Learning Disability Quarterly · 2001 · 177 citations · 26 references
EducationSecondary EducationSpecial EducationDisabilityInclusive EducationLearning DisabilitiesEducation For Children With DisabilitiesInclusive Classroom PracticesInclusive PedagogyInclusive PracticeInclusive TeachingSpecial Education InclusionComplexityInclusive Algebra InstructionInclusive Classroom CurriculumInclusive InstructionInclusive Learning EnvironmentsTeacher Attitudes Toward InclusionTeacher Preparation For Inclusion
Secondary‑level inclusion poses significant challenges, with academic complexity, instructional pace, teacher attitudes, and high‑stakes testing cited as key concerns. The article reviews effective inclusive classroom characteristics and applies them to secondary‑level students with disabilities. It examines recent interventions—peer tutoring, co‑teaching, and strategy instruction—in English, algebra, and biology classes to illustrate these characteristics. Observed inconsistencies in results underscore the complexities of implementing inclusive instruction at the secondary level.
Although less frequently represented in the literature, inclusion on the secondary level represents a significant challenge for educators. Of particular concern are issues of academic complexity, pace of instruction, teacher attitudes, and the potential consequences of high-stakes testing. In this article, we first review the characteristics of effective inclusive classrooms and then discuss these characteristics with reference to secondary-level students with disabilities. Next, we describe recent undertakings in some areas of importance to secondary inclusive classrooms, including English, algebra, and biology classes, employing such interventions as peer tutoring, co-teaching, and strategy instruction. Inconsistencies in the observed patterns of results highlight the complexities of inclusive instruction on the secondary level.
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