Relative Differences in Academic Self-Concept and Peer Acceptance Among Students in Inclusive Classrooms

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Abstract
This study provides data on the social and affective functioning of 2,011 students in second to eighth grade who were receiving instruction in inclusive general education classrooms. Students were identified as being at risk for school failure, having a disability, using English as a second language, or non-categorized. The academic self-concept and social integration of the students were assessed using two instruments: The Perception of Ability Scale for Students (PASS) and the Perception of Social Closeness Scale (PSCS). On the PASS, the noncategorized group scored significantly higher than each of the three identified groups, but the means of the three categorized groups did not differ significantly. Peer acceptance was again significantly higher for the noncategorized children than it was for each of the three identified groups. However, the group of students with disabilities differed significantly from the group who were at risk, with those children scoring lowest on this measure. Relative differences between academic self-concept and social integration were explored in a series of convergent analyses. Children with disabilities and children who were at risk displayed particularly large (but opposite) discrepancies: Those who were at risk were relatively accepted by their peers but had low perceptions of their own academic abilities. The children with disabilities, however, rated relatively higher in academic self-concept than in social closeness. These relative discrepancies have implications for practice.