Through the eyes of the beholder:unfolding social participation "from within" the classroom

With the implementation of the act for “Befitting Education”, the aim is that within the Dutch education, every student has the right to be included in regular schools. Students should be supported to reach their academic potential and should feel that they belong in the class. Students with behavioural difficulties, however, experience problems with their social participation, such as being excepted by peers. In this study, the perspectives of the primary school teacher, students with behavioural difficulties and scientific literature are unfolded, in order to gain more insights in how social participation is facilitated and perceived “from within” the classroom. One of the conclusions is that the students’ perspectives are underrepresented when facilitating social participation in the classroom. Due to the different needs of students on how social participation is facilitated, it is essential to include their perspectives; otherwise, their needs cannot not be met. At the same time, teachers apply a limited repertoire of strategies to facilitate the social participation of students. This is a worrisome finding because this could lead to a one-size-fits-all approach. An explanation for this finding is that intervention programs provide limited hands-on strategies that can be applied individually to realise a needs-based approach for all students. In the move towards realising the intentions of inclusive education and social participation, the identified strategies and created interview should be implemented in practice. By doing so, the needs of students with and without behavioural difficulties could be fully promoted

Using Q methodology:Sorting out subjectivity in educational research

Understanding subjective perspectives and lived experiences of different stakeholders can improve pupils’ learning environment in compulsory school settings. Q methodology is an inherently mixed method approach and regarded as the basis for the science of subjectivity. The present paper reviewed recent Q methodological publications in compulsory education research. Seventy-four studies reporting from context in twenty countries met the inclusion criteria and showed a wide-ranging and diverse application of the research methodology. The subjectivity of teachers, pupils and others were explored on topics related to the science of learning and development and teacher characteristics. This review showcases how Q methodology is applied to access subjectivity in educational research and provides an overview of Q methodological find- ings and implications for the field. The wide range of the application of Q studies in compulsory education attests to the flexibility and suitability of this research method in educational research

Strategies of teachers in the regular classroom

It is known that regular schoolteachers have difficulties in educating students with social, emotional and behavioral difficulties (SEBD), mainly because of their disruptive behavior. In order to manage the disruptive behavior of students with SEBD many advices and strategies are provided in educational literature. However, very little is known about teachers′ strategies in daily practice to enhance the social participation of these students. The current study aims at revealing what teachers do to improve the social participation of students with SEBD in regular class via expert panel meetings. The data from the expert panels were half-open coded with two codebooks. The results indicate that teachers use many different strategies. However, not all strategies were directly aimed at improving the social participation. Teachers also aimed at preconditions like parental contact

What do Dutch general education teachers do to facilitate the social participation of students with SEBD?

Few studies have addressed the daily practice of applied teacher strategies aimed at facilitating the social participation of students with social-emotional problems or behavioural difficulties (SEBD). In this paper, we present two interlinked studies that address this topic. The main study reports on the development of the Teacher Strategy Questionnaire on Social Participation in the Classroom (TSQ-SPC). We tested the questionnaire's construct validity by performing a second-order confirmatory factor analysis. The follow-up study presents the results of a survey of 163 Dutch general primary education teachers of inclusive classes using a modified version of the TSQ-SPC. It provides insights on the strategies that teachers apply in their daily practice to facilitate positive social participation of students with SEBD. The findings of both studies suggest that general primary education teachers apply a limited repertoire of strategies. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for further research focusing on the development of interventions and revisions of the pre- and in-service teacher development curricula aimed at adequately supporting and preparing general education teachers

Young children’s perspectives on resolving social exclusion within inclusive classrooms

Not all children benefit from the opportunities of inclusive education, especially children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). This article presents the findings of a Q study exploring the perspectives of children with or at risk of SEBD, who experience difficulties with their social participation within the mainstream classroom. Forty-five children, aged 6–8 years, sorted 15 statements outlining approaches for resolving social exclusion and victimisation situations. Four shared perspectives were identified per situation using by-person factor analysis. These perspectives differed primarily with respect to the actors held responsible for resolving the situation. Therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate for addressing the social needs of children with or at risk of SEBD within the inclusive classroom