University of San Jose-Recoletos

Basak-Pardo, 6000 Cebu City

School of Education

“21st Century Inclusive Education Model:

Effective Modification and Accommodation
Techniques that Work”
Deocares, Cheska Yvonne

Enemecio, Ferlyn

Georsua, Shemiah
1.0 Introduction

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 talks about Quality Education, which

promulgates equal and quality education. This indicates that inclusive education, regardless of

any limitations, provides quality and fair education for all, not just in the Philippines but also

in a global context. In the Philippines, there has been a problem in terms of a sudden

educational paradigm shift that has hindered learning and teaching in special education.

Techniques are what teachers apply to a student to help them learn and grow. Different

techniques can be used in an inclusive classroom, such as accommodation and modification.

The objective and goal of providing accommodations and modifications is to assist in the

establishment of equity so that the student may attain a certain goal. (Anzalone & Noordegraf,

2020). As specified by Volpitta (2019), accommodation can help kids learn the same material

as their peers. Time extensions and material modifications, according to Kim and Lee (2020),

can increase the likelihood of academic achievement and have a direct impact on test results.

According to Chan V in 2016, educational system accommodations for students might differ

significantly. Evidence-based practices are defined differently in educational systems than in

medical systems. Improving results and achieving previously stated goals are considered

successful in the educational system.While the modification is a technique where the content

is being modified and standards are being changed to meet students. In line with the study of

Volpitta,(2019), in modification, kids who are far behind their peers may need changes to the

curriculum they’re learning. Poor implementation of inclusive education was caused by

inadequate structural modification policy guidelines, poor attitudes of key stakeholders,

poverty, and a lack of teachers with special needs education training (Ireri et al., 2020). As the

traditional saying goes, special education is not just necessarily special; it is just good teaching,

and good teaching often means making appropriate modifications and accommodations.

According to Rudiyati et al. (2017), with the implementation of inclusivity, teachers'

mentoring is still necessary as a result, mentoring is required during implementation. From an

inclusive primary school teacher, teaching accommodations and modifications for children

with learning disabilities. As stated by Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

(CRPD) in 2017, to ensure the right to inclusive education, all formal and informal educational

institutions must change their culture, policy, and practice to accommodate the many needs and

identities of individual students, as well as a commitment to remove the barriers that prevent

this. Accommodations are supported and services are provided to help a student access the

general education curriculum and validly demonstrate learning (Ferry, 2011). On the other

hand, as stated by Smith et al. (1995), modification generally refers to changes in policies that

may affect students with disabilities. In these literatures the researchers had a common theme

which they focus on definition of -accommodation and modification that direct about

curriculum and standards. According to a study given by the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act (IDEA) in 2010, children with disabilities must participate in their state’s grade-

level assessments to determine their level of content mastery. Recognizing that disability has

its impact, IDEA permits children with disabilities to participate in large-scale assessment

programs with accommodation. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) expressed that students

with disabilities (those covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) must be provided with the appropriate accommodation

necessary to participate in these tests. Accommodations and modifications are types of

adaptations that are made to the environment, curriculum, instruction, or assessment practices

in order for students with diverse educational needs to be successful learners and to actively

participate with other students in the general education classroom and in school-wide activities.

(Callanta & Pendon, 2016).

The instructional method is the most common finding in the numerous reviews of

related literature. The researchers noticed the study's gap. While actually playing the most
important function in assisting and molding learners, processes are rarely given enough

attention. Special education students have the opportunity to teach independent living skills.

Few studies explicitly focusing on modifications and accommodations that are effective in

Cebu and the Philippines have been conducted, according to a variety of studies. The

researchers typically discover that either accommodation or modification works, rather than

really identifying the many actual accommodation and modification strategies.

The study aims to find out the techniques in an inclusive education set-up that are being

used by special education teachers in terms of accommodation and modification. Specifically

it aims to (1)assess the level of implementation of accommodation and modification techniques

in an inclusive setting as perceived by the teachers and parents, (2) the level of satisfaction of

accommodation and modification techniques in an inclusive setting as perceived by the

teachers and parents, (3) the significant difference with the parents and teacher’s perception in

terms of level of implementation and level of satisfaction,and (4) the narrative experiences of

teachers and parents in the implementation of accommodation and modification techniques that

work today. This intends to design a 21st century inclusive education model that is appropriate

yet fitting today.

