Social Participation of Students with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Education

Susanne Schwab is Full Professor at the Centre for Teacher Education at the University of Vienna, Austria. As of March 2017, she has also held the position of Extraordinary Professor in the Optentia Research Focus Area at North-West University, South Africa. Her research specifically focusses on inclusive education, as well as teacher education and training. Mirna Nel is a Full Professor in the Optentia Research Focus Area at North-West University, South Africa. Her research interests include the role of the teacher in inclusive education, as well as teacher education for inclusion. Frank Hellmich is Full Professor for Primary School Education at the Institute of Educational Research at Paderborn University, Germany. His research interests are inclusive education in primary schools, and primary school teachers’ education and training.

Introduction – Social participation of students with special educational needs 1. Student voices on social exclusion in general primary schools 2. School segregation and social participation: the case of Norwegian children with physical disabilities 3. The quality of experience of students with and without special educational needs in everyday life and when relating to peers 4. Social participation and friendship quality of students with special educational needs in regular Greek primary schools 5. Does social exclusion by classmates lead to behaviour problems and learning difficulties or vice versa? A cross-lagged panel analysis 6. The relationship between class attitudes towards peers with a disability and peer acceptance, friendships and peer interactions of students with a disability in regular secondary schools 7. The impact of social referencing on social acceptance of children with disabilities and migrant background: an experimental study in primary school settings