final research proposal 1 -...

Final Research Proposal 1

Concordia University Chicago

Master’s Program

Student:

Sarah Martin

[email protected]

50 Edgewood Drive

Shelby, OH 44875

Day Telephone: 419-571-6796 Eastern Standard Time

Evening Telephone: 419-347-2924 Eastern Standard Time

Assignment Title: Assignment 5: Final Research Proposal

Date of Submission: May 2, 2019

Assignment Due Date: May 5, 2019

Course: Research in Education-RES 6600

Section Number: 5

Semester/Term: Spring 2019

Course Instructor: Dr. Jie Lin

Certification of Authorship: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I

received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I also have cited any

sources from which I used data, ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I certify

that this paper was prepared by me specifically for the purpose of this assignment, as directed.

Student’s Signature: Sarah Martin


Assignment 5: Final Research Proposal

Sarah E. Martin

Research in Education-RES 6600-5

Dr. Jie Lin

May 2, 2019


Abstract

Since the passage of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, inclusion has become

prominent in schools. Recently, the full inclusion of students with behavioral needs or emotional

disturbances has become a trend. There are varying opinions in the world of education as to

whether or not this is the appropriate placement for them and how this affects the general

education students. This research proposal involves the study of multiple classrooms of students

with and without students with behavioral needs. The students and teachers of these classes will

be observed, interviewed, and surveyed to determine perception data. Existing data will also be

examined to determine trends in academic achievement, attendance, and behaviors of general

education students. Triangulation will be used in this yearlong mixed-method research study to

ensure validity. This should help determine the efficacy of the full inclusion of students with

behavioral needs on the educational lives of general education students.

Literature Review

The full inclusion of students with disabilities has become a popular method of educating

students who would have previously been educated in pullout situations or special education

classrooms. Since federal laws lay out guidelines for the education of students with disabilities,

schools have been implementing full inclusion on much larger scale than in the past. However,

the efficacy of full inclusion, especially as related to student with emotional and behavioral

disorders, is a highly debated topic in the field of education. “Inclusion did not become the

widespread practice it is today because of a robust evidence base that supports its effectiveness.

Rather, it is prevalent because of federal laws that establish special rights for SWDs and their

parents” (Gilmour, 2018, p. 10). While there is a myriad of research about the effects of full


inclusion on students with disabilities, there is only small, yet growing, body of research

regarding how full inclusion effects the general education students.

While full inclusion has proven beneficial for some students, there are also concerns

about and disadvantages to full inclusion. Staff in schools interpret the federal laws regarding

inclusion in different ways resulting in confusion and varying levels of implementation,

especially as related to Least Restrictive Environment. The main goal of this study will

investigate the effects of the full inclusion of students with behavioral or emotional disorders on

general education students. Currently, there is implementation of full inclusion at Bucyrus

Elementary School, and there have been obvious negative effects over the four years it has been

utilized due to the inclusion of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. In this study,

effects of full inclusion on the academics, social/emotional behaviors, and attendance of the

general education student will be studied. Additionally, during this study, the laws regarding

inclusion as well as the definition of least restrictive environment will be investigated. This

research study will answer the question, “What are the effects of full inclusion of students with

behavioral needs on the general education students in 2nd-5th grades at Bucyrus Elementary

School?”

Laws Regarding Inclusion

In 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was authorized. This act was

intended to offer a free and appropriate education (FAPE) in the student’s least restrictive

environment (LRE). This later became known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(IDEA) and was reauthorized by Congress in 2004 with an amendment in 2015 to align with

Every Student Succeeds Act. As part of this law, Congress states, “Disability is a natural part of

the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to participate in or


contribute to society. Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential

element of our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent

living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.” (IDEA, 2004). This has

resulted in more and more schools using the format of full inclusion to educate students with

“every decision made for a child with a disability must be made on the basis of what that

individual child needs”. Additionally, “when the decision is made to educate the child

separately, an explanation of that decision will need, at a minimum, to be stated as part of the

child's IEP (individualized education plan).” Even so, many school staff insist on the use of full

inclusion no matter the disability of the student.

Least Restrictive Environment

The question that must be answered, then, is what is least restrictive environment (LRE)?