This study can help close the gap by assisting teachers with the best accommodation

and modification strategies to students in an inclusive education and whether specific

approaches have a positive effect on students' academic competency. The study is beneficial

for teachers and parents to know about the best accommodation and modification techniques

which are timely and relevant to assist children with special needs in further strengthen their

skills and core competencies.

2.0 Theoretical Framework

The Theory of Constructivism by Hulgin and Drake (2011) and the Theory of

Cognitivism by (Evgeniou & Loizou) 2012 mainly support this study.

Constructivism is a theory that states rather than passively absorbing information,

learners construct knowledge. People create their own representations and incorporate new

information into their pre-existing knowledge as they interact with the world and reflect on it

(schemas). Constructivism, according to Hulgin and Drake, rejects the idea that there are

successful instructional procedures independent of context, including the acknowledgment and

respect towards completeness and particularity of students' backgrounds and interests. Creating

a classroom environment that emphasizes collaboration and exchange of ideas is vital for

modification and accommodation. Students must learn to express themselves properly as well

as collaborate successfully on responsibilities by participating in group projects

Constructivism theory specifically implies students should be able to generate their own

knowledge through experience rather than relying on the knowledge provided by teachers.

Teachers and parents are the primary variables in this study for they are the conductors of

lessons and observers of their students. As a result, they should be the primary variables in this

study because they are the ones who will be able to answer specific questions about their

students' progress and what specific accommodations techniques are appropriate in each

situation.

Constructivism is concerned with the curriculum's strength and sanctity, as well as the

subordination of students' own evolving ideas (Akpan & Beard, 2016). All students must create

their own new skills and information. A modification usually refers to a change in what the

pupil is taught or expected to do. For instance, making assignments easy could be one example,

so that the student does not have to complete as much work as the other students. By directing
instruction, the constructivist learning approach enhances student engagement. Teachers

should encourage students to express their problems, then offer strategies to help them by

utilizing what they already know to think outside the box of what they now believe. Students

also noted that deferring tests, taking exams in a smaller group, and having extra time for

activities were useful in lowering and handling challenges with planning a schedule. In the

context of accommodation and modification for children with special needs based on this

theory, giving students for instance, more time to finish tests as an effective form of

accommodation can be ways of focusing on student's core strength rather than his weakness

as suggested. (Accardo et al., 2018).

Theoretically, cognitivism essentially focuses on the attributes of one's thinking,

memory, self-reflection, and motivation to learn. Piaget argued that "during each

developmental stage, the ability to learn and the process of learning is different'' (Evgeniou &

Loizou, 2012). The cognitive approach focuses on the mental activities of the learner that

influence responses and acknowledges the processes of mental planning, goal setting, and

organizational strategies. Cognitive theories place emphasis on making knowledge meaningful

and helping learners be more organized and able to relate new information to existing

knowledge stored. This theory contends that learning motivation is crucial to maintaining

the learner's interest and development because accommodation and modification call for

cognitive processes that respect important learning developmental stages.

The researchers’ main related literature is Vygotsky’s theory entitled “Social

Development” on cognition, which is limited to a certain range at any given age and full

development requires social interaction, which is mainly called the Zone of Proximal

Development. This theory theorized that a child must reach a certain level of cultural

development in order the learning to occur as learning was dependent in social interaction

(Moll, L.,1990, p.9) The way the people learn today is being change through the vast changes
of new innovations and technologies but learning from your environment or from social

interaction is a different kind of learning. This theory connects to this study by which it is stated

in the theory that social interaction is a good way of learning from a more knowledgeable other.

The teacher must apply strategies such as scaffolding in order to give information to her

students in this way the teaching strategy of the teacher is being applied.

