University Of Trinidad And Tobago School For Studies In Learning And Cognition Student Name: Christina Sookdeo Student ID: 52927 Course: EDFN112B- Academic Reading, Writing and Research Skills Instructor: John Pierre Group: X Year 1- Semester 2 Assignment: Research Paper on the Academic and Social Effects of Inclusion
Research paper done on the Academic and Social Effects of Inclusion.
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University Of Trinidad And Tobago
School For Studies In Learning And Cognition
Student Name: Christina Sookdeo
Student ID: 52927
Course: EDFN112B- Academic Reading, Writing and Research Skills
Instructor: John Pierre
Group: X
Year 1- Semester 2
Assignment: Research Paper on the Academic and Social Effects of Inclusion
Broad Plan
Inclusion is becoming more prevalent in schools and it is proven to be an effective
strategy. Inclusion is not simply a ‘good strategy’ in education but it serves a much greater
purpose in the personal and professional lives of students, including those with disabilities.
According to the President of the United States, Barack Obama at a conference held 2008,
“We must build a world free of unnecessary barriers, stereotypes, and discrimination.... policies
must be developed, attitudes must be shaped, and buildings and organizations must be designed
to ensure that everyone has a chance to get the education they need and live independently as full
citizens in their communities"
There are many reasons why teachers should create an inclusive classroom. This topic
targets students at the secondary level of education- both with and without disabilities- and also
the staff members of a school. Secondary school students with disabilities are at a greater risk to
‘drop-out’ because of their lack of motivation and the feeling that they are not ‘normal’ or in the
mainstream as the other students. Inclusion is both essential and critical in this particular area
and therefore I have chosen to address this audience.
The format or mode of this essay is a cause and effect expository essay. Explanations and
the analysis of the information on the social and academic effects for students with disabilities
will be presented.
The main aim of this research paper is to inform the intended audience of why inclusion is
necessary and the effects that it has on students. It will not only enlighten them but stimulate a
desire in the teachers and students to take action on making the classroom a more inclusive
environment. The expected conclusion for this research paper is that I can educate the audience
about the importance of the effects or results of inclusion and ways that they can help foster it for
a better education system.
Detailed Outline
Introduction:
The opening paragraph of this essay provides the reader with a clear definition of what inclusion
is as well as an overview of some of its main features. It will entail brief research findings that
show the effects that inclusion has on students academically and socially and what its outcomes
are for such individuals.
Body:
Section 1
I) Academic Effects
A) Better use and knowledge in literacy
1. Most students with disabilities often encounter problems in literacy.
2. Students are usually provided with these to develop their literacy:
a) opportunities
b) activities
c) strategies
3. Inclusive settings appear to be fundamental for the literacy development of
children with disabilities. (Research finding)
B) Increased Cognitive development
1. Inclusion ensures access to the general education curriculum.
2. Two strategies of practice:
a. cooperative learning
b. peer tutoring
3. It provides a more stimulating environment for cognition.
4. Students develop critical thinking skills and complex thinking skills.
Section 2
II) Social Effects
A) Development of peer relationships and acceptance
1. Many students with disabilities often feel isolated and have poor social skills.
2. To gain a better understanding they are taught social skills:
a. how to interact with people and create relationships
b. people interact with them frequently
3. Inclusion can help students with disabilities reduce the fear of human
differences.
Contradictory findings
B) Whether inclusion has a positive effect on students with disabilities
1. Students may feel that they will be insulted, teased or harmed because of their
disability.
2. Too much emphasis on socialization and less on academics
3. Some students with disabilities need to attend special schools to develop other
important skills in a more fixed environment.
4. Students can develop a sense of low self-esteem and self-worth.
C) The effect that inclusion has on students without disabilities
1. Students may see this as a disruption, distraction for their own learning.
2. It can create a degree of resentment or tension among students with disabilities and
those without.
Conclusion:
The conclusion will indicate the main effects of inclusion that were found out and its
contradictory findings. It was include recommendations of how these contradictions can be
overcome and also what I learnt from doing this research paper.