As stated in United States Code Sec. 1412(a)(5)(A), “Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is the

requirement in federal law that students with disabilities receive their education, to the maximum

extent appropriate, with nondisabled peers.” In addition, “special education students are not

removed from regular classes unless, even with supplemental aids and services, education in

regular classes cannot be achieved satisfactorily” (as cited by Special Education Rights and

Responsibilities, n.d., p. 1). Many school staff members interpret this to mean that all students,

no matter what the disability, severity, or situation should remain in the general classroom all

day, every day. So, United States Code Sec. 1414(d)(3)(B)(i) states that “Federal law requires

that an IEP team consider behavior intervention strategies for any student with a disability whose

behavior impedes her learning or that of others” (as cited by Special Education Rights and

Responsibilities, n.d., p. 7).


There is a strong push in the least restrictive environment to educate students with

disabilities in the general education classroom. Ross-Pike Educational Service District’s Least

Restrictive Guidance document states, “In fact, a child’s placement in the regular education

classroom is the first option the IEP team must consider when determining where a child with a

disability will receive his or her special education and related services.” This is where confusion

lies. Not all school staff members proceed past this step, even when needed. As stated above,

intervention strategies need to be employed in the general classroom. Once intervention

strategies have been executed in the general classroom if needed, if there is no progress with the

student’s behavior, then it stands to reason that the general classroom is no longer the student’s

least restrictive environment.

Effects of Full Inclusion of Students with Behavioral Needs on General Education Students

With a large body of research on the positive effects of full inclusion on special education

students, comparatively, there is a much smaller body of evidence regarding the effects of full

inclusion of students with behavioral needs on general education students. Arceneaux and

Murdock (1997) found that there is resistance to inclusion because of the disruptions caused by

students with behavioral and emotional needs (as cited by Evins, 2015, p. 8). Maloney and

Schenker (1995) found that students with behavioral disorders are the most likely to cause

frequent classroom disruptions (as cited by Gottfried, Egalite, and Kirksey, p. 1). These

disruptions can impact the general education students in a variety of ways from academically, to

socially, and through attendance. Lindsay, Proulx, Thomson, and Scott (2013) found disruptive

behaviors to be not only distracting to the general education students but that describing the

reasons for these behaviors from students with behavioral needs to the general education students

was difficult (as cited by Evins, 2015, p. 7). Therefore, the disruptive behavior of students with


behavioral needs in the inclusive classroom can impact the general education student in multiple

ways.

Academic Effects. Frenzel, Pekrun, and Goetz (2007) and the Organization for

Economic Co-operation and Development (2010) found that “class disruptions tend to interfere

with students’ ability to follow lessons and are therefore a hindrance to the learning experience”

(as cited by Blank & Shavit, 2016, p. 1). Likewise, Gottfried (2012), Figlio (2007), and Lazear

(2001) found that instruction for all students in a class slow when a student with behavioral

needs disrupts the class due to the teacher being forced to manage the behavior or discipline the

student (as cited by Gottfried & Harven, 2014, p. 2).

In two studies by Fletcher (2009, 2010) on how the inclusion of students with behavioral

needs affects the academic achievement of general education students, it was found that there

was a negative impact on reading and math achievement of kindergarten and first-grade students.

Therefore, “exposure to classmates with EBD (emotional or behavioral disorders) in general

education classrooms is considered a risk factor for decreased achievement among other

classmates” (as cited by Gottfried & Harven, 2014, p. 2). In a study by Carrell and Hoekstra

(2009), it was found that “Adding one troubled student to a classroom of 20 students results in a

decrease in student reading and math test scores of more than two-thirds of a percentile point (2

to 3 percent of a standard deviation)”.

Attendance Effects. Attendance of general education students can be affected by the disruptive

behavior of students with behavior needs who are serviced through inclusion. Gottfried (2016)

found that general education students who had a classmate with a behavior disorder were “1.42

times more likely to be chronically absent than those who did not have such a classmate” (as

cited by Gilmour, 2018, p. 14). In a study by Gottfried, Egalite, and Kirksey, 2016, they found


that students who already had poor attendance may be even more affected than other students

because of the presence of a student with behavioral needs in the classroom. “Because having a

classmate with an ED is associated with total absences and with chronic absenteeism, it could be

the case that those students whose absences are most associated with the presence of a classmate

with an ED are those who were already on the margin of being classified as chronically absent.”

(Gottfried, Egalite, & Kirksey, 2016, p. 4). Also, Carrell & Hoekstra (2010) observed that there

was a “larger association observed for absences by girls”…so, “It could be the case that girls

attempt to avoid such disruptive classroom environments altogether by staying home from

school.” (as cited by Gottfried, Egalite, & Kirksey, 2016, p. 4).

