ERIC Number: ED657446
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 111
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3831-3552-5
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Primary Grade Students' Perspectives on Classroom Access: A Case Study
Ciara C. Bouhouris
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, State University of New York at Binghamton
Special education comprises specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities (IDEA, 2017, Sec. 300.39). IDEA further states that specially designed instruction can be implemented in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings. Placement decisions are determined within the guidelines of the Federal education policy known as the least restrictive environment, which centers on maximizing inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities. Although there is a plethora of research on teachers' perspectives of educating students with disabilities in a fully inclusive environment (Avramidis & Norwich, 2002; Bolourian et. al., 2022; Coates, 1989; Reddig et. al., 2021) and parental perspectives of inclusive education (Downing & Rebollo, 1999; Schultz et. al., 2016) research that explores primary students' perspectives on inclusive classroom access is limited. Further, studies that evaluate student perspectives on inclusion tend to focus on all grade levels K-12 and/or specific disability categories (Francisco et. al., 2020). Despite abundant research on inclusion outcomes for students with disabilities, there is little evidence about primary grade students' perspectives on access to the general education classroom. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how first-grade students with disabilities perceive access with regard to inclusion. This was a qualitative case study that used purposeful student sampling in a first-grade classroom. Findings from reflexive thematic analysis revealed students with disabilities understand access as learning in a classroom from a general education teacher and nondisabled peers. Further, student participants preferred their inclusion classroom over more restrictive settings. The least restrictive environment has given student participants the opportunities to experience education amongst peers of all abilities and has helped to shape their perspectives on inclusion. This analysis provides further insight for future research on inclusion. It also allows for further discussion on the importance of using student perceptions to influence how the least restrictive environment is enacted in United States schools. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Elementary School Students, Student Attitudes, Educational Environment, Physical Environment, Case Studies, Inclusion, Classroom Environment, Classroom Design, Grade 1, Students with Disabilities, General Education
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Grade 1; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A