Working Outline
(First Half of Essay)
Inclusion has been defined on numerous accounts in the past and also recently, however,
a prominent definition remains to be, “Inclusion is a movement of families, educators, and
community members that seeks to create schools and other social institutions based on
acceptance, belonging, and community.” (Salend, 1998, p.7) Some of the key features of schools
where inclusive education is said to be thriving are: collaborative teamwork, a shared
framework, family involvement, general educator ownership, clear role relationships among
professionals, effective use of support staff and procedures for evaluating effectiveness.
(Giangreco, 1997.) According to Kochlar, West and Taymans (2002), inclusion promotes levels
of achievement higher or at least high as those achieved in self-contained classrooms. It also
facilitates more appropriate social behaviour because of higher expectations in the general
education classroom for students with disabilities.
Most students are proficient enough in literacy and can communicate on a day to day
basis with their level of literacy skills. However, students with disabilities who are regular non-
attenders are found to be those with literacy and numeracy scores one to four years behind their
peers. (Topping and Maloney, 2005, p. 124). Teachers hold the responsibility of helping these
students with disabilities to develop to their literacy skills.
Students need to be given the opportunities in order to start or in some cases, continue in
the developmental process of their literacy skills. Teachers should create an environment where
literacy can be fostered with and without help from adults or those with high literacy skills.
Vaughn and colleagues (2000) opine that “all students should have the opportunity to be exposed
to the same information.”
Some of the opportunities that teachers should create are embedded in classroom
instructions, written, reading and homework assignments and also tests, quizzes and grades. In
classroom instructions, teachers should write key points of instruction on the board or allow
them to read it orally. They should also provide study guides that identify key vocabulary and
concepts and also provide positive feedback. In written, reading and homework assignments the
teacher should not penalize students for errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. The value
of listening comprehension should be recognized and also practiced and lastly, teachers must
allow the student to type or dictate their own homework assignments. With tests, quizzes and
grades, it should be kept in mind that terminologies or concepts must be simplified according to
the level of the student.
Students need to be provided with activities in order to boost their literacy development.
Opportunities alone cannot suffice the development process, students need to practice and learn
from activities ordered by the teacher. In reading and writing activities there should be a focus
on the students’ experiences, interests, and background knowledge. (Salend, 1998, p.317)
A variety of activities for integrating reading and writing throughout the curriculum to
develop the literacy skills of students with disabilities exists. Among such are storytelling,
repeated reading, choral reading and drama. Storytelling is one of the most basic forms of
promoting literacy in students because it gains the attention and interest of students. (Maldonado-
Colon, 1991.) concur that storytelling can assist students in constructing meaning from text,
promote listening comprehension and vocabulary skills, and motivate students to read. Repeated
reading is the process of simply rereading short meaningful sentences. (Salend, 1998, p.318)
holds the view that repeated reading of a book or a selection can increase students’ fluency and
also aid students in learning the rhythm, volume, and tone and language patterns of a student’s
second language. Choral reading involves the students and teachers in reading materials together
and it promotes students fluency, vocabulary development, dictation, self-confidence and
motivation to read. (McCauley & McCauley, 1992.) According to (Hernandez, 1989) drama is
the acting out or retelling of stories through miming, gestures, role playing and the use of props
and it is though drama that a students’ reading and language acquisition can be greatly improved.
Inclusive settings clearly appear to be fundamental for the literacy development of
students with disabilities. The inclusive classroom does not hold a fixed design but it differs
according to the interactions of the teachers and the students. According to Kliewer (2008), it is a
classroom where learning often happens in small groups with peer support and it is student
centred. Research has also shown that in an inclusive setting, there is improved reading
performance. (Salend, 2001.)
Inclusion ensures access to the general education curriculum. Access to and time spent in
the general education programs appear to not only increase their cognitive abilities but it also
enhances the student’s preparation for adulthood. In the opinion of Salend (1998) students with
disabilities who partake in the general education curriculum are more likely to participate in
post-secondary academic programs, be socially integrated into their community and be employed
and make high salaries.
There are two main strategies of practice in inclusive classrooms that are used-co-
operative learning and peer tutoring. According to Kagan, Spencer (1994) co-operative learning
is a successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of
ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. In co-
operative learning students with special needs are not pulled out or excluded from their
classrooms for additional instruction rather, the special education staffs provides instruction in
the regular classroom, to increase learning time and gives students an opportunity to participate
fully in their classrooms. Research findings has shown that co-operative learning techniques do