Juvonen, Graham, and Schuster (2003), Bealing (1990), Harte (1994), Reid (1983), and

Southworth (1992) found that general education students who experience the disruptive

behaviors of students with behavioral needs are more likely to have poor attitudes towards school

which will likely lead to lower attendance rates (as cited by Gottfried, Egalite, & Kirksey, 2016,

p. 1). Students who do not enjoy school because of disruptions from other students are less

likely to have good attendance. This can have lasting lifelong effects. Carrell and Hoekstra

(2009) found that “exposure to a peer who was more likely to exhibit challenging behavior led

students to complete less schooling and earn less as adults” (as cited by Gilmour, 2014, p. 13).

Alternately, attendance of general education students may be affected positively by the

inclusion of students with behavioral needs in the general classroom. Ekstrom, et al.(1986), Finn

(1989), Johnson (2005), and Newmann (1981) found that “As absenteeism is associated with

alienation from classmates, teachers and school, this positive environment may reduce absences

for other students as they make meaningful connections with their peers with EDs, thereby

making the classroom environment more engaging” (as cited by Gottfried, Egalite, & Kirksey,


2016, p. 1). Some students may make more of an effort to come to school if they have made a

connection with a student who has behavioral needs.

Social/Behavioral Effects. Carrell and Hoekstra (2009) found that including in the general

education classroom just one “troubled peer…significantly increases misbehavior of other

students in the classroom, in effect causing them to commit 0.09 more infractions than they

otherwise would, a 16 percent increase.” There is also concern that these effects could increase

over time if general education students are continually exposed to the disruptive behaviors of

students with behavioral needs.

On the other hand, the inclusion of student with behavior disorders in the general

education classroom can have positive effects on the general education student. “First, the

inclusion of students with EDs could produce positive direct effects on peers, as nondisabled

students may form interpersonal bonds resulting from their interactions with diverse students.”

(as cited by Gottfried, Egalite, & Kirksey, 2016, p. 1). Also, Cushing and Kennedy (1997) found

that when general education students support students with behavioral disorders, it can improve

the general education student’s academic engagement (as cited by Gottfried & Harven, 2014, p.

1). Likewise, Katz and Mirenda (2002) found that general education students benefited

academically when they participated in programs such as peer tutoring with students with

behavioral disorders (as cited by Gottfried & Harven, 2014, p. 1).

Finally, there are some additional social benefits for general education students from the

inclusion of students with behavioral needs in the general classroom. Lindsay, Proulx, Scott, and

Thomson (2014) showed that “inclusion provides the chance for non-disabled students to learn

tolerance and appreciation for their disabled peers. The benefits are not only apparent for those

students with disabilities, but also those without” (Evins, 2016, p. 6).


Conclusion

This paper shows the effects of full inclusion of students with emotional and behavioral

disorders on the general education students. Current research shows that there are many more

studies on the effects of inclusion on the student with disabilities than the effects on general

educations students. While we certainly want to promote the least restrictive environment for all

students, it begs to questions whether the general classroom is the least restrictive environment

for students with behavioral disorders. Not only does this placement affect the student with the

disability, but it also affects the other general education students in the classroom. The current

available data shows primarily negative effects on general education students when considering

the inclusion of students will behavioral needs. There is a small body of positive research

dealing with social outcomes for general education students when considering full inclusion, but

it seems that the bulk of data has shown negative effects on general education students.

Research Question

This study is designed to focus on the academic, social, and behavioral development of

general education students due to the full inclusion of students with emotional or behavioral

disabilities in the general education classroom. This study will address the following question:

What are the effects of the full inclusion of students with behavioral needs on 2nd-5th grade

general education students at Bucyrus Elementary School? Bucyrus Elementary School is an

inner-city type school in a rural locality. It is the only elementary school in the 5 square mile

district and it is a building of 700 students in preschool through 5th grade students. The district is

primarily low socioeconomic with 80% of students receiving free lunch. There are 4 to 5

sections of each grade level. Each class contains 18 to 24 students. At each grade level, one

class contains all of the students classified as gifted, and the students with disabilities are split


between two classes. The other students are spread throughout all classes. The purpose of this

study will be to gather data about of the effects of inclusion classrooms on the development of

general education students at Bucyrus Elementary.

