The Pros and Cons of Inclusive Education
Inclusive education seems like a relatively straightforward, nondiscriminatory idea that would benefit all children. However, although the US Department of Education has indicated that the number of students educated in inclusive classrooms increased to 64.8% from 46.5% in 2019, there has been no substantial progress made since then. Indeed, some still argue that it is not the best educational practice.
What Is Inclusive Education?
Inclusive education refers to the practice of educating all students of a certain grade level in an integrated fashion, regardless of their gender, family income, learning styles or disabilities.
While inclusive education applies to all students, not just special education students, children with disabilities are a big reason for the trend toward inclusion. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that public schools educate students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. That means that given reasonable accommodations, students with disabilities should spend as much time with their general education peers as possible.
In order for mainstreaming to be effective, teachers and administrators have had to make changes to the classroom. For example, a greater emphasis is placed on active learning and applied curriculum. Teachers need to use multi-level instructional approaches to make sure that all of their students understand the material and learning. Diverse student needs must be met through individualized attention. This is no easy task and one that new teachers need to be trained in if they are going to meet the demands of an inclusion class.
What Are The Benefits of Inclusive Education?
Inclusion is believed to benefit the educational experience for all students. Teachers must present materials in different ways so that all students with different learning styles can understand the material. This ensures that all children are able to understand the material being presented.
Tolerance
Inclusive education also benefits general education students by teaching them tolerance and acceptance for people who might be different from them. It does this by encouraging children without disabilities to learn to help children with disabilities and to be comfortable around people of different abilities.
A 2017 study by the National Center on Universal Design for Learning found that students in inclusive classrooms demonstrated higher levels of social skills, empathy, and acceptance of diversity compared to students in traditional classrooms.
Increased Self-Esteem
Inclusion can benefit students with disabilities by fostering a sense of belonging and participation alongside their peers. This can lead to increased motivation and self-esteem. Additionally, interaction with a broader range of students can provide opportunities to develop social skills, communication abilities, and exposure to different learning styles. By providing appropriate support and accommodations, inclusive environments can empower students with disabilities to reach their full potential.
A 2010 study in the Journal of Educational Psychology found that students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms reported higher levels of motivation and self-efficiacy compared to those in segregated settings. This could be linked to feeling valued and included in the general learning environment.
What Are The Drawbacks of Inclusive Education?
Critics of inclusive education argue that mainstreaming can be difficult in classrooms with large class sizes. One of their primary arguments is that teachers cannot possibly effectively teach students with such diverse learning styles and abilities in public school classrooms that have an average size of 18-30 students.
Indeed, a 2020 study published in "Educational Researcher" found a positive correlation between lower student-to-teacher ratios and the likelihood of teachers using individualized instruction. This suggests that large class sizes can make it difficult to tailor instruction to specific learning styles and abilities.
Instead, research shows that smaller class sizes are linked to increased student engagement, which can be crucial for catering to diverse learning styles
A 2016 meta-analysis published in "Review of Educational Research" found that smaller class sizes are associated with increased student engagement. Since diverse learning styles often require different engagement strategies, this suggests that large classes can be challenging for catering to diverse needs.
This has led some critics of inclusion to argue that grouping students according to ability, also known as tracking, is the best way to educate all students.
It's important to acknowledge that well-implemented inclusive education programs, even in larger classrooms, can offer benefits for all students. With proper support for teachers, such as professional development in differentiated instruction and access to additional resources, inclusive classrooms can foster a more accepting and collaborative learning environment.
Is There a Trend Toward Inclusive Education In the US?
For some, inclusive education is seen as a civil rights issue. For proponents of this theory, segregating students according to ability (or disability) is akin to segregating students according to race or gender. Therefore, as a matter of equality, inclusion is encouraged.
Another reason for the trend toward inclusion in the United States is the IDEA legislation. IDEA requires that an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) be developed by an IEP Team for each public school student in the United States who is eligible for special education. Each IEP Team is required by law to justify any time that a student with a disability spends outside of the general classroom.
Inclusion remains a heavily debated and controversial topic. Parents, teachers, school administrators and even some students often have very strong feelings on the topic of inclusive education and, as with many other educational practices, it is possible that inclusion is a wonderful benefit for some students and a drawback for others.