Applying this theory further to the learning context, internal ideas and external factors

are both important parts of the cognitive process, according to cognitive theory. Teachers can

use cognitive learning techniques that will help the students learn more effectively. They can

develop behavioral systems that foster better conduct through cognitive learning. Teachers

should also collaborate with parents to provide effective learning environments outside of the

classroom using these various accommodation strategies: (1) Presentation Accommodations,

which are instructions, directions, and information which are presented differently, allowing

learners specially with those learning disability to access information in ways other than

traditional visual or auditory means, such as reading or listening; (2) Response

Accommodations which allow students with disabilities to demonstrate their learning by

completing instructional assignments or assessments through ways other than typical verbal or

written responses; (3) Settings Accommodations, which are changes to educational

environments or practices that assist students with disabilities in overcoming learning obstacles

caused by their disabilities; and (4) Timing and Scheduling Accommodations, which allow

changes in time management. These modifications frequently reduce student frustration and

fatigue, allowing them to access and demonstrate their learning.

These theories will be used to determine if the modifications and accommodations

made by these teachers are successful and efficient in the 21st Century Inclusive Education

Model. The goal is to see if the educational methods utilized have an impact on the academic

development of the students with special needs.

Figure 1. The Schematic Diagram of Implementing the Theoretical Framework

The research framework takes into account the connections between constructivism

theory by Hulgin and Drake on modification and cognitivism theory by Evgeniou and Loizou

on accommodation and modification techniques. These are the methods that the special

education (SPED) teacher uses to instruct students with disabilities and which parents will also

require to instruct their children at home, the way parents and teachers adapt given instructions

affects the student's achievement as well as the use of accommodation (response, presentation,

setting, time & scheduling) and modification (curiculum change, grading options, school

expectation) approaches can significantly improve the performance of students with special

needs and help them achieve their goals. Feedback shall be gathered from teachers and parents

on the effective practices, including the challenges and enablers in order to determine the 21st

century model that works best today.

3.0 Research Methodology

RESEARCH DESIGN

This research is quantitative and qualitative research that uses survey methods. This

method is the strongest way to identify the commonly used techniques in applying

modifications and accommodations in a classroom setting. This study made use of the

traditional survey method with the use of a survey questionnaire. A researcher posed some set

of questions to schools that have inclusive settings. Survey method in our action research is a

useful approach when a researcher aims to identify the commonly used techniques practiced

by the teachers in accommodations and modifications.

RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

This study will be conducted in four different schools namely: University of San Jose

Recoletos, Rainbow Connection Child Learning Center, Mandaue SPED Center Highschool &

Zapatera Elementary School. The Providence Special Children's Center in Punta Princesa

relocated to the USJ-R Basak Campus and was taken up by the College as a community

outreach project for local children with special needs. Saint Ezekiel Moreno Special Learning

Center, was the center's new name. A training center for the DepEd Teachers' Certificate

Program in the subjects of English, Math, Science, and Makabayan was also established within

the University. Rainbow Connection Child Learning Center is built upon the assumption that

educating your child is a team effort with teachers and parents working together in support of

each other. Your child is important to you and important to us, and we need to work together

to help them grow, learn and develop, both as an individual and as a member of our school

community. One of the well-known schools in Ll is Mandaue SPED Center High School.

Mandaue City is included under Local business in Mandaue City and Elementary School in

Mandaue City. Catalino Ouano St., Mandaue City, Cebu. Zapatera Elementary School Sped is
a school in the province of Cebu, VII - Central Visayas, in the municipality of Cebu City

(capital). It was founded on January 01, 1909. The aim of the Zapatera Elementary School Sped

Center is to advance social awareness of the distinctiveness of the Filipino on the spectrum,

inclusive development on human rights, education, employment, and media, among other

things, as well as personal self-awareness, self-expression, and a sense of belonging to a

nurturing environment.

