EFFECT OF MAINSTREAM TEACHING ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

OF SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS

Introduction
The mainstreaming classrooms are also termed as Integrated or inclusion classroom. It refers
to the environment where a general education and a special education teacher both instruct
the students. Mainstreaming means that a school is putting students with special needs into
classrooms with their peers who have no disabilities. One study noted that students with
disabilities had higher academic achievement when they divided their time between the
resource room and the regular classroom (Waddington, & Reed, 2017). The special needs
students also had higher self-esteem and developed better social skills. The non-disability
peers became more tolerant and accepting.
Problem statement (research questions)
Recent educational initiatives announced by Education ministries across countries have called
for better support of students with special needs and disabilities within mainstream schools.
Underlying these initiatives are the aspirations and efforts of younger parents with special
needs students and a maturing society seeking to establish a sense of collective identity and
nationhood through the involvement and participation of its diverse citizens. The seeds of a
society where people of diverse backgrounds and abilities can comfortably interact and relate
well with each other are found in communities that educate its members to acquire the
attitudes and skills to work with and be inclusive of other fellow citizens. Many younger
parents of students with special needs often send their children to mainstream schools instead
of a special school so that their children can learn the skills to participate more fully in
society.
1. Is the academic performance of special needs students negatively affected by
mainstream teaching?
2. Are there learning disparities among special needs students and normal children in a
mainstream learning setup?
3. Is classroom differentiation the most effective intervention in addressing learning
disparities in special, and normal children?
Hypothesis
1. The performance of special needs students is negatively affected by teaching.
2. There are learning disparities among special needs students and normal children
occasioned by mainstream learning setup.
3. Classroom differentiation is the most effective intervention method of addressing
learning disparities in special, and normal students.
Operational definition
Mainstream teaching- is the independent variable in the study
Academic performance of special needs students is the dependent variable
 References

Waddington, E. M., & Reed, P. (2017). Comparison of the effects of mainstream and special

school on National Curriculum outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder: an

archive‐based analysis. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 17(2), 132-142.