Exploring the effectiveness of inclusion: is a sense of school belonging the key factor in understanding outcomes?

Abstract

This study explored the effectiveness of inclusion for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) based on social, affective and behavioural outcomes. It investigated the association between these outcomes and aimed to test the role of belonging in mediating the relation between school placement and outcomes for pupils with BESD. Three groups of 19 pupils (aged 11 to 14 years) were compared; pupils with BESD educated within mainstream schools (MS); those attending a special provision (BS); and a matched control group of pupils educated within mainstream schools. Pupils completed measures to assess their levels of sense of school belonging, self-concept, anxiety, depression, anger and disruptive behaviour. There were no group differences for pupils’ sense of belonging, self-concept, anxiety or depression. Significant group differences for anger and disruptive behaviour scores were found. Significant linear trends across groups were found for anxiety, depression, anger and disruptive behaviour. Significant associations were found between the social and affective measures for the total sample; however, within the BESD sample belonging was not found to be related to anger. Regressions indicated that placement and belonging had independent effects on behavioural, but not affective, outcomes for the BESD group. The findings add to the inclusion efficacy research for pupils with BESD. The current results have direct implications in terms of understanding the association between the social context of the learning environment and pupils’ emotional and mental health outcomes.

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