The Provision of out-of Classroom Supports as a Measure of Attention to Diversity and its Effects on Inclusion

Abstract

This study analyzes the impact of out-of-classroom supports as diversity attention measures on primary school students as well as determining the choices and rejections they make and receive, and their sociometric profiles. The sample represents 20 ordinary school of the region Extremadura in Spain. A total of 881 students (6 to 12 years old) from 43 primary school classrooms from first to sixth grade participated; of whom, 98 students (11,12 %) had specific educational support needs. A sociometric questionnaire based on the method of peer nomination and attribute association was used for data collection. The results show that students with specific educational support needs (SEN) are subject to greater rejection and that this rejection increases as the educational level goes up. These students also receive more choices and rejections from their peers who also have SEN. Students with and without SEN show different sociometric profiles that denote different behavioral profiles. These results show that the provision of out-of-classroom supports seems to act as a hindering factor of educational inclusion.