Method

This study will use both qualitative and quantitative research, known as mixed method

research, but the focus will be on qualitative design. “Quantitative and qualitative data are

analyzed independently, but then the results are mixed to achieve an overall interpretation”

(Mertler, 2019, p. 125). Quantitatively, the research will use the nonexperimental design of

descriptive research. “In descriptive research, the researcher is simply studying the phenomenon

as it exists naturally” (Mertler, 2019, p. 95). Surveys will be given to determine the perception

of how full inclusion has affected the general education students. Additionally, analysis of pre-

existing data such as behavior logs, attendance data, and anecdotal records will occur.

Qualitatively, phenomenological research will be used through the use of interviews and

observational research. Franenkl et al. (2012) and Mertens (2005) found that “The intent of

phenomenological studies is to describe and interpret the experiences or reactions of participants

to a particular phenomenon from their individual perspectives” (as cited by Mertler, 2019, p. 82).

The phenomenon in this study is the full inclusion of students with behavioral disorders in the

general education classroom.

Sample and Sampling Plan

The participants in this study will include students in 2nd through 5th grade classes at

Bucyrus Elementary School. Currently, there a four 2nd grade classes, five 3rd grade classes, five

4th grade classes, and four 5th grade classes, so this is the accessible population. The accessible

population “is the group of people to whom the researcher can realistically select subjects”


(Mertler, 2019, p. 192). Two classes of students of each grade level in 2nd through 5th grade will

be the sample selected to be in this study. This smaller group is “representative of the accessible

population so the results can be generalized to the larger group” (Mertler, 2019, p. 192).

Students who receive instruction in the general classroom will be included in this study.

This will include not only the general education students in these classes, but also students with

emotional or behavioral disorders who receive instruction on a full inclusion basis. Some classes

will contain only general education students, and other classes will contain both general

education students and students with disabilities. At least one class contained students with

behavioral needs from each grade level will be included in the sample. This is stratified random

sampling. This is “a process in which certain subgroups—often referred to as strata—are

selected for inclusion in the sample” (Mertler, 2019, p. 194). While the data collected will be in

regard to the students, teachers of these students will be asked to compile data they have

collected or observed in regard to the academic, behavioral, and social aspects of the general

education students.

These students will be chosen for this study, because it is in 2nd grade when students with

behavioral needs seem to become more pronounced. At this point in their elementary school

education, there is definite difference in their behaviors and that of general education students.

The sample will span multiple grade levels in hopes to gain an accurate picture of the effects of

students with behavioral needs on the students of the school, not just students in a specific grade

level. This will also show if students in a certain grade level have effects that are nonconforming

to the other grade levels.

Data Collection Instruments


This research will include multiple data collection instruments. One of the main types of

data collection instruments will be surveys that include both qualitative and quantitative

questions. These Likert-style surveys will developed by the researcher. Following the

administration of the surveys and using the data from the surveys, interview questions will be

designed to narrow the focus of the research. There will be fewer questions, but these questions

will go much more in depth. By using the survey questions to develop interview questions, the

researcher will be using explanatory sequential design. This design “begins with the collection

and analysis of quantitative data” and “the second phase of the study is characterized by the

collection of qualitative data (Mertler, 2019, p. 125-126).

Another instrument used will be a document or chart to record observational data. Leedy

and Ormrod (2013) found that “Quantitative observational studies typically focus on a particular

aspect of behavior that can be quantified through some measure” (Mertler, 2019, p. 95). These

observations will be logged on a chart that will be provided in order for the data to remain as

consistent as possible.

Procedures

This research will include various steps in both the qualitative and quantitative methods.

The first step in the procedure will be to give surveys to both students and teachers. Teacher

surveys will contain questions regarding what they notice about the behaviors and achievement

of the general education students. Student surveys will contain questions about their perceptions

or their classroom environment and ability to learn. These surveys will be given to all students

in the sample and all teachers of those students in order to gain a broad, overall view.

The next step will be to interview teachers and students in an effort to collect perception

data about the general education students’ behavior and achievement. The data collected from


the surveys in the first step will be used by the researcher to develop more in-depth questions for

the interviews. Teachers will be interviewed for candid responses about what they observe about

the behavior of general education students. Students will be interviewed for candid responses of

their experiences in the classroom related to students with behavioral needs. Only select students

and teachers will be interviewed. These include all teachers of students with behavioral needs

and two students from each classroom that contains a student with behavioral needs. The

interview questions will be much more focused and take more time to answer than the previous

survey questions.