RESEARCH RESPONDENTS

The respondents are five (5) teachers per school who are in an inclusive class which

applies accommodation and modification techniques in their classroom. Ten parents per school

who have children with special needs in an inclusive classroom will also be selected to ensure

veracity, reliability and strength of the answers based on the research questions. They will

help in giving out ideas and knowledge that are needed in order to consider this research as

exact and reliable, given with the data entrusted by the different teachers/educators.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS

This study utilized online or printed questionnaires in gathering data. The

questionnaires are composed of four (4) parts. The first part is to check the accommodation

and modification techniques in an inclusive education set- up that are being used by special

education teachers in the pandemic setting. Secondly, the level of implementation of

accommodation and modification techniques in an inclusive setting perceived by the

respondents are measured in the second part of the tool. Then, the level of satisfaction of

accommodation and modification techniques shall also be asked to strengthen the research

basis pertaining to approach utilization. Lastly, the interview schedule containing the narrative

experiences of teachers and parents in the implementation of accommodation and modification

techniques that work today completes the set of questionnaires.

 The tools are prepared and crafted by the researchers that contain questions needed to

gather the necessary data in determining the most common accommodation and modification

techniques that are used inside an inclusive classroom. The tool is important for obtaining the

required responses from survey respondents. All respondents received the consent forms and

information once the researcher sent transmittal letters to the superintendent of the Schools

Division. Research ethics are followed in this study to make sure that no breaches of the

research procedure are committed by the researcher. The respondents data are kept private and

made available to other parties not participating in the study as a source of information.
REFERENCES:

Ben-Israel, A., & Greville, T. N. (2003). Generalized inverses: theory and applications (Vol.

15). Sprinkger Science & Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00011380

Simpson, R. L., de Boer-Ott, S. R., & Smith-Myles, B. (2003). Inclusion of learners with

autism spectrum disorders in general education settings. Topics in language disorders, 23(2),

116-133.

Solano-Flores, G., Wang, C., Kachchaf, R., Soltero-Gonzalez, L., & Nguyen-Le,K.(2014).

Developing testing accommodations for English language learners:Illustrations as visual

supports for item accessibility. Educational Assessment,19(4), 267-283.

Jaramillo, J. A. (1996). Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and contributions to the development

of constructivist curricula. Education, 117(1), 133-141.

Ferguson, R.M (2002). World Education EncyclopediaNoll, J. (2005). Taking Sides

Educational Issues.

Rudiyati, S., Mumpuniarti, M., & Pujaningsih, P. (2017). Increasing Teachers’ Ability in

Handling Children with Learning Disabilities through Training and Mentoring of Teaching

Accommodation and Modification.

ERIC - EJ1089692 - Using Constructivist Teaching Strategies to Enhance Academic Outcomes

of Students with Special Needs, Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2016

IRIS | Page 5: Presentation Accommodations (vanderbilt.edu)

Accommodations & Modifications: (nh.gov)

Kim, W. H., & Lee, J. (2016). The Effect of Accommodation on Academic Performance of College

Students With Disabilities. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 60(1), 40–

50.https://doi.org/10.1177/0034355215605259

Accardo, A. L., Kuder, S. J., & Woodruff, J. (2019). Accommodations and support services

preferred by college students with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 23(3), 574–583.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318760490

Accardo, A. L., Kuder, S. J., & Woodruff, J. (2019). Accommodations and support services

preferred by college students with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 23(3), 574–583.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318760490

ERIC - EJ1269353 - Structural Modification Challenges Facing the Implementation of

Inclusive Education Policy in Public Secondary Schools in Tharaka-Nithi County,

International Journal of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, 2020

Statement of the Problem
1. What techniques in an inclusive education set- up are being used by special education
teachers in the pandemic setting in terms of:
1.1 accommodation
1.2 modification

2. What is the level of implementation of accommodation and modification techniques in an

inclusive setting as perceived by the teachers and parents?

3. What is the level of satisfaction of accommodation and modification techniques in an

inclusive setting as perceived by the teachers and parents?

4. Is there a significant difference with the parents and teacher’s perception in terms of:
4.1 level of implementation
4.2 level of satisfaction

5. What are the narrative experiences of teachers and parents in the implementation of
accommodation and modification techniques that work today?

6. Based on the findings of the study, what 21st century inclusive education model can be
designed?