Discussion

Inclusive Culture

This research found that the school site focused on does not have a well-implemented

inclusive culture. Regarding administration and the district, the literature review found that a

successful inclusion program included an inclusive leader with a principal who has adopted a

growth mindset, encourages dialogue, provides a supportive environment, and establishes a safe

and caring environment (Osiname 2016; Ramanathan & Company 2010). The results of this

study found that the school site focused on, has an inclusive leader and administration who are

approachable and encourage dialogue between the staff, however they do not provide a

supportive environment along with the district.

Regarding colleagues, the literature review found that a successful inclusion program

offers a broad vision of school and shared values and language used (Ramanathan & Company

2010). This study found that between general education teachers, there is a well-implemented

inclusion program where most teachers are willing to help each other. When working with

special educators, general education teachers felt that they are comfortable working with them as

they share the same goals for their students and overall values, but unfortunately felt that special

educators and aids are not constantly coming to them to discuss working with their students with

special needs.

Overall, this study uncovered the important parts of a successful inclusion program that

the school focused on, is missing. From the perspective of the participants, the biggest problem

comes from the district, and maybe even the state, and the lack of resources they give to their
school. This problem ultimately comes from the lack of money allocated towards the district and

this specific school that negatively affects teachers in educating students with special needs.

Teacher Training

Regarding teacher training, the literature review found that, overall, general education

teachers feel that they are prepared to educate students with disabilities by their educational

backgrounds and training, but there is an overwhelming consensus of not receiving the support

and resources they need from their schools (Ross-Hill 2009). The research in this study shows

that, unlike the literature review, most of the participants feel that they don’t receive enough

training to educate students with special needs in their general education classrooms. However,

the research supported the literature review regarding the support and resources received by

general education teachers in order to teach students with special needs.

Inclusive Practices

Flexible Grouping. ​The results of this study aligned with previous research found.

Homogeneous and heterogeneous groups are used by the participants in the study and are

frequently adjusted as their students’ needs and skills change. The general education teachers

studied, separate their students into small and bigger groups, and also use whole-group

instruction. Previous research has shown that using smaller groups are most effective in

improving student achievement (Erlbaum, Vaughn, Hughes, & Moody 2000; Iverson, Tunmer, &

Chapman 2005; Vaughn et al. 2003).

Assistive and Instructional Technologies. ​This study has shed light on the use of

assistive and instructional technologies in an urban elementary school in San Diego, California.

The participants in this study give their students access to chrome books and the chrome
extensions to support reading, writing, studying and research like text-to-speech, text and picture

dictionaries, speech-to-text, word prediction, collecting highlights from the text, collecting and

listening to voice notes, and simplifying and summarizing text from the web, which agrees with

previous research (Read&Write 2020). However, having access to these assistive and

instructional technologies does not mean they are being used effectively or at all.

Providing Positive and Constructive Feedback. ​The research found that the

participants are providing positive verbal and non-verbal feedback on academic work or behavior

in a norm-referenced manner but are not giving feedback that the literature deemed as effective.

The participants are not focusing feedback given on the process, giving self-referenced feedback,

suggesting small steps for improvement, using simple vocabulary, and most importantly

checking for understanding of feedback, which aligns with previous research in this area

(McLeskey & Company 2017).

Conclusion

This case study survey research project served to address the research questions: What is

the culture in an inclusive environment at an urban elementary school in San Diego, California?

What inclusive practices are being used in a general education classroom at an urban elementary

school in San Diego, California? In what ways are general education teachers effectively using

flexible grouping? In what ways are general education teachers effectively using assistive and

instructional technologies? In what ways are general education teachers providing positive and

constructive feedback to guide students’ learning and behavior? Both qualitative and quantitative

data were collected through the administration of a survey. General education teachers’ attitudes
and feelings towards the inclusive culture at their school, inclusive practices they use in their

classrooms, and how prepared they are for teaching students with disabilities were discovered.

Significance or Educational Implications

Inclusive Culture. ​Implementing a successful inclusion program can be difficult. This

research shows that the school the participants work at has struggled with implementing a

successful inclusion program, therefore creating a less than effective inclusive culture. This

specific school has been able to successfully implement a culture of open communication and

willingness to help between colleagues and administration, however, there is an incredible lack

of resources and support towards the teachers from the administration and district. The lack of

resources and support ultimately comes from the shortage of money allocated towards the school

and/or district. I would encourage educators to conduct further research on the reasons behind

the lack of support and resources coming from administration and the district and eventually on

how to change that problem.

Teacher Training. ​This research shows that there is a lack of training the participants

have received in order to properly educate students with disabilities in a general education

setting. This data implies that the participants’ students could be performing at a higher level if

the teachers were properly trained. I encourage educators to conduct further research on the lack

of teacher training, especially in the San Diego Unified School District, and how teacher training

directly affects students.

Inclusive Practices. ​While this study shows that the general education teacher

participants are effectively using flexible grouping in their classrooms, they are not doing the

same when it comes to assistive and instructional technologies and providing positive and
constructive feedback. Research showing that the students of the participants have access to

assistive and instructional technologies does not mean they are being properly used or used at all.

This research leads to a bigger problem in teacher training in these assistive and instructional

technologies, to ensure the effective use of them for students with special needs. I encourage

educators to conduct further research on teacher training in assistive and instructional

technologies. With the lack of the participants providing positive and constructive feedback, I

encourage educators to conduct further research on why educators are not using effective

strategies and how teachers can properly implement them.

Limitations

One of the major limitations of this study was the coronavirus (COVID-19). As this

overwhelming pandemic hit California, the rest of the United States, and the rest of the world,

this study had already been planned, organized, and begun. Before the school closures in San

Diego, the location of the study had been selected and approved, and the survey had already been

sent out to the general education teachers. This study was originally designed to include a

survey, interviews, and classroom observations. After schools in California had been closed

down, teachers all over the state were struggling to educate themselves on distance learning and

how to effectively teach their students through online communication systems. Due to the

overwhelming responsibility put on teachers to quickly learn these skills, all of the teachers who

had participated in my survey and at the preferred school site were not willing to complete a

short interview, which led to a lack of a more detailed research project on the inclusive culture

and practices being used at this school site. Additionally, since schools were closed down and
had switched to distance learning, I was not able to conduct classroom observations, which

would have also lead to a more detailed research project.