Inclusive Instruction for Students with Emotional Disturbance: An Investigation of Classroom Practice

Abstract

A survey was developed to obtain information on practitioner self-reported knowledge, use, and perceived effectiveness of classroom-based practices for the inclusive instruction of students with Emotional Disturbance (ED). This study reports descriptive results for a sample of general and special education teachers from the northeast who provided inclusive instruction and/or support to at least one student with ED in a general education classroom in the past year. Mann–Whitney and MANOVA tests were employed to determine differences between teacher populations for individual practices and four clusters of practices identified in an exploratory factor analysis (EFA; Behavioral Supports, Differentiation, Classroom Management, Instructional Practices). Findings suggest that special educators serve an important role in efforts to provide instruction that focuses on inclusion rather than merely integration. Implications for practice, study limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.

The Experiences of Students with Disabilities Actually Doing Service Learning: A Systematic Review

“…Whereas all four studies in the current review and the review by Dymond et al (2011) included students with EBD (Brill, 1994; Frey, 2003; McCarty & Hazelkorn, 2001; Muscott & O’Brien, 1999), only one of the nine unique studies in the current review focused exclusively on EBD (Curtin & Garcia, 2011) and five of them did not include any students with EBD (Bonati, 2014; Bonati & Dymond, 2019; Cox, 2012; Hendrickson, 2016; Miller, 2013; Powell, 2004). We are not advocating for less of a focus on students with EBD, as their needs in the areas of civic outcomes are many (Garwood et al, 2021b; McKenna et al, 2022). However, it is encouraging to see researchers including more diverse participants in their studies.…”

Impact of co‐teaching on general educator self‐reported knowledge and use of inclusive practices for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities: A pilot investigation

“…Inclusion may be implemented through co‐teaching, which involves leveraging the expertise of credentialed general and special educators to promote high‐quality general education instruction that is appropriately differentiated and supported through the use of specialized supports and practices. Previous research suggests that special educators reported statistically significant greater use of such practices compared to general educators and, thus, play a critical role in access to recommended specialized practices and supports for the inclusion of students with EBD (McKenna et al, 2022). However, that investigation did not account for potential differences in the self‐reported knowledge and use of these practices by general educators that could be explained by the frequency with which they co‐teach.…”

“…Data for this study came from a previous survey investigation of inclusive instruction for students with EBD in one of the northeastern states in the United States (McKenna et al, 2022). Specifically, the survey focused on teachers' knowledge, use, and perceived effectiveness of recommended classroom‐based practices for the inclusive instruction of students with EBD.…”

“…Furthermore, there is little research focusing on the practices in which teachers are (a) knowledgeable, (b) willing or able to employ, and (c) perceive as effective when providing inclusive instruction to students with EBD. McKenna et al (2022) conducted a survey study to obtain a better understanding of teacher self‐reported knowledge, use, and perceived effectiveness of recommended classroom practices for the inclusion of students with EBD. The survey, Readiness and Access to Inclusive Instruction for Students with Emotional Disturbance (RAISE; McKenna, 2019), was developed through a multi‐step process, which included a systematic literature review and expert panel feedback (McKenna, Newton, et al, 2021).…”

“…An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) utilizing participant responses to Knowledge items revealed four factors: Behavioral Support (18 practices), Classroom Management (10 practices), Differentiation (10 practices), and Instructional Practices (6 practices; McKenna, Newton, et al, 2021). A descriptive analysis of participants' responses (McKenna et al, 2022) revealed statistically significant differences between special educators and general educators in: Behavioral Support Knowledge (partial eta squared = 0.151; large effect), Behavioral Support Use (partial eta squared = 0.155; large effect), Differentiation Use (partial eta squared = 0.063; medium effect), Classroom Management Use (partial eta squared = 0.035; small effect), and Behavioral Support Effectiveness (partial eta squared = 0.132; large effect).…”