ERIC Identifier: ED433185
Publication Date: 1998-02-00
Author: McCann, Wendy Sherman
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse for Science Mathematics and Environmental Education Columbus OH.
Science Classrooms for Students with Special Needs. ERIC Digest.
Legal resolutions, concerns of parents, and new research on learning and socialization have led to widespread efforts to place students with special needs in regular classrooms, a practice known as "inclusion." According to the report on Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering (1996), approximately 6% of children in the United States were in federally-supported special educational programs during the 1992-1993 school year, up 1.5% from 15 years earlier. The number of disabled students participating in regular classrooms has risen by 10% during the last five years (Roach et al., 1997).
The manifestation of particular disabilities varies widely among students with special needs, but over half of the identified disabilities are learning disabilities. Other disabilities include speech and language difficulties, mental retardation, and serious emotional difficulties. Physical disabilities are relatively rare, constituting less than 2% of those identified as having disabilities (Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering:1996, 1996).
The Consortium on Inclusive Schooling Practices (no date given) has developed a framework for evaluating state and local policies for inclusion "in an effort to help state and local policy makers, practitioners, and families determine if the general educational policies of their state or district support the inclusion of students with disabilities." The Consortium offers six policy goals: (a) curricula that allow for maximum development of individual students; (b) measurable, alternative, appropriate assessment practices; (c) accountability for all members of the educational community; (d) commitment to professional development; (e) sufficient and responsible funding for programs; and (f) governance structures that allow for central support of localized control.
EFFECTIVE INCLUSIVE CLIMATES
SPECIAL NEEDS AND SCIENCE CLASSES
PREPARING THE CLASSROOM
Students with disabilities may also require assistive technology. However, Sax et al. (no date given) reported that assistive technology resources are not always used when they could benefit students, citing lack of knowledge among teachers in choosing and using such supplies. They recommend attention to three matters when considering incorporating assistive technology in the classroom: (a) allow the student, his or her family, and classmates to help select assistive technology devices; (b) have a specific activity in mind when looking for a device, rather than simply purchasing an available device and figuring out what to do with it; and (c) seek help and advice from experts outside the field of education, including engineers, carpenters, and computer experts.
ADAPTING CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT
In science classes, laboratory instruction may need to be significantly modified for students who have disabilities. As with lesson content, students with learning disabilities may require more organized information given in smaller increments. Students with physical disabilities, on the other hand, often require modified equipment or procedures in order to complete laboratory exercises. Weld (1990) suggested using a "lab buddy" who is paired with a disabled student, understands the student's limitations, and can work within that framework to do the lab "with" the disabled student rather than "for" him or her. Braille rulers can be purchased or made, or instruments that normally have visual output can be modified to have audio output. For students with hearing difficulties, lab equipment with sound signals can be wired to include a light or other visible signal as well (Roberts & Bazler, 1993). Microscopes which do not require small motor skills for fine adjustment can be purchased, or projection scopes can be used for students with visual impairments (Scruggs & Mastropieri, 1994). Finally, no student in science class should be exempt from lab safety rules, so teachers may need to frequently model appropriate safety behavior and give students chances to practice reacting to staged "crises."
Assessment options for the inclusive classroom should reflect the diverse skills and goals of students in the class. Jorgensen (1997) suggests using frequent assessment checks to determine progress, allowing students to demonstrate their learning through varied modes of expression, and having students complete unit projects which allow for synthesis of individual strengths and interests with specific content learning.
Again, individual needs will dictate how particular lessons, labs or assessment options may have to be modified to enable all students to reach their full potential. Taking advantage of a special education teacher's or parent's expertise about a particular student is often a productive means of determining what strategies would work well in a given situation (Weld, 1990). Experienced science teachers in inclusive classrooms stress that involving a student's classmates in devising ways to adapt lessons to individual student needs is often a strikingly successful process (Richardson, 1994; Weld, 1990). Educational or professional organizations may also be able to provide access to more specific examples of other teachers' positive experiences with inclusion in science class.
INCLUSION AND TEACHER ATTITUDE
One problematic attitude is the feeling that addressing the needs of individual students compromises the notion of "fairness." As Stefanich (1994) pointed out, "At an early age...students develop a belief system that equal treatment is fair treatment. A utilitarian view, what is best for the majority is best for everyone, is often a very permeating orientation in the classroom." However, fairness can also be viewed as treating equals equally and unequals unequally. All students can participate in some way in the science classroom, even if it is not the same way. Jorgensen (1997) outlines a successful inclusion strategy which organizes content around central themes, issues or problems, and allows students to meet educational objectives in various ways most conducive to individual strengths and needs. Such a strategy is helpful to and appropriate for every student in the classroom, not just those with disabilities. To be sure, teaching an inclusive science classroom effectively involves a commitment to the needs of all students, and all students can benefit from the process.
Jorgensen, C. M. (1997). Curriculum and its impact on inclusion and the achievement of students with disabilities. Consortium on Inclusive Schooling Practices Issue Brief, http://www.asri.edu/CFSP/brochure/curricib.htm
Rainforth, B. Related services supporting inclusion: Congruence of best practices in special education and school reform. Consortium on Inclusive Schooling Practices Issue Brief, http://www.asri.edu/CFSP/brochure/related.htm
Richardson, M. (1994). We all learned together. "Science Scope," 17(6), 68-70. [EJ 480 216]
Roach, V., Halvorsen, A., Zeph, L., Giugno, M., & Caruso, M. (1997). Providing accurate placement data on students with disabilities in general educational settings. Consortium on Inclusive Schooling Practices Issue Brief, http://www.asri.edu/CFSP/brochure/placeib.htm
Roberts, R. & Bazler, J. A. (1993). Adapting for disabilities: Make your classroom an equal opportunity environment. "The Science Teacher," 60(1), 22-25. [EJ 469 524]
Sax, C., Pumpian, I., & Fisher, D Assistive technology and inclusion. Consortium on Inclusive Schooling Practices Issue Brief, http://www.asri.edu/CFSP/brochure/asstech.htm
Scruggs, T. E. & Mastropieri, M. A. (1994). Refocusing microscope activities for special students. "Science Scope," 17(6), 74-78. [EJ 460 526]
Stefanich, G. (1994). Science educators as active collaborators in meeting the educational needs of students with disabilities. "Journal of Science Teacher Education," 5(2), 56-65. [EJ 503 968]
Simons, G. & Hepner, N. (1992). The special student in science. "Science Scope," 16(1), 34-39, 54. [EJ 452 102]
Weisgerber, R. A. (1990). Encouraging scientific talent. "The Science Teacher," 57(8), 38-39. [EJ 418 949]
Weld, J. D. (1990). Making science accessible: Special students, special needs. "The Science Teacher," 57(8), 34-38. [EJ 418 948]
Women, Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 1996. (1996). http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf96311/2student.htm
RESOURCES ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education http://www.ced.sped.org/ericec.htm
The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities http://www.nichcy.org/
Consortium on Inclusive Schooling Practices http://www.asri.edu/cfsp/brochure/abtcons.htm
Circle of Inclusion http://circleofinclusion.org/