywords: Inclusion, Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), Exceptionalities
Historical Review Project
Problem
Although there has been extensive research into what inclusive classrooms mean and how
they work, there hasn’t been a large basis of evidence showing automatic positive outcomes;
Analysis of data from inclusive classrooms fails to disentangle which students benefit from being
taught alongside general education peers (Barshay, 2023). With about 7 out of every 8 students
with disabilities being taught in general education classrooms, it is essential research shows how
this impacts students of all abilities.
Recent research shows that some students thrive in inclusive settings, while others did
poorly in general education classrooms, but why? Currently, there is a lack of adequate training
for general education teachers who have the possibility of teaching an inclusive classroom,
leading to increased stress loads (Bacher, 2022). This means that special education teachers are
taking on more of the load by pushing in or pulling out students; collaboration with these
teachers and increased training for general education teachers could make a huge difference in
the effectiveness of inclusive classrooms.
However, in order for this collaboration to be effective, there needs to be an
understanding of what an inclusive environment should look like. Cohesive collaboration may
not exist between students, peers, parents, and teachers due to a lack of a definitive inclusion
definition (Stoa, 2016).
“Every student is different, and ‘inclusion’ for one student may look
different from others (Bacher, 2022). By collaborating cohesively with all stakeholders in each
individual students’ lives, educators can get a better understanding of what their inclusive
environment needs to look like to be successful for all learners.
This definition of inclusion and what that means for each classroom is especially
important when it comes to students without disabilities. Students with exceptionalities are often
Historical Review Project
missed when evaluating data of inclusive classroom environments (Edison, 2010). The
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act of 2004 does an excellent job of ensuring students
with disabilities receive a fair and equal access to education with their peers. However, this act
does not take into consideration what that means for students of higher learning abilities.
Research has shown that there are still significant barriers to implementing inclusive education
fully (Edison, 2010).
Research Question
Why is collaboration between special education and general education teachers essential
in preventing negative impacts of inclusive classroom environments?
Research Findings
To fully understand the findings from research, it is necessary to understand the
definitions used of inclusive education: all children in the same classrooms, in the same schools
(UNICEF, 2023). However, like I’ve stated before, this does not mean inclusion at all costs;
every child has the right to equal and fair education, but in order to be fully inclusive, every
student also has to have the ability to learn.
Inclusive education does not just impact students with disabilities, it also affects students
of higher learning abilities. Many studies conducted over the years have varying results, with
many inconsistencies among studies. When it comes to social effects, in a study conducted by
Ayse Kart , the effects of inclusion on students without disabilities, the findings were positive
(2021). Similarly,
Hehir et al. reviewed six studies on social impacts of inclusion on students
without disabilities, and revealed that when students without disabilities were placed in inclusive
classrooms, their hostility, prejudice, and discrimination towards students with special needs
were diminished (2020).
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