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The Nature of Adjustments and Monitoring for Students With Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2021

Mark Carter Open the ORCID record for Mark Carter [Opens in a new window] ,
Amanda Webster Open the ORCID record for Amanda Webster [Opens in a new window] ,
Jennifer Stephenson Open the ORCID record for Jennifer Stephenson [Opens in a new window] ,
Neale Waddy ,
Robert Stevens ,
Melissa Clements  and
Talia Morris Open the ORCID record for Talia Morris [Opens in a new window]
Mark Carter*
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
Amanda Webster
Affiliation:
University of Wollongong, Australia
Jennifer Stephenson
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
Neale Waddy
Affiliation:
NSW Department of Education, Australia
Robert Stevens
Affiliation:
NSW Department of Education, Australia
Melissa Clements
Affiliation:
NSW Department of Education, Australia
Talia Morris
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: carterm@uow.edu.au
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Abstract

The current study was conducted to examine the types of adjustments used to support students with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms and how schools monitored the effectiveness of the adjustments they use. A range of stakeholders were interviewed in 22 mainstream schools across New South Wales, Australia, and the interviews were analysed for key themes. Some schools had a narrow focus on a few key areas, with teaching assistants being the most commonly reported adjustment. Few schools used formal formative monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of adjustments. Options for improvement schools could consider include examining the breadth of adjustments, establishing clear measurable goals, considering alternative strategies for use of teaching assistants, and ensuring adjustments are monitored.

Keywords

inclusionsupportadjustmentsgoal settingmonitoringteaching assistant
Type
Original Articles
Information
Australasian Journal of Special and Inclusive Education , Volume 46 , Issue 1 , July 2022 , pp. 1 - 18
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

†

This manuscript was accepted under the Editorship of Michael Arthur-Kelly.

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