Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Inclusive Culture
Establishing an inclusive culture within a school sets the tone for each classroom and
teacher within it. In a study focusing on an urban elementary school, Arun K. Ramanathan and
company (2010) found that there are three underlying characteristics of a school that has
community, and shared language and values (p. 160). Another study found similar findings,
where principals held specific characteristics in developing inclusive cultures at their schools.
Osiname (2016) found that principals create a positive inclusive school culture if they adopted a
growth mindset, encouraged dialogue, provided a supportive environment, and established a safe
and caring environment (p. 3). The positive culture throughout the schools also came from
relationships, sustaining a renewal process, and taking responsibility for students (Osiname
2016).
Teacher Training
Many studies have shown that teachers are negatively affected by inclusive classrooms
when they were not trained to work with those specific students, and/or were not provided
enough resources to properly educate those same students (Ross-Hill 2009). Teachers have stated
that they do not receive adequate support within their schools and in a study of 118 special and
general education teachers, 92% believed collaborative practices were present in their schools,
but only 57% reported actual use of such practices (Damore & Murray 2009; Ross-Hill 2009).
Even after taking instructional courses and training in inclusionary practices, teachers feel that
they do not have enough resources provided by their schools to properly educate their many
students with disabilities, to a point that “some general education teachers do not support an
inclusive model of teaching citing their own lack of training preparation for teaching in inclusive
Inclusive Practices
instruction strategies when working with students with special needs and reviewed high leverage
practices such as, identify and prioritize long- and short-term learning goals, systematically
design instruction toward a specific learning goal, adapt curriculum tasks and materials for
specific learning goals, teach cognitive and metacognitive strategies to support learning and
independence, provide scaffolded supports, use explicit instruction, use flexible grouping, use
strategies to promote active student engagement, use assistive and instructional technologies,
provide intensive instruction, teach students to maintain and generalize new learning across time
and settings, and provide positive and constructive feedback to guide students’ learning and
behavior (p. 69-92). For the purpose of this research, I will only focus on the practices of flexible
grouping, using assistive and instructional technologies, and providing positive and constructive
feedback, three high leverage practices that would benefit the school in which the research is
being conducted. Having access to these high leverage practices gives teachers effective
strategies in order to properly educate their students with special needs and give them options to
Flexible Grouping. Flexible grouping is an idea used in the education system for a long
time and it is important for teachers to properly implement. When designed and carried out
accurately, small heterogeneous and homogeneous groups can greatly improve interpersonal and
academic student outcomes (Hattie 2008; Heward & Wood 2015). Homogenous groups are made
up of students with common academic strengths and weaknesses (McLeskey & Company 2017).
These kinds of groups are used when specific students need explicit and individualized
instruction. Many different studies on homogeneous groups in classrooms found that smaller
groups, as small as one to two students, are most effective in improving achievement (Erlbaum,
Vaughn, Hughes, & Moody 2000; Iverson, Tunmer, & Chapman 2005; Vaughn et al. 2003).
Heterogeneous groups are used to mix students together from all different skill levels, strengths,
and weaknesses (McLeskey & Company 2017). These groups are used when all students are
participating in grade-level work so students can work on skills like collaboration. Evidence has
shown “that small groups should be highly structured and include (a) systematic goal, task, and
material selection; (b) clear instructional directives; and (c) explicit strategies to maximize and
equalize student response opportunities” (McLeskey & Company 2017). Research has shown
that using flexible grouping improves student achievement, however, teachers need to remember
to implement other high leverage practices when using small groups, like providing constructive
within education has been shown to greatly benefit students with different learning needs
(McLeskey & Company 2017). Students with disabilities have been positively affected by three
systems (AACs), and computer-aided instruction (McLeskey & Company 2017). Video-self
modeling is when an individual observes themselves on video performing a task correctly and
has been shown to improve performance on tasks such as arithmetic, task behavior, and reading
fluency (McLeskey & Company 2017). Research has also found that alternative communication
systems, such as electronic devices with synthesized speech, picture boards, sign language, have
strong positive effects for academic and challenging behaviors, social skills, with the strongest
effects for communication skills (McLeskey & Company 2017). Mayer (2008) found that
computer-aided instruction, “when designed well, [can] reduce the cognitive load on learners and
increase their attention level, allowing for more efficient and effective learning” (p. 760).
According to McLeskey & Company (2017), using assistive and instructional technologies when
teaching students with special needs has had a “moderately positive effect with a weighted
known to be an important part of learning, but the way educators choose to give feedback effects
whether it will benefit the student or not. In a study, it was also found that giving feedback after
an assignment is turned in is ineffective (McLeskey & Company 2017). McLeskey & Company
(2017) explain that “the longer the time between receiving feedback and recalling it, much less
using it, the more the feedback message fades from specific descriptions and suggestions to a
McLeskey & Company (2017) synthesized research on constructive feedback and found
that there are specific feedback strategies educators should be using: Focus feedback on the
process, self-referenced feedback, select one or two important points for feedback, and suggest
small steps for improvement, use simple vocabulary, and check for understanding of feedback
(p.94). Another study was done by Hattie and Timperley (2007) conducted meta-analysis
research on the effectiveness of feedback (p.81-112). They found that the most effective forms of
feedback “are in the form of video-, audio-, or computer-assisted instructional feedback; and/or
relate to goals” (Hattie & Timperley 2007). Hattie and Timperley (2007) also found that
feedback that are the least effective in enhancing performance in the forms of programmed