Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T02:49:22.015Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Parent Views on the Placement of Students with Special Needs in Regular Classrooms at an Australian Primary School

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2016

Susan Wright  and
Jeff Sigafoos
Susan Wright
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
Jeff Sigafoos*
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
*
Address for correspondence: to Jeff Sigafoos, Schonell Special Education Research Centre. The University cf Queensland. Qld 4072. Australia. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The present study surveyed the views of parents about the education of students with special needs in regular classrooms. The survey involved 81 parents of students without disabilities and 29 parents of students with special needs. The children attended an Australian primary school. The school provided special education to 35 students with special needs and some of their education was provided in regular classrooms. Both groups of parents provided a range of supportive comments, but also expressed concerns about the implementation of special education in regular classrooms. Specific concerns included the extra time and added stress of educating children with special needs in the regular classroom, the potential disruption and disadvantage to other students, and the lack of support and resources, which may decrease the amount of learning. These views are consistent with those expressed by teachers and students without special needs as reported in the companion paper (Wright & Sigafoos, 1997) to the present study.

Type
Research Article
Information
Australasian Journal of Special Education , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , 1998 , pp. 30 - 37
Copyright
Copyright © The Australian Association of Special Education 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abelson, A., & Weiss, R. (1984). Mainstreaming the handicapped: The views of parents of nonhandicapped pupils. Spectrum, 2, 27–29.Google Scholar
Carr, M. (1993). A mother’s thoughts on inclusion. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 26, 590–592.Google Scholar
Mitchell, J., & Mitchell, D. (1987). Integration/ Mainstreaming. In Mitchell, D., & Singh, N. (Eds.), Exceptional children in New Zealand. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press.Google Scholar
Myles, B., & Simpson, R. (1990). Mainstreaming modification preferences of parents of elementary-age children with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 23, 234–239.Google Scholar
Pickering, D., Szaday, C., & Duerdoth, P. (1988). One in Eleven: Special educational needs of Catholic schools in Victoria. Victoria, Australia: Catholic Education Office.Google Scholar
Simpson, R., & Myles, B. (1989). Parents’ mainstreaming modification preferences for children with educable mental handicaps, behaviour disorders and learning disorders. Psychology in the Schools, 26, 292–301.3.0.CO;2-S>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, S., & Sigafoos, J. (1997). Teachers and students without disabilities comment on the placement of students with special needs in regular classrooms at an Australian primary school. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 21, 67–80.Google Scholar