Currently, the education systems are more interested in creating a classroom, which meets the diversified needs of all learners. According to Begum (2017) , classroom inclusion began in the second half of the 20 th century when learners with special needs joined the regular classrooms. Begum (2017) further explains that diversity in the classroom is key in inclusiveness, as it involves valuing the dissimilarities of the learners and using the uniqueness of every student in creating a more creative and productive learning environment. An inclusive type of education involves the act of strengthening the education system to include all students. Begum (2017) explains that inclusive education incorporates changes in the processes, culture, policies in the schools in such a way they accommodate the diversity of the learners. Therefore, inclusive classrooms as an initiative of inclusive education aim to avail education to learners shun out of the system with disabilities while providing appropriate type of education to those who could only get limited education because of the incapacities (Begum, 2017). It is therefore important to discusses the adoption of inclusive classrooms as a way to increase opportunities for learners with disabilities to acquire knowledge and skills necessary for leading a productive and successful life.
The law dictates that the classrooms of today be inclusive, blending the general education and the special needs students. According to Begum (2017) , the special needs learners in an inclusive classroom environment tend to present cases of moderate and mild learning abilities and in most cases have behavioral challenges. Learners who are identified with cases of learning incapacities, 45% of their learning time is occupied by deficits in attention and struggles with executive and organization functioning (Botha & Kourkoutas, 2015). Classroom inclusion is characterized by overwhelmed and teachers who are trying to manage a diversified group of learners. According to Botha and Kourkoutas (2015), many teachers handling an inclusive type of classroom believe that it is additional work. The pathognomonic type of teacher in an inclusive classroom is for the idea that learners can be defined by their disabilities, which limits the learning process thus, requiring a specially trained professional to handle these students (Zwane and Malale, 2018).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Generally, the success of a child with a disability depends greatly on the climate available in the classroom setting. Botha and Kourkoutas (2015) explain that personal developments, system maintenance, and relations as the factors encompassing a classroom climate. Personal developments refer to the extent a person with a disability undergoes self-enhancement and personal growth in the classroom (Zwane & Malale, 2018). Classroom relationships and system maintenance influence learners' personal development. According to Zwane and Malale (2018) , classroom climate depends on a teacher's growth promotion hence, influencing the success of all learners. Moreover, they influence a sense of climate, through the provision of equal opportunities to every learner to actively engage in the classroom activities. Thus, learners acquire a sense of climate, which can either be positive or negative which affects their overall learning.
An inclusive classroom allows learners with special needs to enhance their academic skills and knowledge alongside their peers especially through learning from one another (Santos, Sardinha & Reis, 2016). According to Santos, Sardinha and Reis (2016) learners with special needs are more successful academically in an inclusive classroom setting than when in the special needs schools. An inclusive classroom setting provides new motivation, new models, and new friends to the students with learning disabilities (Santos, Sardinha & Reis, 2016). More so, an engaging atmosphere available in an inclusive classroom facilitates progressive learning. Nevertheless, the socializing skills and self-esteem among these learners tend to grow better in an inclusive classroom. Not only do the students with disabilities benefit from inclusive classrooms but also regular learners are influenced positively as they learn to be cooperative with everyone while finding strengths in each other (Santos, Sardinha & Reis, 2016). Moreover, the social and emotional skills in regular children grow better through participation in inclusive classrooms.
An inclusive classroom means that the teachers handle students with moderate and mild behavioral and learning challenges. These types of classrooms can be challenging to the management styles employed by the teachers thus requiring educators that are consistent, highly structured, and reinforcing (Polirstok, 2015). An inclusive classroom also affects the social needs of learners with disabilities because of the existing attitudes and beliefs among peers, teachers, parents, and school management. Cohesiveness is also a problem due to the existing negative outlook on classroom inclusion.
Inclusion in the classroom can only be possible through collaboration among peers, students, teachers, parents, and management who establish a cohesive environment in the whole learning process(Santos, Sardinha & Reis, 2016). Adopting effective management styles is paramount in classroom inclusion as they affect the communication of knowledge to learners who could be engaging in disruptive and other off-task behaviors. Polirstok (2015) explains that the creation of a learning environment, which is well managed, with well-defined routines and structures is the key to having an inclusive classroom. More so, encouraging teachers to be interventionist, who believe all is not lost for the learners with inadequacies, thus, handling disability as just a barrier, though the learners can still benefit from the general education classroom mode of instruction. Nevertheless, with additional supports, training and several resources classroom inclusion can be successful. Therefore, classroom inclusion is the way to go because it meets the educational needs of every child despite the disabilities, thus ensuring personal developments.
References
Begum, A. (2017). Inclusive Education: Issues and Challenges. Scholarly Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies. 6563-6571 http://oaji.net/articles/2017/1174-1512380400.pdf
Botha, J., & Kourkoutas, E. (2015). A community of practice as an inclusive model to support children with social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties in school contexts. International journal of inclusive education , 20 (7), 784-799. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286452440
Polirstok, S. (2015). Classroom management strategies for inclusive classrooms. Creative Education , 6 (10), 927.
Santos, G. D., Sardinha, S., & Reis, S. (2016). Relationships in inclusive classrooms. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs , 16 , 950-954. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1471-3802.12238
Zwane, S. L., & Malale, M. M. (2018). Investigating barriers teachers face in the implementation of inclusive education in high schools in Gege branch, Swaziland. African Journal of Disability (Online) , 7 , 1-12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6295749/
