Students’ perception as an indicator of educational inclusion

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between pupils’ perception of their schools as inclusive schools and their sociometric status. A sample of 881 students belonging to 43 primary classrooms (6 to 12 years old) of different educational levels (N = 881), of which 98 pupils presented specific educational support needs (11.12%). All of them enrolled in ordinary schools in the Extremadura region (Spain). A questionnaire, based on the peer nomination method and attributes association, was used to analyze sociometric status. The Questionnaire on the Children's Point of View, taken from the Index for Inclusion (Booth, Ainscow & Kingston, 2006), was used to assess the pupils' perception of their schools. The study showed that the perception that pupils have of their schools, whether they have specific needs for educational support or not, is significantly associated with their sociometric status, and more specifically, the rejection they receive in their classrooms from their peers. The results also indicated that students with specific educational needs feel more supported by teachers than by their peers. This leads us to reflect on whether the organizational measures adopted by schools affect their inclusion. Hence, there is a need to periodically asses grouping strategies and pupils´ perception of their schools.