A third step will be that of classroom observation of the general education students. The

researcher will observe and log the behaviors of general education students when students with

behavioral needs act out. In a qualitative manner, the researcher will document in narrative style

the observed behaviors of the general education servants. Additionally, in a quantitative manner,

the researcher will be log how many times general education students react in the following

ways: mimicking, joining in by performing similar actions, covering their ears, putting their

heads down, putting up the quiet sign, asking the student with behavioral needs to stop,

discontinuing their schoolwork, and discontinuing to pay attention. This data will then be

compared to the survey and interview data to determine if the data remains consistent or if

discrepancies are found.

A final step will be to collect preexisting data such as behavioral logs, attendance data,

and achievement data. This data, which is quantitative in nature, will show which students have

difficulties in some areas, difficulties in all areas, or recent difficulties. By looking at trend data

from an extended period of time, this will give a better picture of when the difficulties started

and if the difficulties could possibly be related to the student being placed in a classroom with


one or more students with behavioral needs. This will provide hard data regarding issues that

may have arisen out of the inclusion of students with behavioral needs.

Ethical Consideration

One of the main ethical considerations in this study will be the privacy of all students

involved. Gay, Mills, and Airasian (2009) stated that “researchers protect participant

confidentiality when they know the identities of the participants, but do not disclose that

information to people outside of the research study (as cited by Mertler, 2019, p. 47.) This will

include not only the general education students who will be involved in the interviews, surveys,

and observations, but also the students with behavioral needs who will be present in some

classes. Additionally, parental permission must be gathered in order to allow students to

participate in not only interviews, surveys, and observations, but also for the collection of their

attendance and behavioral data. Mertler and Charles (2011) stated that “the parent or legal

guardian must give permission for a child to participate; the child can only assent to participate”

(as cited by Mertler, 2019, p. 26). Finally, it will be important for the researcher to remain

objective during the study. Due to the time spent with the participants, “it may have an undue

influence on the objectivity of the qualitative researcher, as well as on the analysis of data and

subsequent interpretation” (Mertler, 2019, p. 50). This is a consideration the researcher will need

to take in order to remain neutral.

Data Analysis

To analyze the data collected from the research question about how the inclusion of

students with severe behaviors affects general education students, the analysis will be largely

qualitative inductive analysis. Although this study will be mixed method research, the study will

focus on qualitative data. “When conducting qualitative analysis, the researcher begins with


specific observations (i.e., data), notes any patterns in the data, formulates one or more tentative

questions of interest, and finally develops general conclusions and theories” (Mertler, 2019, p.

180). Additionally, using the data gained from the qualitative inductive analysis leading to a

quantitative deductive portion of the study.

In the analysis, a goal will be to look for trends in the perceptions of general education

students and teachers’ perceptions of how general education students are affected by the

inclusion of students with behavioral needs. While analyzing the data from the interviews and

observations, a coding scheme will be used to narrow the amount of data that will be collected.

Parsons and Brown (2002) stated that a coding scheme is a system of categorization that allows

researchers to categorize data according to patterns and themes (Mertler, 2019, p. 181). A

spreadsheet will be created to record the coded data. Leedy and Oromond (2013) found that

“For some qualitative research studies, a simple spreadsheet program like Excel may be

sufficient for data organization” (Mertler, 2019, p. 182).

Once these trends have been determined from the qualitative analysis, a hypothesis can

be determined for use in quantitative deductive analysis. For example, if the interviews and

observations show that general education students feel unsafe in a classroom with a student who

has behavioral needs, then a hypothesis could be made that these students have more frequent

absences. Additionally, for the quantitative portion of this data analysis, the preexisting data

such as behavioral logs, attendance data, and achievement data will be analyzed for significant

changes, anomalies, and trends. For the Likert-style surveys, numerical values will be added to

each of the ratings to make quantifying the data simple. “The process might be as simple as

including the assigned numerical values directly on the instrument” (Mertler, 2019, p. 223)

making it easier to compile the quantitative data.


When collecting data for both the qualitative and quantitative portions of this research, it

is important to ensure validity. The triangulation by using multiple methods will help with this

validity. “The use of multiple methods and sources of data collection only serve to enhance the

validity of research findings” (Mertler, 2019, p. 179). Another method to ensure validity will be

the length of the study. This study will continue for an entire school year, thereby creating a

more valid study. “The more time you spend in the setting, the more likely you are able to

determine what is typical, atypical, and problematic with that setting…” (Mertler, 2019, 179).


References

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