Does integration play a role? Academic self-concepts, self-esteem, and self-perceptions of social integration of element
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Does integration play a role? Academic self‑concepts, self‑esteem, and self‑perceptions of social integration of elementary school children in inclusive and mainstream classes Annette Lohbeck1 Received: 9 July 2019 / Accepted: 18 August 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract The concept of inclusion is based on the assumption that integrating students with SEN into regular (mainstream) classes would enhance students’ performance due to a more stimulating and demanding environment. However, research investigating the effects of inclusive education on students’ academic self-concepts has been scarce. For this reason, the present study aimed to examine the specific relationships and differences for math and verbal self-concepts, self-esteem, and self-perceptions of social integration using two samples of elementary school students from grades 2–4: One group of students attended inclusive classes (n = 178), whilst the other group attended mainstream classes (n = 188). In addition, measurement invariance across classroom setting and possible mediator effects of self-esteem were tested. Results provided support for strong invariance across classroom setting. All constructs were positively correlated with each other. In both math and verbal domains, self-esteem and self-perceptions of social integration proved to be significant predictors of academic self-concepts. Self-esteem was more highly pronounced in younger children, while there were no effects of classroom setting on academic self-concepts. Selfesteem became a significant mediator of the relationships between self-perceptions of social integration and academic self-concepts. No group differences in math and verbal self-concepts, self-esteem, and self-perceptions of social integration were evident. Keywords Academic self-concepts · Self-esteem · Social integration · Classroom setting
* Annette Lohbeck annette.lohbeck@uni‑paderborn.de 1
Department of Educational Sciences, University of Paderborn, Warburger Str. 100, 33098 Paderborn, Germany
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A. Lohbeck
1 Introduction The UNESCO (2009) proposed that the inclusion of children into ‘regular’ (mainstream) schools is the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes. The basic assumption of the concept of inclusion is that integrating students with special educational needs (SEN) into mainstream classes would enhance students’ performance due to a more stimulating and demanding environment (Gorges et al. 2018). However, the question of whether inclusive education affects students’ academic self-concepts has scarcely been examined so far. Little is, in particular, known about the relationships of academic self-concepts with self-esteem and selfperceptions of social integration or differences in these constructs between students attending different classroom settings. The present study aims to address these shortcomings by focusing on two independent samples of elementary school children: One sample attended inclusive classes, whilst the other sample attended mainstream classes. Mo
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